Tea for Parrots

[Pajarita]

EXACTLY! We do NOT feed them their natural diet, especially when you feed pellets which are not only processed but have lab-made vitamins! (I've eaten Harrison's pellets -they are VERY bland and dry although they do have a mild grainy flavor to them -not disgusting at all but nothing anybody would choose to eat unless they are into eating cardboard -LOL).

As to why to screw around with anything that is not natural? Because we screw around so very badly when we make them pets! Life in captivity is HIGHLY unnatural so it falls to us to provide substitutes for wild behaviors. Foraging with their flock is not only part of their natural behaviors, it's one of the most important ones. There are now studies that tell us that when a flock is eating, the ones in the periphery keep an eye out for all the birds that eat in 'the middle' and while they just lower their heads and eat, the 'watch' just pecks here and there, lifting their heads constantly to look around for predators. Eating with the flock makes them feel secure which translates into no stress and a bird that eats on its lonesome is not going to eat as well as one that eats within the security of the flock. Not my opinion but a fact. Now, the birds in my birdroom don't need as many substitutes as Zoey because they all live together and have come to accept each other as part of a weird but workable flock but Zoey has nobody but me so the onus is on me to make up for the lack of flock. This means spending hours and hours with her, taking her with me when I clean around the house, take a shower, etc. And part of this routine is the quiet shoulder time she spends when I sit at the computer. During this time, I drink my tea and it would be quite confusing and upsetting to her if I did not share (flock mates share - always!). She doesn't drink from my cup (she has her own, a pink demi-tasse from an old espresso set), she doesn't drink anything that would be bad for her and those couple of small sips (she doesn't really drink more than that) make her feel that she belongs, secure and loved so, as far as I can see, it's all pros and no cons.

As to links for the herbs, there are millions, just google linden, chamomile and star anise (I don't use the tea bags but the herbs themselves and I get them at Mountain Rose). I also use cedron (a South American type of lemon verbena), boldo (same name in English and a good liver tonic), carqueja (don't know the name in English but it's also great for the liver), marcela (again, don't know the name in English but it's great for digestion) and hierba de pollo (same thing, no idea of the English name but very good for digestion). Back home, a very mild tea made out of linden, chamomile, hierba de pollo and star anise is given to infants instead of plain water and my children grew up on it. (I get the South American herbs from back home but some are available online).

[Michael]

Life in captivity is HIGHLY unnatural so it falls to us to provide substitutes for wild behaviors. Foraging with their flock is not only part of their natural behaviors, it's one of the most important ones.

That's a great case for training as opposed to bowl feeding in the cage.

[KimberlyAnn]

Thanks for the list Pajarita! Some I've never heard of before so I look forward to trying them for myself!

[GreenWing]

KimberlyAnn, I think this is a very good topic that you brought up. I had no idea that there were commercialized "bird teas" and I agree that caffeine is a no-no. However I think it's awesome to consider that exotic birds do eat flowers in the wild.

I also love Mountain Rose Herbs (also Oregon based, w00t!) and as a hobbyist herbalist with an herb blog, I'm also interested in herbal teas and aromatherapy for birds. I let Chance get a whiff of chamomile essential oil, which has such an apple-ish scent and is very relaxing to smell. So, I think it's an awesome idea to look into which herbal teas parrots can have.

Again before giving these teas I'd check with an avian vet... just to be safe. I do know that parrots can't have certain berries (such as Elder, which is TOXIC for parrots) so AVOID such an herbal tea. But judging from other parrot websites, it seems that some parrot owners enjoy giving their parrots chamomile tea.

I will look into this more... there's a certain rose/fig herbal tea I found on the 'net and I wonder if it would be safe for a parrot: here it is it looks yummy!

[KimberlyAnn]

Thanks GreenWing

I regularly feed Emmi Rose and Hibiscus flowers. She loves them! I just put them in a little water and feed them to her whole. She also gets fresh rosemary which makes my house smell so good! I used to burn a warm sented candle before company came over. We can't do that anymore since we got a bird, so we just give Emmi her rosemary right before people come over. Works great! Lol

[GreenWing]

Thanks GreenWing

I regularly feed Emmi Rose and Hibiscus flowers. She loves them! I just put them in a little water and feed them to her whole. She also gets fresh rosemary which makes my house smell so good! I used to burn a warm sented candle before company came over. We can't do that anymore since we got a bird, so we just give Emmi her rosemary right before people come over. Works great! Lol

I love everything about this! Do you warm the roses and hibiscus flowers in the water? Or does Emmi just eat the flowers?

What kind of roses do you use? I have the "herbal" rose (Apothecary Rose) in my garden... it's a short bloomer but perfect for making rose water as it's sooooooo fragrant. Imma check with my avian vet to see if they're edible for parrots. We have other herbs and flowers that I want to check on, as well. I think if someone on the forum made a list of safe flowers and herbs for parrots, that would be epic...

[KimberlyAnn]

I use expensive organic tea roses I buy from my aunt who gets them in bulk from a few different places. She is also big into herbs. I really need to find a new source since we live a few hours apart. Lol Roses are parrot safe and TOPS uses rose hips in their ingredient list. I have not seen many different types of roses for tea, just one. Little pink ones with the rose hips attached. Maybe that's the same one you have in your garden? I hope so! I would look up what rose is used commonly for tea and flower eating...like a raw foodest site? Fresh rose hips are so nutritious! My mom used to give her Joseph's Coat climbing rose to her teils. She still has the bush, but the neighbors use horrible things on their lawn near the bush. :/

I don't actually make a tea for Emmi, I just put enough water in a small dish to touch (not cover) the flowers so the water is soaked up. There is always a little water left at the bottom and she licks it up sometimes. I just use cold water. She will eat both flowers dry, but I just like to wet them so she gets enough water.

[Pajarita]

You can both ask your avian vets about herbs but, unless they are trained as holistic avian vets (and there are very, very few of them), they would have no idea whether an herb is good for this or that and whether it's safe to give to a parrot. Sheesh, they wouldn't even know if you use the flower, seed, leaves, root or the whole plant and whether you prepare it as a infusion, tincture, syrup and decoction -LOL- Avian vets don't even study psittacine nutrition in school, much less alternative medicine.

I am the 4th generation herbalist in my family and learned from my grandmother. Mind you, none of them ever study anything -there was no such thing as formal classes, books or even references back then, you had to learn from somebody else. What I use for my birds are always herbs that are not only absolutely not toxic in any form, preparation or concentration (but they are all herbs that are infused and I always make the teas as mild as I would for a baby), they are also impossible to overdose and have no contraindications whatsoever.

It's funny that you mention the 'apple' smell of chamomile because, in Spanish, its name is 'manzanilla' which means little apple.

[Pajarita]

Life in captivity is HIGHLY unnatural so it falls to us to provide substitutes for wild behaviors. Foraging with their flock is not only part of their natural behaviors, it's one of the most important ones.

That's a great case for training as opposed to bowl feeding in the cage.

Michael, with all due respect, parrots in the wild do not have to perform for their food so that would be highly unnatural and stressful.

[Michael]

Michael, with all due respect, parrots in the wild do not have to perform for their food so that would be highly unnatural and stressful.

Actually it's the other way around. Eating out of a food bowl straight in front of them is unnatural. In the wild they do "HAVE TO" perform for their food or they starve and die (at least in the home if they don't perform they still end up getting to eat). They perform for their food by flying long distances, climbing trees, devising ways to extract the food, and consuming it. Making it so parrots have to do nothing to get their food is unnatural, boring, and counterproductive.

They have a natural drive to do stuff to feed themselves. What are birds supposed to do with this natural desire to do stuff to get food if they get it too easily? I have yet to see an overworked parrot that is suffering. I see countless birds suffering from boredom or insufficient exercise.

Lately my guys fly about a mile a day for all their feeding and I haven't seen them happier. They are eager to fly and just as eager to hang out after. Their behavior is as good as ever, their weight/condition optimal, and they have plenty more to do than just sit around.