The Importance of Bird Foraging

Without mental or physical activity, people would slowly decline in health and mind. Birds are the same way! Bird owners might see foraging as an adventure for birds in the wild, but in reality, foraging is an enrichment technique for all birds. Foraging requires a bird to look for, locate, and retrieve an object, such as food or a treat.

Birds in the wild are constantly foraging to find food, but foraging for food isn't a necessity for pet birds. Their water and feed cups are usually attached to their cages, and this has caused pet birds to stop searching for food. However, foraging has numerous benefits for birds, including encouraging mental and physical activity. It also reduces long periods of inactivity, which can lead to unsuitable behavior.

How to Encourage Foraging

There are many creative ways to encourage foraging, but you have to make sure that your bird has learned the basics of foraging first. Start off with easy foraging methods so that your birds gets a chance to learn the art of foraging. You can do this by varying the location of your bird's food within his cage, and then start covering his food with a paper towel. Once your bird catches on, you can start placing food in easily destructible containers or hiding treats inside or underneath toys.

Many foraging products have been created for pet birds to help them stay mentally and physically active. Piñatas and toys that require your bird to go through a series of steps in order to obtain a treat are a great way to spur foraging skills. Toys such as the Foraging Pouch, Foraging Wheel, and Pineapple Pinata are great aids to encourage foraging after birds have learned the basics.

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