Cockatiels can eat watermelon, yes. Cockatiels love eating fruits you can easily find in groceries and markets like watermelons. Watermelons are rich in nutrients that are healthy for your pet bird. Still, like all other fruits, watermelons should only be treats or snacks, so feed such fruit in small amounts only.
Watermelon offers an array of health benefits, and it’s not something only we can eat. If we want to share some pieces with our pets, they will enjoy a healthy snack.
For this reason, I did some research about watermelon and its effects on cockatiels. I also included the common questions you would probably ask as the owner.
Let’s take a look at these things!
Contents
- 1 Is watermelon OK for cockatiels?
- 2 Can cockatiels eat watermelon seeds?
- 3 Can cockatiels eat watermelon rind?
- 4 Can my cockatiel drink watermelon juice?
- 5 How much watermelon can cockatiels eat?
- 6 Do cockatiels like watermelon?
- 7 Can birds in general eat watermelon?
- 8 What fruit and vegetables can cockatiels eat?
- 9 Summary
- 10 Resources
Is watermelon OK for cockatiels?
Watermelon is a healthy fruit that you can feed to your pet bird. Thus, if you have a cockatiel and snack on watermelons, you can spare some without worries.
Watermelon is OK for cockatiels since it doesn’t contain any toxic ingredients. Moreover, it has a variety of health benefits if fed.
The first thing to note is that watermelons are rich in water. In fact, 91% of it is water. For this reason, it’s a great fruit that can help our birds stay hydrated as they snack.
Here’s a breakdown of nutrients from watermelons. According to Healthline, a hundred grams of this fruit includes:
- 30 Calories
- 91% of Water
- 0.6 grams of Protein
- 7.6 grams of Carbohydrates
- 6.2 grams of Sugar
- 0.4 grams of Fiber
- 0.2 grams of Fat
Watermelon makes up most of its contents with water, carbohydrates, and sugar. Aside from these components, this fruit also offers the following vitamins and minerals:
- Vitamin C (which boosts immunity)
- Potassium (which helps regulate fluid balance, muscle contractions, and nerve signals)
- Copper (which aids the bones and nerves)
- Vitamin B5 (which improves eyes and digestive tract)
- Vitamin A (which helps develop and maintain healthy feathers)
In general, watermelon offers a healthy and great tasting snack for our cockatiels.
Still, it would be best to be mindful of feeding your bird with such fruit in moderation. Although it mostly consists of water, it still has sugar in it, which isn’t that necessary for your pet.
Now, let’s go to the watermelon seeds.
You may also read – Can cockatiels eat carrots?
Can cockatiels eat watermelon seeds?
Watermelons may have sweet flesh, but in it, the seeds come as well. In short, watermelon seeds are safe for cockatiels to eat.
Thus, if you want to feed watermelons to your bird, you can do so without removing the seeds.
Some fruits contain dangerous seeds, such as apples and avocados. However, that’s not the same thing with watermelons.
This fruit’s seeds do not contain any toxic components like cyanide.
For this reason, you can feed watermelons without removing the seeds. Or, you can even offer such on its own.
Many people say soaking the seeds in water makes it easier for birds to eat. However, since watermelons are already moist, the pits don’t need any soaking.
If there’s one part of watermelons that cockatiels shouldn’t eat, that would be the rind.
Can cockatiels eat watermelon rind?
Cockatiels shouldn’t eat a watermelon’s rind. Other birds like crows, or other animals like pigs, can eat the rind.
However, the rind of a watermelon can be quite hard for your pet to peck and digest, and so you shouldn’t offer it.
If you’re feeding watermelon, be sure to cut it into bite-size pieces. It’s not necessary to separate the flesh from the seeds.
The only thing you should mind is to keep the rind away. Other than that, your pet should be fine.
Can my cockatiel drink watermelon juice?
Watermelon juice is a fantastic treat you can offer for your cockatiel. You don’t have to hold back, as it won’t have any issues drinking it.
As long as it only contains watermelon without any sweeteners, it should be great for your bird.
If you add sugar and other ingredients to it, consider if the add-ons are safe for your bird.
Still, if it’s a pure watermelon, it should offer the same benefits as the fruit itself.
How much watermelon can cockatiels eat?
Cockatiels aren’t big birds. Thus, feeding fruits like watermelon shouldn’t be that much.
Cockatiels, like other birds and animals, need a balanced diet. For this reason, you shouldn’t consider feeding watermelons alone.
Limit your bird’s watermelon snacks to a couple of bites for a day. Further, offer some necessary feed such as seeds, vegetables, and pellets.
Since cockatiels have small bodies, they won’t eat that much. Thus, it’s important not to go overboard with watermelons.
Aside from that fruit, these birds need other nutrition from other food.
Do cockatiels like watermelon?
Watermelons get favored by many animals and birds. Thus, it’s highly likely that your pet will also like it.
Still, when feeding watermelon for the first time, it would be best to introduce the fruit first.
Try to give your bird a taste, and see how it reacts with the food within the day.
With this method, you can ensure that watermelon has no adverse effect on your pet and that it likes the fruit.
If you have some watermelons, you can spare a bite or two for your bird for the first time.
If your pet likes the fruit, you can add a few more, but limit its intake to a few bites per day.
You May Also Read – Can Cockatiels eat peanuts?
Can birds in general eat watermelon?
Aside from cockatiels, other birds can eat watermelon. Birds like to munch on seeds, nuts, worms, insects, and fruits like watermelon.
Watermelons have soft and juicy flesh. For this reason, they earn the favor of many birds.
Still, like cockatiels, most birds of the same size don’t eat the rinds as well, as it can be quite challenging to digest.
If you have other pet birds aside from cockatiels, you can always try to share some watermelons as treats.
What fruit and vegetables can cockatiels eat?
Aside from watermelon, there are other fruits and vegetables that you can give your cockatiel. If you’re in your first days or weeks of caring for your bird, here is a list of fruits you can offer:
- Kiwi
- Papaya
- Cucumber
- Grapes
- Apple (remove seeds)
- Banana
- Cherries
- Oranges
You can also feed your bird the following vegetables:
- Romaine
- Leaf Lettuce
- Kale
- Sweet Potato
- Celery
- Winter Squash
- String Beans
- Peanuts
- Corn on the cob
- Peas
- Carrots
- Zucchinis
- Tomatoes
- Broccoli
When feeding vegetables, it’s important to give into bite-size pieces to make it easier to eat. Further, it would be best to wash everything first.
Cooking, such as steaming or boiling, may also help to soften and moisten the veggies.
In general, you can feed any vegetable or fruit you can find in the market. Be careful, though, as some may contain seeds and parts that can be harmful.
Can you give your cockatiel some peanut butter and apples? Check it out!
Summary
Watermelons are healthy fruits, and you can share it with your cockatiel. This fruit contains a lot of nutrients, and it does not pose any toxic threats.
Still, as I said earlier, it’s essential to keep the watermelon snacks in moderation. While it is safe, it still does not fulfill all the nutrients your bird needs for the day.
Mix watermelons, along with other necessary food to balance your bird’s diet. That way, you can rest assured that your pet gets all the nutrients it needs.
Resources
HealthLine’s nutrition facts on watermelons
Image Credits – Photos by Ursula Gamez and Juja Han on Unsplash
