Foraging Toys: Making a Bird Work for Its Food

A parrot in the wild spends most of its waking hours looking for food. In a cage that time has to go somewhere.

Why foraging holds interest

A toy that dispenses something is never quite finished. That is the difference between a week of engagement and an afternoon.

Start easy

A bird that has never foraged needs the reward visible at first. Wrap loosely, then more tightly as it gets the idea.

Rotate, do not accumulate

Three toys rotated weekly beat nine left in permanently, and the cage stays navigable.