Best parakeet toys to keep them happy and engaged.

Last spring, while planting native wildflowers in my backyard, I heard cheerful chirping from my neighbor Sarah’s porch. As a bird enthusiast, I ogt interested and introduced myself and met her two newly adopted budgerigars, Oscar and Blueberry.

Sarah mentioned her struggle to keep the birds entertained while she worked; they sometimes plucked their feathers or seemed lethargic without stimulation. I recognized this common challenge for parakeet owners. “They need mental stimulation just like we do,” I told her. “In the wild, they spend hours foraging and exploring.”

Inspired, I researched and tested parakeet toys, collaborating with Sarah and her birds. Over three months, we evaluated numerous toys, observing which features captivated Oscar and Blueberry. The outcome is this curated list of the best parakeet toys designed to keep your birds mentally stimulated, physically active, and entertained.

Choosing Parakeet Toys: Variety, Safety, and Recommendations

1. Importance of Toy Rotation

• Parakeets need multiple toys to prevent boredom.
• Have enough toys to keep several in the cage and rotate others in and out periodically.
• A larger cage is necessary to accommodate different toys while allowing space for movement.

2. Recommended Toy Types

• Balsa Wood
  • Preferred by many birds for easy shredding.
  • Buy plain sheets from Amazon (ensure it’s real balsa wood).
  • Lightweight, pale-colored, and easy to bend.
  • Avoid plywood (recognizable by layers in the wood) due to harmful glue.
  • Placement: Lean against the cage or attach using zip ties.
• Cork Bark
  • Can be zip-tied to the cage for easy chewing.
• Bird Kabobs
  • Popular shredding toy.
  • Inspect carefully for safety.

4. Safety Considerations

Parakeets are curious creatures who explore primarily with their beaks. Any toy you select must be free from toxic materials, small parts that could be swallowed, or strings that might entangle their delicate feet. Look for toys specifically designed for small birds and avoid any with zinc, lead, or treated wood that could harm your feathered friend. Before choosing a toy for your bird, you must ensure it is safe.

• Metals: Ensure any exposed metal is stainless steel (other metals can be toxic).
• Bells: Remove all bells as they rust quickly and may have sharp edges.
• Wood Types: Ensure any wood used in toys is bird-safe.
• Rope/String: Avoid cotton ropes (use jute or hemp instead).
• Toy Inspection: Check all toys for:
  • Sharp edges
  • Unsafe materials
  • Small parts that could trap toes or a bird’s body.

5. Toys & Accessories to Avoid

• Mirrored Toys (can cause obsessive behavior).
• Huts, Sewn Materials, Nests, Boxes (can encourage hormonal issues and unwanted nesting behaviors).
• Cheap, Mass-Produced Toys (especially from countries with low animal welfare standard.

6. Size and Appropriateness

Toys designed for larger parrots can be overwhelming or even dangerous for parakeets. The best toys are scaled to their size, allowing them to manipulate and engage without frustration. Parakeets have relatively small beaks compared to larger parrots, so chewable materials should be appropriately textured and sized.

7. Enrichment Value

The best toys encourage natural behaviors like foraging, chewing, climbing, and problem-solving. Toys that require your parakeet to work for a reward or that can be manipulated in multiple ways provide the greatest enrichment value and typically hold interest longer than simple, static toys.

Types of Parakeet Toys

Shreddable Toys

These toys are designed to be gradually destroyed by your parakeet, satisfying their natural urge to chew and shred. Made from materials like palm leaves, yucca, sola wood, or paper, these toys are often the most engaging for active parakeets. They’re particularly important for female parakeets, who in the wild would prepare nesting materials by shredding plant fibers.

Foraging Toys

Foraging toys encourage your parakeet to work for treats or toys hidden inside pockets, baskets, or puzzles. These toys simulate natural foraging behaviors and provide excellent mental stimulation. Studies show that birds who forage for food display fewer behavioral problems and show reduced signs of stress.

Activity Centers

These comprehensive toys combine multiple elements like ladders, swings, bells, and chewing surfaces in one unit. They’re excellent for providing variety and can be especially valuable for parakeets who spend long hours alone, as they offer multiple types of engagement in a single toy.

Comfort Toys

Soft, preening toys made of safe fibers allow parakeets to engage in social behaviors even when alone. Many parakeets form attachments to these toys, using them for comfort and companionship. They’re particularly valuable for single parakeets who don’t have a bird companion.

Sound-Making Toys

Parakeets are naturally attracted to sound and music. Toys with bells, crinkly materials, or parts that make noise, when manipulated, are often instant hits. These toys appeal to their playful nature and provide auditory stimulation alongside physical engagement.

How we tested the best Parakeet Toys

Our journey to find the best parakeet toys began with extensive research into bird behavior and enrichment needs. Sarah’s parakeets, Oscar and Blueberry, were our primary test subjects. We rotated toys every week to prevent habituation bias and closely monitored engagement patterns, recording:

• Initial interest level (measured by time to first interaction)
• Daily engagement time (tracked in 15-minute observation windows at various times)
• Play behaviors exhibited (chewing, foot manipulation, climbing, etc.)
• Durability and destruction rate
• Safety concerns that emerged during testing

We also considered practical aspects like ease of installation, maintenance requirements, and value for money. Each toy was evaluated on its own merits and then compared against alternatives to determine relative strengths and weaknesses.

Best Picks of Parakeet Toys with Detailed Reviews

The Bird Kabob is a simple yet effective toy designed to satisfy a parakeet’s natural urge to chew and shred. Made from soft, fibrous wood, it captivates hook-billed birds like parakeets, earning the nickname “bird catnip.” Its minimalist design features compressed, biodegradable plant material strung together, providing pure shreddable fun.

In testing with Sarah’s parakeets, Oscar and Blueberry engaged with the Bird Kabob for over 30 minutes at a time, returning daily to shred it layer by layer. Installation is straightforward, just hang it using the attached hook, and it requires no maintenance. Replace it when it’s too small for safe play, ensuring productive outlets for chewing and preventing boredom-related behaviors like cage bar chewing or feather plucking.

Lightweight natural sola balls serve as foot toys and chewable objects for parakeets, promoting exercise and natural behavior. Each ball measures 2 inches in diameter and features a spongy texture ideal for parakeet beaks – offering just the right amount of resistance.

These toys encourage foot play; for example, Oscar, who was less active, would hold the ball with one foot while perching and manipulate it with his beak, mimicking natural behaviors. You can place the balls at the bottom of the cage, hang them with string (under supervision), or integrate them into other toys. Their safe natural material invites destruction while creating minimal mess, making them perfect for parakeets who enjoy foot toys or need encouragement to engage in active play.

This foraging toy features a wicker basket design that encourages exploration and chewing. Intended for medium birds, its smaller elements are perfect for parakeets. The bamboo basket holds an assortment of textures, including vine sticks, loofa slices, and woven palm leaves, providing diverse chewing experiences and hiding spots for treats.

In our tests, this toy had the longest engagement time. Blueberry would spend up to an hour investigating it, especially when we hid millet treats among the materials. It easily hangs in most cages and is surprisingly durable, gradually dismantling over time to offer great value. The treat-hiding feature makes it interactive for owners.

This innovative toy features 36 soft pine corks arranged in a puzzle-like configuration, allowing for horizontal or vertical mounting in the cage. During testing, the toy engaged both of Sarah’s parakeets at the same time, which few other toys achieved. They worked on opposite ends, pulling and chewing at different corks while chattering to each other.

The toy installs easily with included hardware and can be oriented to keep play fresh. Despite being chewable, it lasts long, with minimal damage reported after weeks of daily use. This toy is ideal for multi-bird households and parakeets that enjoy methodical destruction and puzzle-solving, especially those who prefer playing at perch-level over hanging toys.

Deloky’s varied textures and multiple materials provide excellent chewing opportunities. The toy features wooden blocks of various shapes and colorful beads on a metal chain. While its multi-layered design encourages climbing, it’s best for parakeets when simplified. We removed about half the elements to make it lighter and more manageable.

After modification, Oscar and Blueberry showed strong interest in the vibrant pieces, which effectively drew them in to investigate and chew. This alteration made the toy visually appealing in the cage and durable against their regular chewing. This toy suits parakeets attracted to bright colors and different textures, especially for owners willing to customize it to their birds’ needs.

This multi-function play gym offers various engaging features, including perches, swings, a Ferris wheel, and chewing opportunities, creating a comprehensive activity center for birds. Made from natural wood and acrylic, it attaches securely to the cage with metal hooks and includes a platform perch, rattan ball, wooden swing, acrylic swing, and Ferris wheel. 

In our testing, Oscar, initially sedentary, became much more active after using this play gym, especially enjoying the swings. While it occupies more cage space than simple toys, it combines multiple play options in one installation, providing excellent value. Assembly is easy with the included hardware, and the platform serves as a natural gathering spot.

This innovative toy uses natural materials like nuts, corn cobs, and camphor wood blocks to create a multi-textured chewing experience. The colorful wooden beads and cotton rope add variety, encouraging climbing, exploration, and chewing.

After modifying this toy to make it lighter for parakeets, we noticed strong engagement, especially as Blueberry focused on the corn cob sections. To optimize it for parakeets, remove unnecessary elements for easier handling.

FAQ for Parakeet Toys

Recommended Toys by Use Case:

• Best Overall: Super Bird Creations Wicker Foraging Basket Offers multiple textures and foraging opportunities, ensuring high engagement and longevity.
• Best Budget Option: Wesco Pet Ole Bird Kabob is Affordable yet effective; it engages all parakeets with its shreddable design.
• Best for Busy Owners: Bird Perches Cage Toys Parrot Wooden Platform Play Gym Combines perching, swinging, and chewing, keeping your parakeet entertained throughout the day.
• Best for Beginners: Bonka Bird Toys 1214 Pk3 All-Natural Sola Atta Balls Easy to use, safe, and low-mess, making them ideal for new parakeet owners.

Transforming your parakeet’s relationship through play enhances their happiness and well-being. If you have questions or want to share your bird’s favorite toys, feel free to leave a comment!