How to Feed a Pionus Parrot

Providing your Pionus parrot with a balanced diet is the best way to keep it healthy. While 80 percent of your parrot’s diet should consist of seeds, fresh fruits, and fresh vegetables, 20 percent of its diet should consist of grains and pellets.^{[1]XResearch source} When preparing your parrot’s food, make sure to clean fresh foods and cut them into small, manageable bites. If your parrot will not eat fresh fruits and vegetables, eating them in front of your parrot for a week or two may encourage it to start eating.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Providing a Balanced Diet

1
Provide sprouting seeds. "Live foods," such as sprouting seeds, are much healthier than the pre-packaged "dead seeds" found in seed mixes, although pre-packaged mixes have a longer shelf life. Sprouting seeds are lower in fat and have more nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, proteins, enzymes and chlorophyll. If you cannot provide sprouting seeds, then make sure to provide your parrot with a high-quality seed mix.^{[2]XResearch source}
- You can find sprouting seeds at your local pet supply store or online.
- Try to avoid “fortified” seed mixes. These seed mixes often contain artificial additives that can be harmful for your parrot.
- Because sunflower and safflower seeds contain high amounts of fat, avoid seed mixes that contain these seeds.
2
Offer fresh vegetables. Fresh vegetables are a great source of nutrients for parrots. They are a great way to supplement your parrot’s diet, especially if you are feeding it a formulated diet. Feed your bird fresh corn, string beans, squash, yams, broccoli, peas, zucchini, bok choy, bell peppers, kale, parsley, okra, carrots, and beans.^{[3]XResearch source}
- Make sure to slightly cook carrots before feeding them to your parrot.
- Beans must be thoroughly cooked before giving them to your parrot. You can also buy a soak and cook bean mixture for your parrot from your local pet store.
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3
Give your parrot fresh fruits. Like vegetables, fresh fruits are also full of nutrients that your parrot needs. Offer your parrot fresh berries (like blueberries and strawberries), mangos, pears, plums, bananas, papayas, apples, grapes, cantaloupe, watermelon, pomegranate seeds, figs, and other fruits. You can leave the seeds in fruits that contain them.
- Because avocados are toxic to birds and parrots, do not feed them to your parrot.
- Try to avoid feeding your parrot citrus fruits like oranges. Too much vitamin C in your parrot's diet can lead to health problems such as iron storage disease (hemochromatosis).^{[4]XResearch source}
4
Offer whole grains. Pionus parrots tend to like cooked quinoa, brown rice, and millet. Pellets are also a good way to provide your parrot with grains. However, make sure to feed your parrot a high-quality pellet brand.^{[5]XResearch source}
- A high-quality pellet brand will not use artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Instead, pick brands that use organic and human food grade ingredients.
5
Provide nuts. In addition to seeds, parrots also like nuts. However, because nuts are high in fat, provide them in moderation. Additionally, provide your parrot with raw nuts instead of processed nuts. Processed nuts contain high amounts of salt, sugar, and other additives that can harm your parrot.^{[6]XResearch source}
- Walnuts and almonds are great nut choices for parrots.
6
Provide fresh water daily. Provide your parrot with filtered, fresh water daily. Water that contains heavy metals and chlorine may harm your bird. Bottled natural spring water, filtered water, or tap water treated with a de-chlorinating agent are the best options for your parrot.
- Additionally, avoid giving your parrot distilled water since it lacks essential minerals your parrot needs.
- Make sure to rinse and wipe your parrot’s water bowl before you refill it.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Preparing Your Parrot’s Food

1
Provide your parrot with fresh food daily. Every morning, offer your parrot fresh food. Make sure to give it enough food to last throughout the day if you will be gone. When you come home in the afternoon or night, remove and replace your parrot’s food with more fresh food.
- Make sure to remove any fresh food that has not been eaten after 24 hours.
2
Wash fresh fruits and vegetables. Before giving your parrot fresh fruits and vegetables, make sure to rinse them thoroughly under clean, running water. Like humans, parrots are susceptible to food-borne pathogens like E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria.^{[7]XResearch source}
- Additionally, do not give your parrot spoiled foods. As a general rule of thumb, if you wouldn’t eat it, then do not give it to your parrot.
3
Cut fruits, nuts, and vegetables into small bites. Make sure to chop fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as nuts, into small, manageable bites for your parrot. Your parrot may choke on pieces of fruits, nuts, and vegetables that are too big.^{[8]XResearch source}
- The pieces of food should only be slightly bigger than the seeds that you feed your parrot.
4
Alternate your parrot’s feeding schedule. Try to avoid feeding your parrot the same thing every day. Alternate its food supply daily. Give your parrot seeds and nuts on Mondays and Wednesdays, for example, and whole grains and vegetables on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can also give your parrot certain vegetables and fruits on specific days.^{[9]XResearch source}
- You can even alternate foods within the day; for example, give your parrot seeds in the morning and fruits and vegetables in the afternoon, or vice versa.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Encouraging Your Parrot to Eat

Because parrots are flock animals, they like to eat when their flock is eating. Feed your parrot breakfast and dinner when you are eating breakfast and dinner, for example.
2
Eat foods in front of your parrot. If your parrot does not like a particular food, try eating the food in front of it. If they see you enjoying the food, they are more likely to try it and like it as well. Try this for a week or two.^{[10]XResearch source}
- For example, if your parrot doesn’t like bananas, eat the banana in front of it for a week. After a week, it may be more willing to try the banana.
3
Offer fruits and vegetables for a month. Fresh fruits and vegetables may turn off some parrots. However, offering fruits and vegetable for a month (or longer) is another way to get your parrot to eat these foods. Prepare the fruits and vegetables and place them in a food bowl. Offer the fruits and vegetables alongside the foods your parrot likes.^{[11]XResearch source}
- It may take a month or longer before your parrot starts to eat the fruits and vegetables.
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Warnings

Do not feed your parrot chocolate, junk food, fried food, or spicy foods.
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Do not give your parrot alcoholic beverages like beer, wine, and liquor.
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