Can Cockatiels Eat Watermelon & Is It Safe for Them to Eat?

If you’re new to bird ownership, you may have thought about feeding your cockatiel mouth-watering fruits such as watermelon but can cockatiels eat watermelon?

It’s an emphatic yes. Not only can cockatiels eat watermelon, but they will also gain an immense amount of fun and health benefits from doing so.

Is Watermelon Good for Cockatiels?

Since watermelon is mainly made up of water, it has very few calories. This is not to say it doesn’t have any nutritious value, quite the opposite.

The numerous vitamins and minerals in the fruit, as well as other nutrients, will significantly benefit your cockatiel’s health and wellbeing.

Nutritional Content of Watermelon

Watermelon is also packed with fiber making it an excellent choice for your bird’s digestive tract.

Choline

Choline, a water-soluble vitamin, will help with learning and muscle movement, and the amnio acid in the fruit will aid in recovery from muscle soreness.

Vitamins A and C

The vitamin A found in the watermelon helps with the production of your bird’s feathers, and vitamin C, which is an antioxidant, boosts the immunity of your precious cockatiel.

Your pet cockatiels energy will be given a boost from the fruits vitamin A.

Lastly, the lycopene contained in the melon is a natural treatment for inflammation and can reduce the risk of your bird becoming sick.

Potassium

The essential mineral found in watermelon, potassium, helps control your bird’s blood pressure and general overall health.

Just remember to get the birdbath at the ready. If you’ve ever eaten this delightful fruit yourself, you’ll know just how messy it can get.

Find out if Chickens can eat Watermelon?

How to Feed Watermelon to Cockatiels?

Firstly, don’t make the mistake of feeding your cockatiel the rind part of the watermelon unless you buy organic watermelon but still remember to rinse it clean first.

Unwashed watermelon rind means there’s a good chance it will contain pesticides, fungicides, and other such substances that may be toxic to your little treasure.

It would be advisable to cut your watermelon into small-sized chunks before serving it to your bird. This is to make it easier for your cockatiel to handle.

Cut into pieces small enough so that your bird can hold them between her talons.

She will probably end up with bright red and somewhat wet feet, but not to worry, it will come off, and she will gain a lot of satisfaction from eating it this way.

The skin and seeds can be eaten by your cockatiel.

Can Wild Birds Eat Watermelon?

Can Cockatiels have Watermelon Juice?

As this fruit is oh so juicy, it begs the question, is it safe to give my cockatiel watermelon juice?

Yes, watermelon juice is fine,  but it would be preferable to give them the homemade type to prevent giving your bird and nasty additives that you don’t know about.

Just remove the rind off the watermelon, cut the fruit into chunks, and give them a whirl in your blender. Pour the juice through a strainer to remove any seeds to prevent choking.