Cockatiels Eat Bananas

Can Cockatiels Eat Bananas? Healthy?

As banana is a tropical fruit that is suitable for cockatiels and it can be a perfect option to include in the diet chart of Cockatiels. Bananas are safe fruit with a lot of nutritional benefits that help in the growth and improve the health of internal organs. Not only with the nutritional benefits, but bananas are also a favorite fruit for cockatiels taste-wise. 

Is Banana Healthy For Cockatiels?

Fresh fruits are an essential part of a cockatiel’s diet. So Including the correct amount of fruit is an unavoidable part of the diet. Apart from the benefits of bananas, they make your cockatiels happy. They love to eat bananas daily if possible and it is a good element to add to the diet of cockatiels. Bananas are rich in nutrients and because of the consistency of bananas, cockatiels can have it easily. It also cleans and refreshes the body of cockatiels. 

Nutritious Benefits Of Feeding Bananas To Cockatiels

We can feed bananas to Cockatiels without any fear because banana consists of high nutritional benefits which help in the growth and nourish the feathers of the bird. You can serve bananas as fresh and frozen without adding other ingredients for extra flavors as it reduces the health benefits of bananas. This fruit is cheap and easily available. It is considered a good option to include in your parrot’s diet.

The diet of the Cockatiels should be scheduled in a way that comprises all the nutrition in it. However, fruits and vegetables make up only 15% of the diet. You can add bananas because they contain the following vitamins, nutrients, and minerals.

🟢Vitamin B6

This is a water-soluble vitamin that helps in the metabolism of fat, proteins, and carbohydrates. Cockatoos cannot produce vitamin B6 on their own. So feeding bananas helps to increase the metabolism rate and also creates red blood cells and neurotransmitters. 1.3 to 1.5 milligrams of vitamin B6 are contained in the medium-sized banana. 

🟢Fibre

Fiber is essential for cockatiels to slow the digestive process, increase the feeling of satiety, and lower the cholesterol level. 3 grams of fiber is present in 100 grams of banana which will be helpful for their health.

🟢Vitamin C

Vitamin C is important in the functioning of the immune system and keeps the cockatiels nice and healthy. This will help to reduce the illness in your bird. They also help in wound healing, iron absorption, removal of free radicals, improving skin health, and reducing the risk of disease.  A 100 gram of banana contains 8.7mg of vitamin C.

🟢Potassium

These electrolytes help reduce heart diseases, improve heart health, prevent strokes and manage your pet’s blood pressure.  450 mg of potassium is contained in a medium-sized banana.

🟢Tyrosine

Tyrosine is an amino acid that supports the brain to produce norepinephrine which is good for cockatiel’s memory, alertness, and mental focus. As bananas contain a small amount of tyrosine that is good for your birds. 

How To Feed Bananas?

Always try to select ripe bananas instead of under-ripe ones. Underripe bananas are not a good choice because they contain large amounts of starch. It will be better to feed them over ripped than underripe.

Things to avoid when feeding bananas:

If you have selected a banana to feed your bird, you have to take care of something important. Bananas are nutritious and healthy for Cockatiels, but they can also affect them. There are some tricks you have to keep in mind while feeding bananas like,

  • Feed in small quantities: Bananas should not be the main course of the diet, they should only be a portion of your bird’s intake. It is better to feed a piece or two of bananas a week. Avoid too many bananas because it can lead to higher sugar intake that can cause obesity or worsen health conditions.
  • Avoid too many peels: Banana peels are good for your birds but they should be provided at a moderate rate. You cannot allow your cockatiel to have a massive amount of peel. The safest method to feed your birds is to peel off the banana and provide the flesh part of it. 
  • Exclude processed bananas: Fresh food is always the best option. Possessed food is not toxic but they aren’t helpful either. One or two pieces of processed banana should be fine, but more than a potential amount can be harmful.
  • Prepare before feeding: You cannot simply give whole bananas to your Cockatiels, you have to prepare them before feeding, peel the bananas, and cut them into small pieces so that the birds could have them easily without much effort. 

The Bottom Line

Your cockatiels can eat bananas in moderate amounts. Anything which crosses the limit can be harmful. Although bananas have many nutritious benefits, you have to be careful while selecting bananas before feeding your birds. Nowadays all fruits and vegetables are available easily in the market but we have to recheck their quality. Most of the fruits are showered with pesticides and chemicals to keep them preserved for a long time. These chemical compounds can be harmful to your pets, so try to buy organic fruits for your beloved pets. 

Birds need varied diets to remain healthy. So offering bananas is a good idea as long as you consider the quantity of feeding. Keep your bird excited by offering them various treats in the form of fruits and vegetables.

Banana For Cockatiels

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