Grass for grassland birds

There are a number of species of birds, some very popular ones, that are grassland birds in the wild. Below is a non-comprehensive list. Look up your bird on Wikipedia and it should have a section called “habitat” that you can use to see if your bird is a grassland bird.

• Africa
  • Lovebirds
• Australia
  • Bourke’s Parrot
  • Budgies
  • Cockatiels
  • Cockatoos (Galah)
  • Neophemas (grass parrots)
  • Red-rumped Parrot
• South America
  • Hyacinch Macaw

Obvious in retrospect, I’ve discovered that my grassland birds really love grass! It’ll hold their attention longer than just about anything, even millet sprays sometime. They love to eat the seeds, if present, or gnaw the blades of grass.

Some things you can try:

• Grow wheatgrass. You can buy this at most garden centers already sprouted. Put it on the bottom of their cage or in a flat area they run around in.
• Get cuttings of grass from your yard. Be sure it has not been sprayed with pesticides. They tend to like browned stalks and seed bunches more than green ones. They also tend to like plants like bunch grasses over lawn grass.
• If your bird is harness trained or free flight trained, be sure to expose them to running around in the grass.

Related to all this is that grassland birds are often ground feeders as well, so instead of putting seed or fruits/veggies in cups, you can put them on the floor of the cage or on a table when they roam freely.