Forgaging Behavior in Companion Parrots: Behavioral & Environmental Enrichment

In the wild, psittacine birds exhibit four main behaviors:  social interaction, grooming, foraging, and sleep. The vast majority of their days are spent foraging or searching for food.

Food is readily available for pet birds. A feeding process that should take hours, may take only minutes in the caged bird. Left with little to fill their days, some birds turn to excessive preening which in turn may lead to feather destructive behavior. Foraging behavior provides pet birds with physical and mental stimulation.

Download the Foraging Behavior Handout PDF or a DOCX version that can be modified.