Cockatiel · Vegetables
Can cockatiels eat corn?
Yes, in small amounts. Cockatiels usually love sweetcorn, and a piece of cob makes good enrichment, but it is starchy and sweet, so keep it occasional.
- Portion
- A round of cob about 2 cm (¾ in) thick, or about a tablespoon (15 ml) of kernels
- How often
- Once or twice a week
- Sugar
- 6.3 g / 100 g
How to serve it
- Use fresh or thawed frozen sweetcorn
- Serve raw or lightly cooked and cooled, plain
- Discard anything moldy
- Take away leftovers after a couple of hours
Why
Risks. Energy-dense compared with most vegetables; cockatiels gain weight easily. Moldy corn can carry fungal toxins.
Benefits. Picking kernels off a cob keeps a cockatiel busy, and the AAV mentions corn on the cob as a toy that doubles as a snack.
Questions owners ask 1
Can cockatiels eat dried corn or corn in seed mixes?
Dried corn is safe only if it is clean and free of mold. Fresh sweetcorn is the better choice for a treat.
Corn: nutrition per 100 g
| Water | 76.1 g |
|---|---|
| Energy | 86 kcal |
| Sugars | 6.3 g |
| Fat | 1.4 g |
| Protein | 3.3 g |
| Fibre | 2 g |
| Calcium | 2 mg |
| Phosphorus | 89 mg |
| Calcium : phosphorus | 0.02 : 1 |
| Sodium | 15 mg |
| Vitamin A (RAE) | 9 µg |
| Vitamin C | 6.8 mg |
“Corn, sweet, yellow, raw”, USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, FDC 169998). Public domain.
Sources & method 4
The sources below discuss corn for cockatiels (or for pet birds generally). Confidence: medium. Rated on the JOMIZOO Feeding Scale; when good sources disagree we choose the more cautious level.
- Basic Care for Companion Birds — Association of Avian Veterinarians
- Fruits and Vegetables in Birds' Diets — VCA Animal Hospitals
- Unsafe Foods for Birds — LafeberVet
- Obesity in Birds — VCA Animal Hospitals
