Parrots have become more popular as pets in recent years, and as a result, more businesses and vendors now sell toys and accessories for them. Unfortunately, sometimes products are created or repurposed by people that do not have an understanding of the many dangers that exist for parrots. Instead, they are likely made quickly in order to sell off large amounts of stock to meet demand. Depending on where you buy, you run a higher risk of coming across low-quality or dangerous products. Let's dive a little deeper so you can make informed decisions when shopping for your bird.

Finding Safe Toys and Accessories

As a general rule, buying from a well-known vendor or someone that is transparent about the manufacturing process and materials used in their products is much safer than trusting lesser known sellers. Most of the issues with safety seem to be with large online shopping platforms that facilitate dropshipping or quick sales. Most of the time, you will find these products being sold at a much cheaper price than you would find at pet stores and retailers dedicated to parrots. 

Here are some examples of what to look out for when purchasing products from a new vendor. It isn't a complete list, but contains many of the usual factors that can lead to safety issues:

Hidden sharp objects - Some perches and toys available for purchase online were created with sharp nails or pins that can’t be seen until a bird has already chewed into the product. For example, here is a cardboard platform that is being sold and the photo after is what was left after my birds chewed it up (all in the same day). As you can see, there is a sharp nail holding it to the parts that attach to the cage. For something described as a chewable platform, this oversight could easily harm a bird when they are using it as intended.  Another example is a toy that had pins holding it together inside. Looking at product reviews can aid you in discovering if these issues exist.  

That is assuming that people review the products, of course. Something that can also help is looking closely at the product and imagining how it would need to be put together. In hindsight, looking at this platform and trying to imagine how it would attach to what are clearly nails would be a red flag and warrant a message to the seller about if there are exposed nails inside where the bird will be chewing. Solid wood pieces that appear to be made of natural wood are less likely to contain nails and pins inside of them. Looking at a seller's profile can also clue you in on whether or not they specialize in parrot products or if they are just selling a variety of items. This can also help you determine if they can be trusted to know how the product they are offering was made. 

This image is an example of the kind of pins that can be found in some of the cheaper wooden pieces that are attached to other pieces or layers instead of being one large, natural piece of wood. It can be hard to see, but what you are looking at it likely a pin or staple that was either intentionally, or more likely, accidentally left in. This was actually part of a toy that I bought last year that looked safe on the website at first glance. I actually cut myself when I was unwrapping it from the plastic wrap out of the package. This could have been very dangerous if my birds chewed on or cut themselves on it. It is clear that whoever made this product didn't consider what could happen in that case.  Also, as we will discuss in more detail below, the safety of the type of wood that was used here is questionable. 

Glue - Some perches and cage accessories are sold with cute, soft fabrics and colors and that are tempting to buy due to how aesthetically pleasing they are to us. However, some of these products are put together using glue. It seems they are created hastily without much effort to remove loose glue that can be stuck to the surface after the manufacturing process. This can be chewed on by the bird. If you buy these products, be sure to remove any exposed glue that they can get access to. Again, red flags that might indicate you will receive an item like this is the low cost of the product and low-quality or zoomed out photos that do not show that they are actually glued on instead of being properly wrapped and attached. These products are also often dangerous because many times the hemp or cotton that was used is loose due to how lazily they were put together. If you still want to use these products, you can remove the glue and inspect them daily to make sure they remain safe. Be sure to look underneath the products as well to make sure they aren't coming loose where your bird's nails are rubbing against it. Of course, this is also good to do for other kinds of rope perches as well.

Unsafe wood - Some of perches and cage accessories are being sold are made of cheap wood and laser-cut pieces. These are usually inexpensive, and sellers are usually vague about the type of wood their products contain. They are often easy to spot - look for pieces that appear to be created using glued-together layers, wood chips, or compressed fibers instead of one solid piece of natural wood. These materials should be avoided because they are created using industrial adhesives and glues with chemicals that can be harmful to birds. Try to verify what kind of wood is being used for the product you are thinking of purchasing. If there isn’t any information or the description is vague, you might consider passing on it.

Smells and chemicals - Some people have noticed that when they buy certain perches  or toys online that they have a strong chemical odor. As we all know, birds have very sensitive respiratory systems and these odors can cause them harm. They could be residues from the manufacturing process or packaging chemicals among many other things. Since we do not usually know where the odors are coming from, and we know that they can be bad for birds, it's best to avoid anything you get that has a chemical smell. Some indications that a perch might be coated with something or have an odor is if it appears shiny in the product photos. This isn't a guaranteed way to spot it, and although I cannot explain why this is the case, it does seem to be one commonality in some of those products that are described as having an odor.

Strangulation Hazards and Entanglement - Another common type of toy and accessory being sold by vendors that do not specialize in parrots are those containing fibers, strings, and other materials that can get caught on or strangle a bird. Some examples are toys with rope strings attached, cotton perches and beds, and even platforms made entirely from fabric. Some birds are OK to use perches wrapped in tight cotton because they don’t chew on them. But even then, those perches need to be inspected daily to make sure no loose strings are present from daily use. This is especially true for cheaper products where the strings are simply glued on or wrapped loosely. Unfortunately, the heartbreaking situation where a parrot is strangled by these toys does happen - usually while the humans are not home to notice. Birds can also

get crop impaction from ingesting loose fibers which can be deadly. This can happen over time and the bird may not even be doing it on purpose. These are all things to keep in mind if you decide to look into one of these products. The photo to the left was posted on Facebook by a user that found their budgie tangled up in some fibers from a toy. This can also happen with cotton perches and beds - especially if they are low-quality and loosely put together.  If you decide to have these kinds of products for your bird, again, knowing their behavior and inspecting the items are key in keeping them safe. 

Repurposed human and other pet toys -  Another thing to be on the lookout for is toys that are being sold for parrots but were originally made for human babies or other kinds of animals. Some examples are “parrot baths” that are actually made for children or cats and plastic toys for babies and toddlers. Many times these can be used safely, but because they were not originally created for parrots, use extra care and look at the materials and mechanism of use to make sure it's safe for your bird.

Improper lighting bulbs - For those looking for UVB lighting for their birds, you should be aware that some vendors are selling bulbs that are actually meant for reptiles or other uses and saying that they can be used for parrots. Parrots have different lighting needs and using the wrong bulb can be very dangerous. Make sure whatever bulb you buy was created specifically for parrots. Pamela Clark, certified parrot behavior consultant has a detailed blog post here with many references all about UV lighting for parrots which is a must-read for anyone looking to buy some.

Metal Toxicity - Parrots can get seriously ill and die if they ingest metal pieces with the most common being lead and zinc. It is extremely important to remove any metal pieces that contain these even if you are unsure. Stainless steel is much safer for birds and the product description should indicate what kind of metal is being used. 

Metal clasps causing injury - Some kinds of metal clasps and hooks can hurt a bird if they start to manipulate or chew on them. Many parrots have been harmed by twisting certain kinds of hooks and clasps by getting them lodged into their beak or cutting their tongue. These are usually the accessories that come with the toys we buy by default. However, many cheap products you can find will have connectors that aren't even designed to be used for bird toys. Many people remove the hooks and connectors that come with them and use safer plastic hooks instead. 

A Checklist to Help With Shopping

Here is a checklist that you can use to help you investigate a product before you decide to buy it. This isn’t a complete checklist and isn’t meant to be a foolproof way to ensure that you buy safe products, but it could help as an extra tool.

Can you verify the type of wood used?

Can you verify the type of metal used?

Are there exposed metal pieces that could be sharp? (looking at reviews can help you determine this if others have caught it)

Are there fabric pieces that can cause tangling or strangulation?

Was the product created or transported using chemicals or glue?

Was the product created specifically for birds?

Are the dimensions safe for my species of parrot? (could they get their head or legs caught in gaps or spaces?)

Does the product have a detailed description or is it vague about materials and parts?

Is the seller someone that sells parrot products or do they sell a variety of other kinds of products too? (often indicative of dropshipping)

What kind of clasps or hooks come with the product and should you buy a safer alternative such as plastic hooks or links?

It can sometimes be a challenge to balance safety and access - especially for those of us on a budget or who don’t have a lot of time to investigate everything we buy. Though we’ve looked at a lot of dangerous products in this post, it is important to remember that all we can do is do our best to provide our birds with a safe environment. As long as we’re aware of the dangers that exist and we observe our birds regularly, we can help keep them safe and comfortable.