3D illustration: a cockatiel next to a dish of avocado
Drag to turn · tap your pet

Cockatiel · Fruit

Can cockatiels eat avocado?

No — never feed

No. Avocado contains persin, a toxin that can damage a cockatiel's heart and cause fatal breathing problems. Never offer the flesh, skin, pit or leaves.

Sugar
0.7 g / 100 g
Fat
14.7 g / 100 g

If your cockatiel already ate some

Call your avian vet or an animal poison line immediately, whatever the amount, and do not wait for signs. Watch for fluffed feathers, open-mouth or labored breathing, weakness and inability to perch; signs often start within about 12 hours.

Emergency steps →

Why

Risks. The Merck Veterinary Manual lists cockatiels among the birds affected by avocado. Persin causes heart muscle damage, fluid around the heart and lungs, and swelling under the skin of the neck and chest. The leaves are the most toxic part, but the fruit, pit and skin are also dangerous.

Questions owners ask 2

Can cockatiels eat food that contains avocado, like smoothies or salads?

No. Keep all avocado-containing foods, including guacamole and avocado toast, away from your cockatiel.

Can I use avocado wood or leaves as a perch or chew toy?

No. The leaves are the most toxic part of the plant, and all parts contain persin.

Avocado: nutrition per 100 g
Water73.2 g
Energy160 kcal
Sugars0.7 g
Fat14.7 g
Protein2 g
Fibre6.7 g
Calcium12 mg
Phosphorus52 mg
Calcium : phosphorus0.23 : 1
Sodium7 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)7 µg
Vitamin C10 mg

“Avocados, raw, all commercial varieties”, USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, FDC 171705). Public domain.

Sources & method 5

The sources below discuss avocado for cockatiels (or for pet birds generally). Confidence: high. Rated on the JOMIZOO Feeding Scale; when good sources disagree we choose the more cautious level.

  1. Avocado (Persea spp) Toxicosis in Animals — Merck Veterinary Manual
  2. Feeding Pet Cockatiels — VCA Animal Hospitals
  3. Cockatiel Care Sheet (Maria Zayas, DVM) — PetMD
  4. Unsafe Foods for Birds — LafeberVet
  5. Foods That Are Toxic to Birds (Lauren Jones, VMD) — PetMD

Other pets

Can hamsters eat avocado?NeverCan budgies eat avocado?Never

More fruit

Small amounts Apple Small amounts Banana Small amounts Blueberry Small amounts Strawberry Small amounts Raspberry Small amounts Grape Better not Raisin Small amounts Watermelon Small amounts Cantaloupe Small amounts Orange Small amounts Mango Small amounts Pineapple Small amounts Pear Small amounts Cherry Small amounts Peach Small amounts Kiwi Small amounts Coconut

All 68 foods for cockatiels →