Budgie · Snacks & drinks
Can budgies eat coffee?
No. Coffee, tea, cola and energy drinks contain caffeine, which can cause a racing heart, arrhythmias and hyperactivity in birds. Even a few sips can be dangerous for a budgie.
- Sugar
- 0 g / 100 g
If your budgie already ate some
Contact an avian vet straight away if your budgie drank coffee, tea, cola or an energy drink, or pecked at coffee grounds, tea leaves or caffeine tablets. Watch for restlessness, trembling, rapid breathing and seizures, and keep your bird warm and quiet on the way.
Why
Risks. Caffeine is a methylxanthine, like theobromine in chocolate. It overstimulates the heart and nervous system and can cause arrhythmias, hyperactivity, tremors and, in serious cases, cardiac arrest. Coffee grounds, tea leaves and caffeine tablets are concentrated sources.
Questions owners ask 2
Is herbal tea safe for budgies?
Caffeine-free herbal teas are not covered by this warning, but some herbs have effects of their own. Fresh water is the only drink a budgie needs; ask your avian vet before using any herbal preparation.
Can budgies drink decaf coffee?
Better not. Decaffeinated coffee still contains a little caffeine and offers nothing a budgie needs.
Coffee: nutrition per 100 g
| Water | 99.4 g |
|---|---|
| Energy | 1 kcal |
| Sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Protein | 0.1 g |
| Fibre | 0 g |
| Calcium | 2 mg |
| Phosphorus | 3 mg |
| Calcium : phosphorus | 0.67 : 1 |
| Sodium | 2 mg |
| Vitamin A (RAE) | 0 µg |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg |
| Caffeine | 40 mg |
“Beverages, coffee, brewed, prepared with tap water”, USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, FDC 171890). Public domain.
Sources & method 5
The sources below discuss coffee for budgies (or for pet birds generally). Confidence: high. Rated on the JOMIZOO Feeding Scale; when good sources disagree we choose the more cautious level.
- Feeding Budgies — VCA Animal Hospitals
- Nutritional Diseases of Pet Birds — Merck Veterinary Manual
- 10 Everyday Items That Are Toxic to Birds — Veterinary Center for Birds and Exotics (avian and exotic practice of Laurie Hess, DVM, DABVP Avian; practice blog, no individual byline)
- Foods Toxic to Pet Birds — Lafeber Company (Christal Pollock, DVM, Dipl. ABVP-Avian, with Laura Doering)
- People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets — ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
