* Safe and Dangerous Materials

Below are lists of dangerous materials. There are grouped into 3 categories: Metals, Wood/Plants, Foods, and Other Items. Even if there are labeled as "safe" but the item has an "*" it may not be completely safe and you need to read the precautions. This is our own opinion and you need to seek the advice of your avian vet.


Please keep in mind, all parrots are unique, because an item is listed as “safe,” it may have a different effect on your parrot. Some parrots, like humans, have allergies or may be more prone to misusing a toy. If you have any questions about your parrot’s safety, please consult your Avian Veterinarian.

*Denotes item may be unsafe. See precautions.

Print These to keep on your refrigerator:

Metal

Metal	Safe / Unsafe	Precautions	Description	Common Sources	Abbreviation/ Other Name
Stainless Steel	Safe	preferred metal to use with parrots. It is a hard surface that can stand up to a large beak and is easily cleaned (Bird Tricks).	an alloy that combines about 11% chromium with steel in the product (you will read that chromium contains zinc). Since chromium might only contain a small percentage of zinc, and stainless steel contains only a percentage of chromium, levels are lowered and overall, it is safe. Stainless Steel should be non-magnetic. If the stainless still has magnetic properties, it is a low grade and you should consider choosing another stainless steel product.		SS
Tin	Safe	not toxic to birds (Metals). Also, it does not rust but it does oxidize (WhiteHat, 2015).
Wrought Iron (powder coated)	Safe	potentially harmful. Wrought Iron is only safe if powder coated or covered with bird safe paint.[2]
Aluminum	Safe / Unsafe	Very harmful. only safe if powder coated or covered with bird safe paint(2). When aluminum enters the body, it is absorbed and can accumulate in the kidneys, brain, lungs, liver, and thyroid. Research indicates aluminum is a cause of degenerative problems such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Osteoporosis(Dr. Edward Group DC, Toxic Metals, 2013) (Dr. Edward Group DC, Aluminum Linked to Disease, 2014).
Galvanized	Unsafe	Extremely toxic	Galvanized metals contain zinc. Galvanizing is the process during which metals are plated with a thin coating of zinc to make them less corrosive. When intended for outdoor use, these metals are galvanized to make them weather resistant (Metals).
Alloys	Unsafe	potentially toxic. find out what metals are used in the alloy to determining if the alloy is toxic or safe (Jones).	An alloy is a combination of metal used together to increase the strength or the resistance to corrosion in the final product (Bird Tricks).
Brass	Unsafe	potentially toxic	an alloy of copper and zinc are both potentially toxic to birds (Metals).
Chrome, Chromium, or Chrome-Plated	Unsafe	potentially toxic. They sometimes incorporate zinc and there is not a practical way to know. Because of the possibility of zinc, the use of chrome is discouraged with birds – even though it is possibly safe (Bird Tricks).	alloys
Copper	Unsafe	potentially toxic		Acidic foods stored in copper containers may leach out copper, and occasionally copper piping for water is a potential source of increased copper in the diet if the water is slightly acidic and has been allowed to remain in contact with the piping for some length of time. Allowing the water from the tap to run for a few minutes before filling the water dishes will prevent this problem (Metals).
Iron	Unsafe	not toxic to birds (Metals) but it will rust when introduced to water. Because water is common in the parrot environment if only for the purpose of cleaning, iron is not a good choice in the long run (Bird Tricks).
Lead	Unsafe	Extremely toxic		lead paint, curtain weights, lead frames of stained glass windows, and tiffany lamps, and weighted ashtrays and toys (Metals).
Nickel and Nickel-Plated	Unsafe	Very harmful. Nickel is one of many carcinogenic (cancer-causing) metals known to be an environmental and occupational pollutant. The New York University School of Medicine warns that chronic exposure has been connected with increased risk of lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, neurological deficits, and developmental deficits in childhood. Nickel exposure introduces free radicals, which lead to oxidative damage and may also affect the kidneys and liver. (Dr. Edward Group DC, Health Dangers of Nickel, 2013) In addition, with nickel-plated metals, owners need to be aware of the metal under the plating. If a parrot wears down the plating, it may be exposed to a toxic metal.
Oxidation	Unsafe
Rust	Unsafe
Steel	Unsafe	not toxic to birds (Metals) but it will rust when introduced to water. Because water is common in the parrot environment, if only for the purpose of cleaning, steel is not a good choice in the long run (Bird Tricks).
-treated with anti-rust paints	Unsafe	potentially toxic	may include zinc.
Zinc	Unsafe	Extremely toxic		galvanized cage wire, clips or staples, bird toy snaps, zippers, keys, nails, plumbing nuts, nuts on animal transport cages, hardware cloth, padlocks, chrome, and some anti-rust paints, shampoos and skin preparations (Metals).

Wood/Plants

Wood	Safe / Unsafe	Precautions	Description	Common Sources	Abbreviation/ Other Name
Acacia	Safe
Alder	Safe
Almond	Safe
Apple	Safe
Apricot *	Safe
Arbutus	Safe
Ash	Safe
Aspen	Safe
Bamboo	Safe
Beech	Safe
Birch	Safe
Black Walnut (see Walnut)	Safe
Bois d'arc *	Safe
Bottle Brush	Safe
Cedar *	Safe
Cherry *	Safe
Citrus	Safe
Cork Oak *	Safe
Cottonwood	Safe
Crabapple	Safe
Dogwood	Safe
Dragonwood	Safe
Elm	Safe
Eucalyptus *	Safe	Leaves and seeds may be toxic.
Fig Species	Safe
Fir	Safe
Fruitless Mulberry	Safe
Ginkgo *	Safe
Goat Willow (see willow)	Safe				willow
Grape Palm	Safe
Grape Vines	Safe
Guava	Safe
Hackberry	Safe
Hawthorn	Safe
Hazelnut	Safe
Hibiscus	Safe
Hickory	Safe
Horse Apple *	Safe
Ironwood	Safe
Java *(1)	Safe	may be slippery			coffee wood
Larch	Safe
Lilac	Safe
Liquidamber	Safe
Madrona	Safe
Magnolia	Safe
Manzanita *(1)	Safe
Maple	Safe
Mediterranean Laurel	Safe
Mesquite *	Safe	remove thorns
Mimosa	Safe
Mulberry	Safe
Nectarine *	Safe
Norfolk Island Pine	Safe
Nut *	Safe	Chestnut and Oak is NOT safe
Oak *	Safe	wood only no bark or leaves, or Acorns
Palm	Safe
Papaya	Safe
Peach *	Safe
Pear	Safe
Pecan	Safe
Pine	Safe
Plum *	Safe
Poplar	Safe
Prune *	Safe
Pussy Willow (see willow)	Safe
Redwood (see Sequoia) *	Safe
Ribbonwood	Safe
Rose	Safe
Sassafras	Safe
Sequoia (see Redwood) *	Safe
Spruce	Safe
Sweet Gum	Safe
Sycamore	Safe
Thurlow	Safe
Tree fern	Safe
Umbrella tree	Safe
Vine Maple	Safe
Walnut *	Safe	Black Walnut may be dangerous
Weeping Willow (see willow)	Safe
Willow	Safe
Coffee Wood (see Java) *	Safe				Java
Apricot	Unsafe	Gillian Willis on her website says "They contain cyanogenic glycosides which release cyanide if ingested.
Black Locust	Unsafe	Has been cited as causing some toxic reactions with birds, though members of this species are also known as the Acacia, which is listed as safe.
Bois d'arc	Unsafe	Bois d'arc, which is also called the Horse Apple tree, and this is in the Mulberry family and is a safe wood but I had to write a lot of bird folks.
Box Elder Wood	Unsafe	UNSAFE
Cedar*	Unsafe	Occasionally appears on safe lists.  If Cedar is to be used, Red cedar should be avoided for the same reasons as redwood.  Yellow and Sitka Cedar may be safe though.
Cherry	Unsafe	Gillian Willis on her website says "They contain cyanogenic glycosides which release cyanide if ingested. this one is really controversial.  there are confirmed cases of dogs and of horses having fatal reactions to eating cherry wood.  However, I have been unable to find any confirmed report of bird fatalities.  Regardless the sap is what contains the toxic elements (see Gillians Help pages) and that is contained primarily in the Cambium, a layer of material just below the bark.  If cherry is to be used it should be dry, debarked and any traces of sap removed.  Under no circumstances should fresh cherry, the foliage or bark be given to birds.
Chestnut	Unsafe
Chinese Magnolia	Unsafe	The wood, foliage, and flowers all appear to be safe, but I have been unable to confirm this. According to CSUF biologists and agronomists, they could see no reason to consider it dangerous (it is not a known toxic plant) but know of no reason to consider it completely safe either.
Chinese Popcorn	Unsafe	UNSAFE
Chinese Snake Tree	Unsafe	A VERY TOXIC plant and even contact with the sap (through the skin) can present the risk of fatality to small animals and children. Occasionally appears in gardens as an exotic ornamental. It is sometimes called the Lacquer plant because it was the source of lacquer.
Cork Oak	Unsafe	A safe wood to leave the bark on.  Cork oak has very low levels of tannin (far lower than other oaks) and the bark is just what the name says 'Cork"  Cork Oak is originally from southern Europe and is the source of all-natural cork.  The bark is very thick and well, cork-like.  It can be found wherever there are old wine-growing areas as it was grown to provide corks for the bottles.  It is also found scattered around the southeastern US and California.  Because of its very low tannin content, it is safe for use in food storage (the cork in the wine bottle, oil bottles, etc.)  There is a similar species found native to North America, the Prairie Oak a variety of live oak is found throughout the great plains and east to Ohio.  It has a very thick cork-like bark, however, I do not know what the safety factor for this species would be.
Eucalyptus	Unsafe	While it appears on many toxic lists I have never been able to find a good reason for it being there. The level of phenols (the toxic elements in eucalyptus) is lower than in many pine species which are considered perfectly safe.  While you might want to avoid the foliage there doesn't appear to be any reason to do so. Considering that many lorikeet and cockatoo species eat the flowers and new leaves in the wild and that it is the dominant native wood for Australia concern over its toxicity seems exaggerated.
Ginkgo	Unsafe	While the female Ginkgo may have an unpleasant smell the wood, bark, and foliage all appear to be safe.
Hem-Fir	Unsafe	See Hemlock
Hemlock	Unsafe	The wood that is sold in lumber yards (sometimes called Hem-Fir) is safe but the foliage is toxic. No other species of hemlock should be considered safe.
Java / Coffee Wood*	Unsafe	May be slippery, Don't use for resting perch or perch near water. (1)
Horse Apple	Unsafe	see Bois d'arc
Lacquer plant	Unsafe	See Chinese Snake Tree
Laurel	Unsafe	appears on most toxic lists.  Most Laurel species are toxic but the Mediterranean Laurel is safe. Distinguishing the species can be difficult though and unless the species is known absolutely it should be avoided.
Manzanita*	Unsafe	May be slippery, Don't use for resting perch or perch near water. (1)
London Tree	Unsafe	is in the sycamore family, and is currently under research.
Nectarine	Unsafe	Gillian Willis on her website says "They contain cyanogenic glycosides which release cyanide if ingested.
Oak	Unsafe	Oak appears on a number of toxic lists, primarily because of the tannin in the leaves and acorns.  In the writer’s opinion, this is totally unjustified, the wood should be perfectly fine as it is not generally eaten and contains little tannin in most species. Though there is some controversy about Oak it appears that the wood should be safe.  the bark leaves and especially the acorns have much higher levels of tannins and should be avoided.  While many bird species including many parrots regularly feed on nuts and vegetation that have levels of tannin much higher than oaks, it is unclear how their bodies deal with the substance and it is therefore probably advisable to avoid high doses.
Peach	Unsafe	Gillian Willis on her website says "They contain cyanogenic glycosides which release cyanide if ingested.
Pitch Pine	Unsafe	To be avoided.  It was the source material for turpentine and has VERY high levels of phenols.  Contact with the wood can cause rashes and the fumes from burning it has been known to cause lung and eye disorders.
Plum	Unsafe	Gillian Willis on her website says "They contain cyanogenic glycosides which release cyanide if ingested.
Prune	Unsafe	Gillian Willis on her website says "They contain cyanogenic glycosides which release cyanide if ingested.
Prunus Species	Unsafe	Gillian Willis on her website says "They contain cyanogenic glycosides which release cyanide if ingested.
Redwood*	Unsafe	Redwood has long been associated with rashes and dust with lung and eye disorders.  It contains high levels of volatile oils that are known toxins.  Further exposure is believed to suppress the immune system. Do not give the birds redwood.  The oils the wood contains are toxic.  But the biggest problem is if they get a splinter, redwood tends to block the immune response and they become infected quite easily.
Sequoia*	Unsafe	see Redwood
Sumac	Unsafe	UNSAFE (aka Rhus/Toxicodendron)
Tan Oak	Unsafe	Should be avoided because of the VERY high tannin content
Chinese Tallow	Unsafe	see Chinese Popcorn

Food

Food	Safe / Unsafe	Precautions	Description	Common Sources	Abbreviation/ Other Name
Acorn	Healthy	cooked
Alcohol	Toxic
Apples	Healthy	Remove seeds/pits from most fruits as they can be toxic!
Apples and Grapes	Limit	due to high sugar content.
Apricots	Healthy	w/ pits removed
Asparagus	Unsafe	can cause digestive upset
Avocado	Toxic	in any form, including guacamole
Bananas	Healthy
Beet greens	Healthy
Beets	Healthy
Blackberries	Healthy
Blueberries	Healthy
Broccoli	Healthy
Brussels Sprouts	Healthy	Cooked or raw
Butternut	Healthy	cooked
Caffeine	Toxic	soda, coffee
Carrots	Healthy
Cauliflower	Healthy
Cherries	Toxic
Chocolate	Toxic
Cocoa	Toxic
Coconut Oil	Healthy	Source: MercolaHealthPet
Coconuts	Healthy
Collard Greens	Healthy
Corn and Peas	Limit	due to sugar and starch content
Dairy products	Toxic
Dried Beans	Healthy	cooked thoroughly to add to fresh food. Use the smaller varieties like navy, black, pinto, red, etc.
Garlic	Toxic
Kidney beans and larger beans	Avoid
Leaves of potato plants	Toxic
Leaves of tomato plants	Toxic
Lima beans	Unsafe	never feed them to your bird
Mango	Healthy
Meats	Healthy	fully cooked in small quantities occasionally. This might seem weird, but most parrots love chicken wings!
Melons	Healthy	Remove seeds/pits from most fruits as they can be toxic!
Most Fruits with pits	Toxic
Mushrooms	Toxic
Mustard	Healthy
Nectarines	Healthy	w/ pits removed
Nuts	Healthy
Nuts	Healthy	unsalted nuts in or out of the shell for a great snack. Smaller birds should eat nuts sparingly but macaws actually need them in their diets (try walnuts, brazil nuts, and almonds in the shell).
Onions	Toxic
Papaya	Healthy
Pasta and Grains	Healthy	These are foods that your bird will love! Because of their high starch and sugar content, they should be given only occasionally and in limited amounts. You can serve brown rice, quinoa, or pasta made from whole wheat, and they should all be fully cooked. You can also mix in a small amount of a high-quality seed mix with the fresh food but do so very sparingly. Far too many parrots have suffered an early death because their owners fed them a diet too rich in seeds! For this same reason, you should never feed a parrot wild bird food!
Peaches	Toxic
Peanuts	Limit	only offer human-grade roasted & unsalted from the grocery store. Check for signs of mold on the shells. Peanut shells can carry aspergillosis, which can kill your bird.
Pears	Healthy
Pellets	Healthy	There are a variety of dry “pelleted” parrot foods available at your pet store or online. Some very high-quality mixes are made by Zupreem, Roudybush and Harrisons. They are blended to supply a wide variety of nutrients that your parrot needs and can be mixed into your fresh food mix or in a separate bowl for snacking. They should be considered a very necessary addition to, but not a replacement for fresh foods.
People food	Healthy	Every once in awhile give your bird some “people food” It helps to provide variety and excitement. Just don’t let this become a lazy habit as the bird will begin to avoid his food in anticipation of getting some of yours.
Peppers - hot or sweet	Healthy
Pits/Seeds of most fruits	Toxic	especially apples!
Plums	Healthy	w/ pits removed
Pomegranates	Healthy
Raspberries	Healthy
Red Palm Oil	Healthy	Source: MercolaHealthPet
Salt	Avoid
spaghetti	Healthy	cooked
Spinach	Healthy
Strawberries	Healthy
Sugar	Avoid
Sweet Potatoes	Healthy	Cooked
Wild Bird Seed	Unsafe

Other Items

Item	Safe / Unsafe	Precautions	Description	Common Sources	Abbreviation/ Other Name
toy rings	May be unsafe	all parts should be large enough to allow the bird to pass completely through them
bars	May be unsafe	smaller than the width of the head inside of the eyes.
paper rolls (toilet paper & paper towels)	May be unsafe	may contain toxic glue. Watch to see if roll winds up in water bowl and eliminate them if the bird insists on soaking them (pg 81)