Enrichment and Your Parrot

Enrichment in all of our lives has become the "buzz" word. You see it discussed in regards to children's educational items, our personal lives, to your pets lives.

Enrichment is all about choices. Your parrot needs enrichment added into their lives to stimulate brain activity, body energy and fulfill general needs. It is important to offer your parrot "opportunities" to an "enriching" life.

As you can see from the photos on this page -- enrichment can be as simple as branches to chew, or flowers to nibble on (please make sure they are safe).  No parrot wants to sit in a cage all day and wait for you to interact with them.  Parrots need stimulation.

Stimulation can come for many avenues:  toys, foraging toys, foraging food items, having the radio on, playing the t.v., being outdoors in a cage (supervised), playing on hanging gyms, swings etc.  I realized all to well that my parrots listened to the radio as my African Grey Storm whistles one of the commercial jingles. 

For example my parrots have toys in their cage, above their cage, in the room itself.  They have the choice when supervised to move to another area in the room.  I have a portable back-pack for birds for outings, plus a small cage just to sit with me on the porch.  They have an outdoor aviary that enables all of them to have access to fresh air and sunlight.  If you do not have an outdoor aviary that is okay, just place your cages outside, for a time period for them.  (Make sure they are watched and protected from predators).

Do I believe that I have done all the enrichment ideas for my parrots?  No.  But I do believe it is a good start and a good place to continue from!