Sunflower seeds for wild Parrots.

[Viraj]

Hello everyone, I am new to this forum.
A few weeks ago there was a huge increase of wild parrots in my vicinity; and so I decided to get 2 bird feeders for them and just enjoy watching them eat at my balcony. I had no knowledge of bird keeping, and so I relied on the expertise of the guy who sold me the bird feeders. He gave me a mix of white and black-oiled sunflower seeds and rice to put in the bird feeders, and said that those should attract a lot of parrots. More than 15 parrots have been visiting and eating from my bird feeders everyday for at least 7 hours a day. I go through 300/350gms in a day.
After researching a little I found that sunflower seeds are not good for parrots as they contain too much fat. Is this the same for wild parrots? I am scared that these parrots will become dependent on the food that I am providing and stop searching the wild; basically making them my pets, and making me in charge of their nutrition.
If sunflower seeds are bad for them, then what else can I feed them through a bird feeder, that is both healthy and tasty?

 

[jannette]

With the wild birds I wouldn't be concerned, they get a LOT more excersize/use more calories than a captive bird, BUT you can mix it up and add different things in different feeders for some variety. My friend has a flock of parrots around her place she puts out nuts fruits and sunflower seeds for them. She also has a "bird garden" her personal veggie garden is fenced and covered then around the outside she plants stuff for the birds, various berries and veggies. A bird bath can also help attract them in.


I have a friend who lives in Trinidad and she doesn't have to do much to attract wild parrots, she has mango etc trees in her yard when they ripen the birds come flocking in! Lol

 

[Viraj]

With the wild birds I wouldn't be concerned, they get a LOT more excersize/use more calories than a captive bird, BUT you can mix it up and add different things in different feeders for some variety. My friend has a flock of parrots around her place she puts out nuts fruits and sunflower seeds for them. She also has a "bird garden" her personal veggie garden is fenced and covered then around the outside she plants stuff for the birds, various berries and veggies. A bird bath can also help attract them in.


I have a friend who lives in Trinidad and she doesn't have to do much to attract wild parrots, she has mango etc trees in her yard when they ripen the birds come flocking in! Lol

Thanks for the answer jannette. I tried giving them corn and sliced mango, but they just prefer the seeds. I have a huge pale of water for the parrots to drink from and I have also hung chew toys for them to play with. I really hope I am not making them sick by feeding them too much sunflower seeds.

 

[SailBoat]

Not sure what kind of supply sources you have available. In addition, it would be wise to check if there are any restrictions on feeding the Parrots.

Regarding feeding the Parrots and a concern that they will come to dependent on you to feed them. To limit this, provide only two feedings, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Try to be somewhat consistent in your feeding times and also limit the amount you provide with each feeding. This will assure that they are stopping by, but not living at your place.

If you have a large Pet Store in your area or even a small one ask about Parrot food that includes Seeds, Grains, Nuts, Pastas, Dried fruits and Veggies, and some also include pellets. Each group contains a very wide cross-section of supply for each. This would be the best, but very expensive. The goal here is to get an idea of what those packages contain and then search for bulk sources. At that point, you could mix your own.

Yes, you can continual to provide just that original base, but it really is a bit too much depending on the type of Parrots and how much they are depending on your supply.

 

[plumsmum2005]

The unknown information here is what is their 'normal' diet in the wild and how abundant is it? Humans are having a devastating effect on wild birds in general. I would carry on feeding and always go with they go for their natural foods first and rely on us as a backup. I agree with Sailboat in probably best to mix it up in terms of what you put out. Here in the UK some birds like a halved apple to be put out. If you can access a bird society in the area to try and find out what the birds are, their feeding habits etc that could be useful. If they are eating so much of your food then I assume something is not right locally?