Avian Enrichment- for every kind of bird By Abi When it comes to birds and toys, there is no universal approach to enrichment. Every bird is different, making what they need in terms of enrichment different.
Some birds derive the most pleasure from foraging boxes, while others enjoy tearing toys apart. Some like hanging toys, where others see them as threats in their safe spaces. There really is no better approach than trial and error.
Often our toy suggestions are met with “but my bird doesn’t like toys” or “he just breaks them” I’m here to tell you that firstly, you just haven’t tried hard enough, and secondly, toys are made to be destroyed.
Birds see toys as a way to occupy their highly intelligent minds and mimic their natural behavior as closely as possible. With all the toys available on the market, as well as DIY, the chances of your bird not liking a single one are next to zero.
It sometimes takes years to find the correct toy for your bird, my own budgies had me believing they just didn’t want to play, until I found the right toys. Now they spend their days happily destroying muffin cups and paper straws, and leaving a trail of destruction behind them.
My cockatoo on the other hand, enjoys nothing more than reducing a thick branch to splinters, on a daily basis. This means that his cage and my carpet never look clean, but he is happy and fulfilled.
My foster Alexandrine, Rosie, will run screaming if she’s faced with a sekelbos swing, but if you present her with a fresh foraging box or a good hanging cork toy, she’s the happiest you’ll ever see.
I have 2 conures, both green cheek, both with largely the same upbringing, one loves nothing more than dangling upside down from his favorite “rope” toy (t-shirt material) where the other just about seizes if you bring a thread near him, and he’d much rather throw a ball around or play fetch with a plastic bottle cap.
There really is no rule to say that any specific breed will prefer any specific style of toy, and the reality is that you will spend money (probably a lot) on stuff they’re unlikely to touch. And you’ll keep doing that until you find the right toy for them because that’s what being a good bird owner is, it’s not worrying about what you’re spending, or how many toys they’ve ignored, it’s always being aware of the enrichment that you are offering your bird, and how fulfilled their life is.
We have an abundance of resources for DIY toy making on our platforms, which offers a more budget-friendly solution to the never-ending toy demand: https://youtube.com/channel/UCUuXFfPcyM9EhT033vRmJkw
We’ve also compiled a list of some of our favorite suppliers should you wish to buy your toys ready to go: https://www.cheekybeaks.org.za/2020/07/31/local-is-lekker/
There really is no excuse, there are toys available to suit every bird and every budget, it just depends on how committed you are as an owner to providing a life that is both mentally and physically healthy for your feathered friend.
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