Household Dangers

If your parrot is housed indoors then there are many hazards you must be aware of in order to make your home a bird safe environment. Parrots have an extremely complex respiratory system, very different to that of our own, and are therefore much more susceptible to any sprays, fumes or poisons. For Example:

Naming only a few. It is our responsibility to be vigilant at all times to ensure our parrot's environment is a safe one for them to live in.

Teflon poisoning

Teflon poisoning is a rapid and lethal gaseous intoxication that can affect all birds. This occurs when cookware is left on the stove and overheats. Overheating causes teflon to produce a gas called Polytetrafluoroethylene. This gas is not harmful to larger animals but due to the parrots complex respiratory system, it will kill them almost instantly. Parrots suffering a severe case of PTFE poisoning may drop from their perch or display signs of respiratory distress such as open-mouth breathing or tail bobbing. You may hear the parrot breathing loudly, gasping for air and death is often inevitable. Parrot owners should avoid using teflon pans or other teflon items in the home. We use Scanpan™ cookware, however there are many safe alternatives such as stainless steel. The more we can do to keep our kids safe in the home, the better.

Some toxic or deadly plants

Here is a list of some plants which may or will be harmful or deadly to your parrot. It always pays to research the plants and branches you give your birds before you put them in their cages.

  • Avocado
  • Azalea - leaves
  • Apricot
  • Bittersweet Nightshade
  • Bleeding HeartBird of Paradise - seeds
  • Blue-green Algae - some forms
  • Bracken Fern
  • Calla Lily - leaves
  • Castor Bean - also castor oil, leaves
  • Chalice Vine/Trumpet vine
  • Clematis
  • Coral Plant - seeds
  • Cowslip/Marsh Marigold
  • Candelabra Tree
  • Cardinal Flower
  • Cherry Tree - bark, twigs, leaves, pits
  • Chinaberry Tree
  • Crown of Thorns
  • Croton
  • Daffodil - bulbs
  • Deadly Amanita
  • Death Camas
  • Delphinium
  • Eggplant - fruit okay
  • Elephants Ear/Taro - leaves, stem
  • Foxglove - leaves, seeds
  • Golden Chain/Laburnum
  • Holly - berries
  • Hyacinth - bulbs
  • Hydrangea - flower bud
  • Juniper - needles, stems, berries
  • Lima bean - uncooked
  • Lantana - immature berries
  • Larkspur
  • Lily of the Valley - also water the plant is in
  • Ficus (weeping)
  • Firethorn/Pyracantha
  • Ground Cherry
  • Honeysuckle
  • Horsetail
  • Indian Licorice Bean
  • Ivy
  • Jasmine
  • Jimsonweed/Thornapple
  • Jerusalem Cherry - berries
  • Johnson Grass
  • Kentucky Coffee Tree
  • Lupines/Bluebonnet
  • Mandrake
  • Mango Tree - wood, leaves, rind (The FRUIT IS DEFINITELY SAFE! Birds love it!)
  • Moonseed
  • Mountain Laurel
  • Mushrooms - several varieties
  • Nectarine seeds
  • Nettles
  • Nutmeg
  • Oak - acorns, foliage
  • Peach seeds
  • Peanuts - raw
  • Pine needles - berries
  • Plum
  • Prune
  • Rain Tree
  • Ranunculus/Buttercup
  • Red Maple
  • Sandbox Tree
  • Scarlet Runner Beans
  • Snowflake
  • Sorghum Grass
  • Sorrel
  • Sudan Grass
  • Tansy Ragwort
  • Vetch
  • Yellow Jasmine
  • Yew (Amer, Engl, Japan) - needles, thistles
  • Marijuana/Hemp - leaves
  • Mayapple - fruit is safe
  • Mescal Beans - seeds
  • Mistletoe - berries
  • Mock Orange - fruit
  • Monkshood/Aconite - leaves, root
  • Morning Glory
  • Narcissus - bulbs
  • Nightshade - all varieties
  • Oleander - leaves, branches, nectar
  • Philodendron - leaves and stem
  • Poinsettia - leaves, roots, immature
  • Pokeweed/Inkberry - leaf, root, young berries
  • Potato - eyes, new shoots
  • Rhododendron
  • Rhubarb - leaves
  • Rosary Peas/Indian Licorice - seeds
  • Sweet Pea - seeds, fruit
  • Tobacco - leaves
  • Wisteria
  • Yam bean - roots, immature roots