Can cockatiels eat romaine lettuce?

Yes — safe in normal portions

Yes. Romaine lettuce is a safe, useful daily green for cockatiels and a much better choice than iceberg. Wash it and offer it as part of a varied fresh-food mix.

Portion: A leaf piece about 8 cm (3 in) square, or 2–3 teaspoons chopped, as part of the day's fresh food
How often: Daily or most days, alongside other vegetables
Sugar: 1.2 g / 100 g

How to serve it

Rinse the leaf thoroughly
Discard any wilted, brown or slimy parts
Clip a whole piece to the cage or chop it into small pieces
Take away leftovers after a few hours

Why

Risks. Minimal. Wash off pesticide residues and bacteria, and expect slightly wetter droppings if a cockatiel eats a lot of watery greens. Romaine is a supplement to pellets, not a complete food.

Benefits. Romaine supplies beta-carotene (a vitamin A precursor), vitamin K and folate for very few calories. Cockatiels are prone to vitamin A deficiency, so darker greens help round out the diet.

Questions owners ask 2

Do cockatiels need greens if they eat pellets?

Pellets should form most of the diet, but fresh vegetables and greens, up to about a fifth to a quarter of daily food, add variety, enrichment and extra nutrients.

Can cockatiels eat the romaine stalk?

Yes. The crunchy rib is safe; many cockatiels enjoy chewing it, though the leafy parts hold more nutrients.

Romaine lettuce: nutrition per 100 g

Water	94.6 g
Energy	17 kcal
Sugars	1.2 g
Fat	0.3 g
Protein	1.2 g
Fibre	2.1 g
Calcium	33 mg
Phosphorus	30 mg
Calcium : phosphorus	1.1 : 1
Sodium	8 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)	436 µg
Vitamin C	4 mg

“Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw”, USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, FDC 169247). Public domain.

Sources & method 3

The sources below discuss romaine 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.