A parrot’s diet is made up of a healthy blend of fresh seeds, fruits, and vegetables.
When it comes to things that parrots can eat, not all foods are made equal.
There are some foods, like chocolate, that are big no nos for parrots.
And chocolate isn’t the only food that parrots can’t have.
There are even some fruits and vegetables that can be toxic, leading to a variety of negative health consequences.
But what about figs?
Do they fall into the toxic category?
Or are they safe for parrots to eat?
The answer to this question is that figs are completely safe for parrots to eat! In fact, figs hold some important nutritional qualities that are important for a parrots daily diet.
What exactly are figs?
What nutritional benefits do they hold?
And how much can you feed your parrot?
Today we will answer all of these questions and more, so let’s not waste another minute!
What are figs?
Most people think of figs as a type of fruit but in reality, they aren’t really a fruit at all.
Technically, they are an inverted flower.
What does this mean?
Think of how an apple or peach is created.
First comes the tree, then comes the apple or the peach.
These fruits grow on the trees.
But figs don’t work like that.
Rather, a fig starts as a pear-shaped pod.
Their flower then blooms inside of the pod (hence the “inverted flower” idea) and later turns into the fruit that we (or our parrots) eat.
Each flower produces one hard-shelled fruit (called achene).
The fig is made up of multiple achene.
In return, when we feed our parrots a fig, we’re not actually feeding them one fruit – we’re feeding them multiple fruits.
Mind = blown, right?
Figs are native to Asiatic Turkey and Northern India, but are cultivated around the world in a variety of warm climates.
Still, Turkey is the leader in Fig production and consumption.
But let’s move on – because parrots don’t really care where figs came from.
What do figs taste like?
Figs have a soft, chewy texture with a slight crunch provided by the seeds.
They have a very unique taste that is sweet. Because of their sweetness, figs were actually used as a sweetener before refined sugars came along.
In addition to fresh figs, figs can also be dried out and preserved.
The dried fruit version of the fig is similar in taste to the fresh fig, and makes for an excellent sweet treat.
What health benefits do figs hold for parrots?
Figs are an excellent source of fiber and are also high in vitamin and mineral content.
They hold a lot of nutritional properties that are essential to the health and well-being of a parrot.
These nutritional benefits include, but are not limited to:
Potassium
Required for the production of glucose and the protein metabolism
Calcium
Stored in the skeletal system, Calcium is essential for bone strength and new bone growth.
It’s also essential for normal metabolism, as well as for fertility.
Magnesium
Essential for metabolism, heart health, bone formation, and enzyme activation.
Severe magnesium deficiency can result in death.
Iron
Iron helps to produce hemoglobin and is essential for feather pigmentation.
It also helps to carry oxygen from the lungs and into the body.
Copper
Required for healthy blood vessels, bones, and connective tissues.
Vitamin A
This Vitamin is essential for every system in the body.
It helps to support liver health, heart health, and a healthy immune system
Vitamin K
Vitamin K helps to prevent blood clotting.
Without it parrots can experience excessive bleeding from minor injuries.
How much figs should you feed to your parrot?
Parrots require a healthy balance of fresh seeds, fruits, and vegetables each day to stay healthy.
As a general rule of thumb, fresh fruits and vegetables should make up about 50% of your parrots daily diet.
If we divide this number in half, this means that fresh fruits should make up about 25% of your parrots daily diet.
Figs can account for a portion of that, but it’s important that you provide your parrot with a mixture of fruit as opposed to one specific kind.
The more variety that you offer in a parrot’s diet, the more health benefits they will obtain.
In return, figs can make a great addition to your parrots daily diet, but shouldn’t be their main source of nutrients.
With that being said, they do make a delicious snack that parrots will love throughout the day!
Can I feed my parrot too many figs?
When it comes to figs, the answer is yes, you can feed your parrot too much.
While figs hold a variety of health benefits, they are also very high in natural sugars.
While we would never recommend giving your parrot refined sugar, some amounts of natural sugars are okay.
After all, if your parrot was in the wild, they might eat fruits that contain natural sugars.
In fact, small amounts of natural sugar can be beneficial to your parrot.
Why? Because all animals and birds store sugar for energy.
When found in natural foods like fruits and vegetables, these sugars are combined with vitamins and minerals that help parrots to digest them and turn them into energy.
But if a bird has too much sugar, even if it’s natural, there can be health consequences.
More specifically, you may notice some diarrhea or watery stool if you feed your parrot too much sugar, such as that found in figs.
In return, they should only be eaten in moderation (like everything else in life).
Can Parrots have dried figs?
We’ve already established that parrots can have fresh figs, but what about dried figs?
The answer is yes, your parrot can have dried figs. In fact, most bird stores that sell figs sell them in dry form.
Dried figs provide only a slightly reduced nutritional value to fresh figs, but can be stored for much longer.
And as for flavor?
Your parrot won’t notice the difference – they will love figs fresh or dried!
Can Parrots have fig flesh and seeds?
Yes. Parrots can eat every part of the fig including the flesh and the seeds.
In fact, every part of the fig holds it’s own nutritional benefits, so feeding every part of the fig to your parrot is considered nutritionally beneficial.
How do I feed a fig to my parrot?
To prevent choking, you should always make sure you chop your figs up into tiny parrot-sized pieces before feeding them to your bird.
Alternatively, you can feed figs to your parrot as a juice or puree.
Just chop 2 figs into small bite-size pieces, place them in your blender, and blend them together until they make a juice or puree.
Where can I get dried figs for my parrot?
You can purchase dried figs at most parrot, pet, or bird stores.
Alternatively, you can make your own dried figs.
To do so, look for figs that are completely ripe.
Cut the figs in half and set your oven to 140 degrees or the lowest temperature setting possible.
Place the figs on an oven safe rack that has holes in the bottom so that the figs can dry out evenly.
Cook for up to 36 hours, turning them regularly to promote evenness.
In conclusion, yes, parrots can eat figs – and they can eat figs of any type.
Whether they are fresh or dry, figs can be an excellent source of nutrition for your parrot.
Just make sure that you are only feeding figs to your parrot in moderation, as too many figs can lead to digestion issues.