are grapes good for birds

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Bruce de Grosbois writes, Your recent email suggests it is safe to feed a parrot grapes. In actuality grapes are sprayed with enough pesticides to quickly kill a bird.

Even organic grapes are dangerous to feed to your bird due to the lack of regulation on the use of the word “Organic”.

Grapes should never be fed to a parrot, and your email suggesting it is a safe food is going to result in someones beloved bird ending up dead. It is irresponsible of your company to have done this. How hard is it to do some research before sending out an email.

Hi Bruce First clarification: you state ” due to the lack of regulation on the use of the word “Organic”. The organic seal on food produced in the United States is highly regulated. USDA Organic Regulations 7 CFR Section 205 includes all USDA organic standards, including prohibited practices, requirements, This page from the USDA Organic Certification and Accreditation explains the government regulation policies on organic food.

Grapes have no more or less pesticides sprayed on them than any other vegetable crop in the US. This is why we advise everyone to thoroughly wash any food they give their bird (and themselves) to get rid of these pesticides. Further, contrary to what many believe – “organic” anything can contain up to 2200+ different USDA organic certified pesticides as long as the pesticides themselves are made with compounds commonly produced in nature. You can verify this on the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s site on this page entitled Pesticide Registration Clarification of PR Notice 2003-1 As for “Grapes should never be fed to a parrot,” How does this translate to the overall welfare of the bird? Don’t take my word for it. Here’s a list of suggested foods for Parrots, posted on the VCA Animal Hospitals website. VCA is largest chain of animal hospitals in the country and I suspect if grapes were bad for birds they would not be on the list below.

Caveat – comment from Denise’s blog post – 3/30/14 – Can my bird safely eat people food from Carmen: Why are onions bad for them, my Senegal adores raw onions? In short Carmen, it’s because of the sulfur content. Some suggested food items for parrots include:

Are Grapes Safe for Parrots?

Parrots can safely eat grapes as they are not naturally poisonous to them. But there are a few things you should be aware of.

Eating too many grapes is not ideal for your parrots. Because of their high fructose content, overfeeding your parrot may be harmful to its health. Consider grapes a treat for your parrots rather than a staple food. The size of the bird determines how many grapes to feed it. Since it is difficult to determine an exact amount, I would advise sticking with my own judgment (which is by no means an expert recommendation). A medium- to large-sized parrot can have a whole grape at a time, but I wouldn’t give a small parrot more than half of one every time. Additionally, I would only give my birds grapes no more than three times per week.

If you give your parrot too many grapes to eat, it might stop eating other foods. This could cause your bird to become malnourished, which could be fatal. When in doubt, it’s always preferable to give less than more. You can also consult a veterinarian or an avian nutritionist to determine how much is appropriate to feed your birds.

Among fruits, grapes have the highest concentration of pesticides on their skin and even in the pulp. It’s crucial to give grapes sparingly and only after giving them a good wash (or even peeling them).

Do Grapes Contain Any Toxins?

Grapes do not inherently contain any toxins. According to Bloorcourt Veterinary Clinic, so far no toxic agent has been identified in grapes. Restricted feeding of grapes has nothing to do with the presence of toxins.

The only concern is of the pesticides that are very often found in grapes. Grapes are one of the most “contaminated” fruits, among several others. I always give my birds grapes without the skin, but this means a large part of the antioxidants are lost as they are mostly contained within the skin. Since there is no perfect solution for this, it is always recommended to feed grapes in moderation.

Can Parrots Eat Grapes’ Seeds and Peels?

Contrary to some other fruits’ seeds, parrots usually have no trouble with grape seeds. Grape seeds for instance contain beneficial nutrients. Furthermore, even though the seeds have a slightly bitter taste, parrots like cracking them. The only concern is with the size of your parrot. If your bird is too small, you will need to break the seeds into smaller pieces.

Grape peels also contain antioxidants as well as other nutrients. Washing the peels thoroughly is necessary to remove any pesticides or other chemical contamination from their surface. This is due to the waxy coating that grapes have, which makes it easy for chemicals to adhere to.

Avoid the peels if you have doubts regarding pesticide contamination. Washing doesn’t guarantee that the grapes will be 100% free of chemicals. Additionally, the highest amount of pesticide residue is usually found in grape peels. While water washing them can significantly reduce the amount of chemicals, we do not know how badly it can affect our pet birds if eaten in large quantities.

FAQ

Are grapes good for wild birds?

If you are wanting to feed fruit and vegetable, listed below is what foods are safe for birds. Fruits such as seedless grapes, mashed banana, raisins and apples (pips taken out) are all edible for the birds. Potatoes are a favourite with garden birds, roasted or mashed the birds love them.

What fruit is best for birds?

Berries and small fruits, including blueberries, raspberries, currants, blackberries, mulberries, beautyberries, serviceberries, sumac, holly, juniper, and viburnum are especially popular with many birds. Birds also enjoy other fruits such as oranges, plums, apples, grapes, cherries, crabapples, and prickly pear.

Will squirrels eat grapes?

Other favorites aren’t exactly natural, but the squirrels love them anyway. These additional foods include peanuts, peanut butter, pecans, pistachios, grapes, corn, squash, zucchini, pumpkin, strawberries, carrots, apples, sunflower seeds and even snack items, such as Oreo® cookies.