What do budgies eat? A guide to a healthy diet

The problem with a seed-only diet

Seed mixes are tasty for budgies, but they're high in fat and lack important vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A and calcium. A budgie that only eats seeds can develop problems like obesity, fatty liver, poor feather condition and weak immunity. Budgies also tend to pick out their favorite seeds and leave the rest.

What their diet should look like

Many avian vets recommend a varied diet built roughly like this:

• Budgie pellets: can be the base of the diet, since they're formulated to be complete.
• Fresh vegetables: every day, a significant part of what it eats.
• Seeds: as a complement, not the only food. They're also useful as training treats.
• Fruit: in small amounts, because of the sugar.

Every bird is different: your avian vet can recommend the ideal proportions for yours.

Vegetables budgies can eat

• Broccoli and cauliflower (leaves too).
• Grated or chopped carrot.
• Spinach, chard and kale, in moderation.
• Red, green or yellow bell pepper, without seeds.
• Zucchini, cucumber and squash.
• Romaine lettuce (skip iceberg, which offers almost nothing).
• Herbs like a little parsley, cilantro or basil.
• Peas and sweet corn now and then.

Wash them well and cut them small or clip them to the bars: many budgies prefer to peck.

Fruits budgies can eat

Apple and pear without seeds, banana, grapes in small amounts, strawberries, blueberries, melon, watermelon, mango, kiwi, orange and papaya. Offer them in small pieces as a treat a few times a week. Remove fresh fruit and vegetables after a few hours so they don't spoil in the cage.

Dangerous foods

• Avocado: highly toxic to birds; it can cause serious heart problems.
• Chocolate and caffeine: coffee, tea, cola.
• Salt and salty food: chips, crackers.
• Onion and garlic.
• Alcohol.
• Apple seeds and cherry, peach and plum pits.
• Fried, sugary or processed food.

Look up any food in our Is it toxic? tool to check whether it's safe for birds.

How to switch to a better diet

Budgies are wary of new foods, so the change has to be slow. Mix pellets into its seeds, gradually reducing the seeds over several weeks. Offer vegetables every day even if it ignores them at first: sometimes it takes weeks before they try them. Eating vegetables in front of it, or wetting greens and laying them on top of the cage so it explores them while bathing, can encourage it. Make sure it keeps eating and weigh it if you can: a bird that stops eating weakens very quickly.

Water, calcium and other care

Change the water every day and wash the bottle or dish. Offer a cuttlebone or mineral block so it gets calcium and keeps its beak in good shape. There's no need to add vitamins to the water if the diet is varied, unless your vet says so. And remember food can be play too: hiding treats in foraging toys keeps it active and entertained.

Ideas to get it eating vegetables

Try offering the same vegetable in different ways: grated, in strips, on a skewer hanging in the cage or mixed with a little of its pellets. Many budgies are encouraged by watching another budgie, or you, eat the same thing. Wet leafy greens are especially appealing because they like to "bathe" in them. Offer vegetables in the morning, when they're hungriest.

Signs something is wrong

See an avian vet if your budgie stops eating, loses weight, stays fluffed up for long periods, its droppings change or it seems lethargic. Birds are very good at hiding symptoms, so any change deserves attention. In the meantime, if you want to keep teaching it new things, try our Teach it to talk tool and read how to teach a budgie to talk.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a budgie eat a day? Roughly one to two teaspoons of pellets or seeds, plus vegetables. Your vet can fine-tune it.

Can I give it bread? Not recommended. It offers little and can contain salt and sugar.

Do cockatiels and lovebirds eat the same? The basics are similar, but each species has its own needs. Ask about your species.

My budgie won't eat vegetables. What can I do? Be patient, try different shapes and textures, and offer them every day.

This article is for information only and does not replace a visit to your vet.