Watermelon is a delicious fruit many of us enjoy because of its refreshing qualities and numerous health benefits. It’s also a great low-calorie snack alternative for junk foods if you’re all about taking care of your body. If you’re a bird enthusiast and own a parrot, you may be tempted to let your pet bird take a bite of watermelon, which begs the question, is it safe to feed your parrots with watermelon?
Can parrots eat watermelon?
The short answer is yes, parrots can eat watermelon.
While watermelons are not a common staple of a parrot’s diet, your pet bird will definitely appreciate it as an exciting nutritious treat every once in a while. There are no substances on the watermelon that may be harmful to your parrot. Fruits and vegetables comprise 15-30% of a parrot’s diet which means it is perfectly safe for you to feed your pet with watermelon as long as the fruit is properly prepared.
How do you prepare watermelons for your parrots?
Removing the seeds as well as the rind is ideal to reduce the chances of any unwanted incidents with your parrot. While the rind is edible, it’s better to rinse it thoroughly with water to remove any pesticides. Scrape off a couple of layers to help your parrot consume it easily due to its hard texture. However, if you slice the fruit and directly feed it to your pet, you’ll notice that your parrots usually eat the seeds first before the rest of the fruit.
Make sure to remove the rind or rinse it thoroughly if you’re planning to feed it to your parrot. While it’s a risk you’d like to avoid as much as possible, the outer layer provides some health benefits if prepared properly. For first-time bird owners, however, it’s best to keep your pet away from the rind as your parrot may choke on a big piece if it bites a chunk through the tough rind. Scraping the rind into thin layers makes it safe for your parrots to consume it.
Do parrots like watermelons?
Most parrots love the taste of watermelons due to their sweet flavor and stringy texture that provides resistance for your parrot to chew through to exercise its beak. The juiciness of the watermelon combined with the ability to pick on its seeds also makes it fun for your parrots to munch on.
To make the watermelons more appealing to your parrots, following the steps we’ve mentioned earlier is essential so that your parrot won’t ignore this delicious treat. Feeding your parrot by hand is better if you want to bond with your pet. Parrots like to nibble large chunks of food so feeding them with large chunks makes it more fun for them as they will have to personally break it down to serve as natural enrichment.
How much watermelon is safe to consume for your parrot?
Since a parrot’s diet should consist of a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, seeds, and other formulated diets, fresh fruits should only be 15-30% of your parrot’s diet. This means that you should treat the watermelon as a snack for your pet as feeding it entirely on a watermelon diet isn’t enough to provide your pet with a balanced and healthy diet. Watermelon is not the kind of food you should be feeding your parrot daily as the main bulk of your parrot’s diet should consist of pellets.
The pellets should make up more than half of your pet’s daily nutrition with the remaining consisting of a mixture of fruits like watermelon and others that are safe for your parrot such as blueberries, kiwis, mangoes, papayas, cantaloupe, and so forth to give them the best nutritional support they need stay healthy.
What are the benefits of eating watermelon for your pet bird?
Due to the composition of watermelon being 90-95% water, it’s a great source of hydration while flushing toxins and waste from your parrot’s digestive tract. The watermelon’s high fiber content lowers the risk of constipation for your pet as well as ensures healthy bowel movements. It’s also packed with the amino acid L-citrulline to protect your pet from muscle aches and soreness when staying in their cages all day.
Watermelon also has other nutrients such as Vitamins A to develop and maintain beautiful feathers, and Vitamin C to boost your parrot’s immunity to sickness and diseases. Choline present in the fruit aids in muscle coordination and movement, while potassium improves your parrot’s heart and controls the bird’s blood pressure. The magnesium content in the watermelon also helps boost the development of healthy feathers, while its richness in iron promotes better blood circulation.
Which fruits should you not feed your parrot?
While most fruits are perfectly safe for your parrot to enjoy, keep in mind some fruits may not be suitable for your pet for consumption due to other issues. One of the notable examples of this is avocados as the pit and the skin of the fruit happens to have a high concentration of parts that are toxic to your pet bird.
You should also remove the seeds of other fruits like cherries, apples, peaches, plums, apricots, and nectarines when feeding your pet bird with these fruits. The seeds of the fruits mentioned contain small quantities of a poisonous substance that can especially be harmful when ingested by parrots. Rhubarb meanwhile is a vegetable that you’d want to avoid for your parrots as the oxalic acid present in the vegetable is a poisonous substance for a lot of bird species including parrots.
Conclusion
First-time pet owners don’t have to worry about watermelons as they’re definitely a safe treat for your pet parrots. The flesh of the watermelon contains no harmful substances making this a delicious and healthy snack for your parrot on an occasional basis. The numerous nutritional benefits are great for your pet. Ensuring proper preparation when feeding your parrots with watermelon is essential to reap the benefits without putting your pet in danger from pesticides and other freak accidents like choking.