Inexpensive Bird Toys

Birds are highly intelligent animals that need plenty of mental stimulation and enrichment. Without it, they can quickly become bored, stressed, depressed, or destructive.

One of the easiest ways to keep a bird happy and engaged is by providing safe toys and activities that encourage chewing, shredding, exploring, and problem-solving.

The good news is that you don’t always need to buy expensive toys to accomplish this. In fact, many birds are perfectly happy with simple homemade toys made from everyday items.

Because birds tend to chew, shred, and destroy their toys, it’s actually helpful to rotate toys frequently. Having a few inexpensive options on hand makes it easy to keep their environment interesting.

Here are some simple DIY toy ideas many birds absolutely love.

Cardboard Shredding Toys

Cardboard toys are clean, non-toxic, disposable, and fun – all of which make them wonderful for both birds and owners.

Easy options include:

• Toilet paper rolls
• small, individual-serving cereal boxes
• snack-size raisin boxes

If the box originally contained food, your bird may have extra fun tearing into it to find leftover treats inside. Raisins are fine as an occasional treat, one or two raisins for a large parrot is fine, skip raisins for tiny birds like budgies. Once the box is empty, many birds happily continue shredding the cardboard.

Most modern food packaging uses soy-based inks, and birds have been shredding cereal boxes and paper packaging for decades without widespread issues. However, good practice is:

• avoid glossy coated boxes
• avoid plastic lined cardboard
• remove tape or staples
• use mostly plain cardboard surfaces

Always make sure the cardboard is clean and free from heavy inks, tape, or staples.

Clean Plastic Containers for Puzzle Toys

Plastic medicine bottles and spice bottles with the lids on are always a favorite. Make sure to clean them well before giving them to your bird. Small plastic oleo tubs with treats hidden inside will amuse your feathered friend for hours.

Small plastic containers that can easily become simple puzzle toys include:

• Plastic medicine bottles
• Empty spice containers
• Small margarine or food tubs

Birds enjoy figuring out how to move, roll, or manipulate the container to get the reward. In fact, they often enjoy the challenge just as much as the treat.

Pasta String Toys

Another easy toy uses uncooked pasta.

Try stringing a variety of different size pastas (uncooked) on bird-safe cotton rope or natural fiber twine and hanging them in your birds’ cages. My birds love moving the pieces up and down on the ropes and playing with them. They also enjoy a tasty morsel or two, and the pasta is good for them.

Birds enjoy:

• sliding the pieces back and forth
• chewing on the pasta
• exploring the different shapes and textures

It’s a simple toy, but many birds find it endlessly entertaining.

Coconut Foraging Toy

A whole coconut can become a surprisingly fun natural toy.

To prepare it:

1. Drain the coconut using a hammer and nail.
2. Cut the coconut in half.
3. Drill a hole near the edge of the shell.
4. Thread bird-safe rope or chain through the hole.
5. Hang it securely from the top of the cage.

Leave some of the coconut meat inside the shell so your bird can peck, chew, and forage. Many birds enjoy both the texture of the shell and the tasty coconut treat inside.

The Carrot Mop Toy

Fresh vegetables can also become interactive toys.

Take a carrot or beet with the greens still attached and:

1. Poke a hole near the thick end.
2. Thread a short piece of bird-safe string through it.
3. Use a vegetable peeler to peel strips down the sides without removing them completely. Do this all around the carrot (or beet).

This creates a sort of “carrot mop” that birds can tug on, shred, and nibble.

Many birds enjoy both playing with the dangling strips and tasting the vegetable.

A Quick Safety Reminder

When making homemade bird toys, always make sure materials are:

• Clean and chemical-free
• Free of staples, glue, or sharp edges
• Made from bird-safe materials

Supervise new toys at first to ensure your bird interacts with them safely.

Keeping Your Bird Happy Without Breaking the Budget

Bird ownership can sometimes get expensive, especially when it comes to toys that get destroyed quickly.

Fortunately, birds often enjoy simple homemade toys just as much as store-bought ones. With a little creativity, everyday items can become fun enrichment activities that keep your bird mentally stimulated and active.

A happy bird is a curious, playful bird.

Owning birds can be a great deal of fun but they can also be quite costly to keep entertained. Hopefully these little tidbits help you keep your bird happy (and healthy).