Tomatoes for Parrots?
Daily, I can have up to 100 wild birds patiently waiting for any day-old sprouts, removed from my bird’s food dishes, to be sprinkled at their designated feeding area. These wild ones eagerly swoop down and within minutes the meager scattering of sprout remnants has been devoured. However, I’ve noticed these same birds leave the fruits on my annual tomato plants completely alone. Now since the wild birds leave tomatoes alone, perhaps with their ability to self medicate and self nourish (see this column in issues 134 and 135 of Parrots magazine) they naturally recognize that members of the nightshade family should best be left alone.
Are tomatoes safe for parrots to eat? There are several areas to consider regarding this. One concern I’ve read about is that tomatoes are too acidic for parrots. However, I wonder more about feeding parrots a food from the nightshade family. Let’s see what my research has uncovered.
Read more in the magazine…