Cockatiel · Greens & herbs
Can cockatiels eat iceberg lettuce?
Better not. Iceberg lettuce is pale and watery and gives cockatiels almost nothing they need. It is not poisonous, so a stolen bite is nothing to worry about.
- Portion
- Not recommended. If you offer any, keep it to a torn piece about 3 cm (1 in) across
- How often
- Rarely, if at all
- Sugar
- 2 g / 100 g
If your cockatiel already ate some
Nothing needs to be done. If your cockatiel has watery droppings for more than a day or seems unwell, see an avian vet, since the lettuce is unlikely to be the cause.
How to serve it
- Swap it for romaine, kale, dandelion leaves or other dark greens
- If you give iceberg at all, wash it
- Keep the piece small
- Take away uneaten pieces after a few hours
Why
Risks. Iceberg is not toxic, but it has little nutritional value. Filling up on it leaves less room for pellets and nutrient-rich vegetables, and the high water content can make droppings wetter.
Questions owners ask 1
Why do vets say not to feed iceberg lettuce to cockatiels?
Because it is mostly water and has little nutritional value. Cockatiels are prone to vitamin A deficiency, so darker greens are far more useful.
Iceberg lettuce: nutrition per 100 g
| Water | 95.6 g |
|---|---|
| Energy | 14 kcal |
| Sugars | 2 g |
| Fat | 0.1 g |
| Protein | 0.9 g |
| Fibre | 1.2 g |
| Calcium | 18 mg |
| Phosphorus | 20 mg |
| Calcium : phosphorus | 0.9 : 1 |
| Sodium | 10 mg |
| Vitamin A (RAE) | 25 µg |
| Vitamin C | 2.8 mg |
“Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw”, USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, FDC 169248). Public domain.
Sources & method 2
The sources below discuss iceberg lettuce 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.
- Feeding Pet Cockatiels — VCA Animal Hospitals
- Fruits and Vegetables in Birds' Diets — VCA Animal Hospitals
