Kiwi is a favorite fruit among many.
Packed with flavor and loaded with health benefits, this fruit is great for humans.
It’s quick to cut and easy to serve, and makes the perfect addition to any lunchbox.
But not all food that is good for humans is good for parrots.
Does kiwi fall into this category?
Or is kiwi safe to share with your parrot?
The answer to this question is yes, parrots can eat kiwi and it is safe to share with your parrot. In fact, kiwi holds many nutritional benefits for parrots. With that being said, like any other food, kiwis should only be served in moderation. Too much of any food can be bad for a parrot, but when combined with a variety of other healthy and nutritious alternatives, kiwi can make a great snack.
But how much kiwi can you feed your parrot?
What are the health benefits?
And what parts of the kiwi are safe?
Today we will answer all of these questions and more – so let’s not waste another minute.
What is a Kiwi?
Just in case you have never tried a kiwi before, let’s talk about what it is.
Kiwi is a small fruit.
Actually, it’s a type of berry.
More specifically, it’s a Chinese Gooseberry.
Given this fact, it should come as no surprise that the kiwi fruit was originally grown in China.
Though it was originally grown in China, it wasn’t named by the Chinese.
It was actually named by a New Zealander who went to China and brought the seeds home.
They called it a “kiwi” named after their national bird!
So what does a kiwi taste like?
Kiwis are both sweet and tart at the same time.
Like most fruits, the riper it is, the sweeter it will be.
The less ripe, the more tart it will be.
The fruit is often defined as “slightly acidic with a tropical twist”.
For people, there are several different ways to eat a kiwi.
The first is the scoop and serve method – just cut the kiwi in half and spoon out the middle.
The second way is to just cut the kiwi into slices and serve that way.
Some people like to eat the skin of the kiwi, while others prefer to cut it off.
But what about parrots?
What is the best way to serve them kiwi?
And can they eat the entire kiwi?
Or do you need to cut off the skin?
What about the seeds?
Let’s talk about it…
What parts of the Kiwi can a parrot eat?
The simple answer is that parrots can eat the entire kiwi fruit.
The skin, the interior, and the seeds are all edible (thank goodness because picking out the seeds would be a huge undertaking).
The more complex answer is that eating the entire fruit isn’t always the best option.
While the interior and the seeds are completely fine, the skin can be questionable.
Why?
Because fruits are often grown with pesticides, which can be extremely toxic to parrots.
Pesticides are chemicals that are used to keep pests away from fruit and vegetables.
The problem is, these chemicals can be very harmful, especially when ingested over time.
With that being said, for birds, it doesn’t take a lot of pesticide to cause harm.
For parrots, small amounts of pesticides can lead to numerous health complications and in some situations even death.
So how do you avoid pesticides?
The only way to ensure that your parrot is not intaking pesticides when eating kiwi is to remove the skin.
Some people feel that washing fruits thoroughly is enough to remove pesticides but when it comes to kiwi, the peel is soft and furry.
You would not be able to wash this thoroughly enough to remove all pesticides.
So if you are going to feed your parrot a kiwi, remove the peel first to be safe.
If you want to feed your parrot the peel, consider purchasing organic kiwis.
Organic kiwis are grown without the use of pesticides and should therefore be safe for your parrot to eat – even with the skin on.
How do you feed your parrot a Kiwi?
There are numerous ways you can feed your parrot a kiwi.
If you purchase an organic kiwi, you can give them the kiwi whole with the skin on.
The majority of parrots will peel the skin off on their own and eat the fruit that is in the middle.
Not only does this provide your parrot with a nutritious snack but it will also keep them busy and entertained for a significant period of time.
If you don’t want to give your parrot a whole kiwi, you can cut it up into slices.
If you have a smaller parrot, you may want to do smaller pieces to ensure that they do not choke.
The final option is to give your parrot kiwi juice. Remove the skin from the kiwi and place it in your blender.
Blend until it creates a juice and serve.
What are the nutritional benefits of Kiwi for Parrots?
Kiwi fruits are packed full of nutritional content that is healthy for your parrot.
But what nutritional benefits does it hold? 1 kiwi contains approximately:
23 mg of calcium : Essential for healthy bone growth and the maintenance of bone strength.
64 mg of Vitamin C: Essential for healthy bones, muscles, and blood vessels.
Vitamin C also helps with iron absorption and the production of red blood cells.
1 mg of Vitamin E: Essential for a strong immune system, as well as healthy skin and eyesight.
8 mcg of Vitamin K: Helps to prevent blood clotting. Without vitamin K, parrots can bleed excessively from minor injuries.
7 mg of Magnesium : Essential for heart health, bone development, and metabolism functioning.
60 IU of Vitamin A: Is essential for the healthy functioning of every system in the parrot body.
Not only does vitamin A support cell and tissue growth, but it’s also essential for brain development, skeletal development, vision, and the growth of healthy feathers.
How much Kiwi can I feed my parrot?
Experts recommend that fresh fruits and vegetables should make up approximately 50% of your parrot’s overall diet.
If we cut this in half, that means that about 25% of your parrots diet should consist of fresh fruits.
Of course, you want to incorporate as many different fruits as possible into your parrots diet.
The more colorful the diet, the more nutritional value it will hold.
So how much should I feed my parrot?
If you are going to feed them a whole kiwi at once, avoid giving more than 1 kiwi per week.
If you are going to cut the kiwi up and feed them a few slices at a time, you could probably feed your parrot kiwi as a snack 2-3 times per week.
The rest of their snacks should consist of different fruits and vegetables that are parrot safe.
Why can’t I feed parrots more kiwi?
The reason you should limit kiwi intake is twofold.
Firstly, if you are feeding your parrot too much kiwi, they may get full off of that and won’t be interested in other foods within their diet.
This is a problem because parrots require a healthy balance.
Kiwis alone will not provide that balance.
The second reason kiwi intake needs to be limited is because kiwi is high in natural sugar content.
One kiwi holds approximately 2 grams of sugar.
This may not seem like a lot to a human, but to a small parrot, 2 grams of sugar is a large amount.
Too much sugar can lead to a host of stomach problems, most commonly being wet or runny stools.
In conclusion, yes, parrots can have kiwi but like any other type of fruit, they should only be provided as an occasional snack.
When provided as a snack food, kiwis can hold a great deal of nutritional value for your parrot – and your parrot will love its sweet and tart flavor!