The Truth About Seeds For Pet Birds - Marion Zoological

Last Updated on February 16, 2023 by Mitch Rezman

The Truth About Seeds White Paper | March 25, 2004

Over the years many have misunderstood the role of seeds in a quality psittacine food. Bird handlers, bird breeders, magazine editors, chat rooms, store owners, avian veterinarians, and manufacturers, have at times made misleading, and probably unknowingly naive, and harmful statements in regards to this subject.

One should consider that lay knowledge of complex nutritional and metabolic systems in animals usually leads to the loudest voice in the din being heard the most.

Unfortunately those with expert knowledge don’t always care to get into these shouting matches.

If that weren’t enough, some so-called experts, with or without a few initials after their name can often persuade the casual observer to their own opinion having stated it as fact.

In other words, DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ and DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR. So let us look at some real scientific research and interview those who are experts in the field to see what their conclusions are.

FACT: Scientific studies clearly show that feeding seed based diets to your bird is ill advised. Seeds are not a balanced and complete diet for any bird.

The fact that so many caged birds are still fed a primary diet of seeds is proof enough that grossly incorrect information and horribly biased opinions are still prevalent.

Some still believe that most psittacines are seed eaters. This is wrong. Most psittacines are omnivores. • Some still believe that anything their bird eats or “enjoys” is good for them.

This is wrong. Scientific studies show that birds do not possess nutritional wisdom even in the wild.

These studies show that birds can, and do, ignore healthy foods available to them that are easier to find and eat than the less nutritious foods they consume on a daily basis.

Some believe that because a pet store sells seeds and other food items, they must be good for the bird.

This is wrong. Pet stores are in business to make money! Th ose that aren’t usually go out of business.

Some still believe that birds that eat seeds in captivity are mimicking normal feeding behavior.

Th is is wrong. Scientific studies show that birds in the wild eat over eighty (80) species of plants in addition to insects, fish, carrion, and seeds.

Marion Zoological

Makers of Scenic bird foods