Do Parrots Need Grit?

Large and Medium Parrots

I have never seen a large or medium parrot consume grit. In the wild, no researchers have seen large parrots consuming sand or small gravel. Large parrots have been seen, in the wild, in captivity or in my home eating lava rock, clay, mineral blocks but never grit.

SunDance lived for several years with a parakeet in her cage. There was always a container of grit in the cage that either of them could access. SunDance never touched the grit at any time.

Small Parrots

Some small parrots do eat grit at times. Others seem to ignore it. Therefore, it appears it is not a necessity for survival, but some of the small birds like budgies do consume small quantities of grit.

When Ziggy was a baby, he would get into his food dish and scratch seed. This was messy and we did not want him to continue this behavior. I purchased some bird grit and provided him a bowl of grit in which to scratch. He loved his little sand box and stopped scratching in his seed immediately. He also consumed little bits of grit, almost every day.

Because he seemed to like the grit and he is clearly a very healthy budgie, I have continued to provide grit. The cockatiels have discovered it and each one of them eats a little grits from time to time. Precious, the little female budgie eats a few grains of grit every day from the first day she arrived at her new home.

Should You Provide Grit For Your Parrot?

Because there is no proven need for grit in the parrot's diet, the decision is up to you. If you have a small parrot such as a cockatiel or budgie and they enjoy a bit of grit, there is no reason not to allow them to have access to grit. However, unlike some sources state, grit is not required for small parrots to digest their food.

So, if your bird likes to play in grit and eats a small amount, there is no need to worry. If, however, you do not provide grit, there is no reason to believe your bird will be any less healthy as a result.