by Rosemary Low

In recent years, much has been written about appropriate diets for parrots kept in aviaries. A lot of this information has come from places with a better climate than that of the UK, such as the Canary Islands. At Loro Parque, for example, it is standard practice to feed fruits in the morning and seeds and/or pellets later in the day.

In the UK we should not base our feeding regime on that used for birds in much warmer climates. Here, only a few days in the year are hot enough for certain foods to spoil quickly. Many days are so cool or cold that aviary parrots fed only less nutritious foods, such as fruits in the morning, will suffer hunger for much of the day.

Before the onset of cold weather, it is advisable to carefully examine all your aviary birds. If any are underweight, they are the ones least likely to survive the winter. You might need to make appropriate alterations to the diet or accommodation or remove a dominant companion that is harassing a bird at feeding times. If an underweight bird still fails to gain weight, have it checked by an avian vet, if possible.

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