Cockatiel · Vegetables
Can cockatiels eat potatoes?
Yes, in small amounts, cooked and plain only. Cockatiels can eat plain cooked potato, but never raw, green or sprouted potato or the plant's leaves, which contain solanine.
- Portion
- One or two pieces of plain cooked potato about 1.5 cm (⅝ in) across
- How often
- Once a week at most
- Sugar
- 0.8 g / 100 g
How to serve it
- Discard any potato with green skin or sprouts
- Peel and cook until soft, without salt, butter or oil
- Cool before serving
- Take away leftovers within an hour
Why
Risks. The potato plant and any green or sprouting tubers contain solanine and related glycoalkaloids. Potato dishes made for people are usually salted and buttered, and chips and fries are high in fat and salt.
Benefits. Little nutritional benefit compared with sweet potato, pumpkin or carrot, but plain cooked potato is harmless in small amounts.
Questions owners ask 1
Can cockatiels eat mashed potato from my plate?
No. Mashed potato made for people usually contains butter, milk and salt. Set aside a plain cooked piece before seasoning if you want to share.
Potatoes: nutrition per 100 g
| Water | 79.3 g |
|---|---|
| Energy | 77 kcal |
| Sugars | 0.8 g |
| Fat | 0.1 g |
| Protein | 2.1 g |
| Fibre | 2.1 g |
| Calcium | 12 mg |
| Phosphorus | 57 mg |
| Calcium : phosphorus | 0.21 : 1 |
| Sodium | 6 mg |
| Vitamin A (RAE) | 0 µg |
| Vitamin C | 19.7 mg |
“Potatoes, flesh and skin, raw”, USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, FDC 170026). Public domain.
Sources & method 4
The sources below discuss potatoes 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.
- Fruits and Vegetables in Birds' Diets — VCA Animal Hospitals
- Unsafe Foods for Birds — LafeberVet
- Client education: Toxic plants — LafeberVet
- Basic Care for Companion Birds — Association of Avian Veterinarians
