Last Updated: 30/03/2026
Best Toys for Small Parrots: Vet Picks
Small parrots like Budgies and Cockatiels make wonderful pets, but sometimes it can be difficult to know how to choose the right toys for them. Find out the best toys for these birds from this article!
Author: Dr Nicole Wynne BSc BVMS MANZCVS (Unusual Pets)
Reading Time: 7 minutes - short read
Little parrots like budgies and cockatiels make wonderful pets, but it can be difficult to work out what toys are safe for them, what they need to eat and how they should be housed. Even though they don’t take up as much space as larger birds, it is still important to ensure that they have safe but entertaining toys, and appropriate cage furniture. Effectively managing these husbandry issues helps to reduce potential health issues such as accidental trauma and behavioural problems. The adage “prevention is better than cure” is absolutely true for our feathered friends!
Why is choosing the right parrot toys important?
Although they’re small, these parrots are still very intelligent and adapted to a changing, malleable environment. They have a strong need to play, pull things apart, and shape their environment, and when they can’t perform these behaviours, they are more likely to develop behavioural issues associated with stress and boredom. They are also social animals and have evolved to live in a flock, and so they also need social interaction, ideally from both other birds and from people.
Although toys and cage furniture can’t remove their need for socialisation, it can help get some of their mental energy out so that they are less likely to scream, become fearful, aggressive, or destructive. However, it is also important to ensure that toys and cage furniture are safe. Some cheap toys may be made out of toxic metals that can cause heavy metal poisoning if ingested. Other toys may pose an injury risk for example rope ad fabric toys can crop and intestinal blockages if ingested so it's generally best to avoid these in small parrots.
Four reasons why it's important to choose the right parrot toys are:
- Natural materials: Materials like hemp, jute, and other natural fibres are destructible, which birds love, but are also much less likely to cause injuries like entanglement and crop blockages.
- Safe play: Birds love to destroy things, and providing safe items for them to destroy is not only a great way of maintaining mental health, but also reducing the risk of them destroying something they shouldn’t
- Safe metals: Metal toys are fine as long as they are well made, and made of quality stainless steel. Avoid galvanised metals, zinc, copper, lead and rusty metal. Stainless steel is not toxic. Ensure that metal toys also can’t get stuck on your bird, and if you find any broken pieces or sharp edges, remove the toy immediately.
- Easy to monitor: Just like human children, all toys should be monitored daily for signs of unsafe wear, hygiene, and deterioration. They should also be easy to remove from the enclosure.
How We Review Our Products
Our Vet team use their health and husbandry knowledge, along with their own personal and clinical experiences to evaluate each product and provide detailed, informative reviews, free of any commercial bias. We then collate this information into our 'best of' recommendations.
Top Recommended Toys for Small Parrots in Australia [Vet Reviewed]
Best Toys for Destructive Play
Super Bird Activity Wall
Pros
- Made of 100% non-toxic materials
- Encourages natural chewing and climbing behaviours
- Easy to fit to any enclosure
- Can be modified to use as a food puzzle toy
Cons
- Will need to be monitored and replaced when unsafe
- Contains plastic components
Super Bird makes several safe but fun toys for parrots that make it a breeze to provide our intelligent little friends with environmental enrichment. These toys cater to the natural behaviours that pet parrots would display in the wild, which not only provides mental stimulation, but also provides them with a satisfying job to do. Plus, you can add pieces of food to the toy to make it into a foraging toy!
The Super Bird Activity Wall mimics a tree trunk, which many species of parrots burrow into to create nest and shelter holes. The seagrass base also contains several dangling attachments for parrots to hang off of, chew, and destroy!
What our customers say: "My bird took 10 minutes to deconstruct the pieces but I am able to reattach them, or what is left of them, for the fun to continue.” - Romeo, NSW
Best Hanging Toys for Small Parrots
Nature Island Dual Dice with Bells Hanging Bird Toy
Pros
- Made from natural wood
- Bells are fun to ring
- Durable and lightweight
- Easy to use with most enclosures
Cons
- Will need to be monitored and replaced when unsafe
Parrots love a rope swing, but many rope swings are made with cotton or other more durable fibres, making them a risk for crop blockages and toe injuries. This jute swing helps to reduce the risk of these accidents while also allowing our parrots access to a different kind of perch.
This perch can be used as a hanging perch, or secured at two ends to make a bridge. You can even get creative and add other hanging components to turn it into a bird gym or a foraging toy!
Super Bird Flying Trapeze Swing
Pros
- Made from biodegradable seagrass
- Non-toxic materials
- Can function as a perch, sleeping area, or feeding area
- Easy to use with most enclosures
Cons
- Low risk of issues with heavy ingestion of fibres
- Will need to be monitored and replaced when unsafe
This innovative toy design makes it super versatile! It can function as a perch, a swing, or even a good puzzle toy. The ball in the centre can be refilled with shredded paper, dried leaves, and even fruit and vegetables. The combination of plastic and natural seagrass makes it less likely to cause injury or health issues, and parrots love chewing and pulling apart the seagrass mat. While it needs to be monitored for safety, it is also great fun for humans to watch their feathered friends redesign their enclosure!
What our customers say: "My precious lovebirds can't get enough of this toy, purchased the smaller one a little while back and they enjoyed it so much, thought I'd upsize to give them more space to play, glad I did as they practically spend most of their time on it. Great purchase, prompt delivery." - HS, VIC
Best Foraging Toys
Nature Island Foraging Cube Hanging Bird Toy
Pros
- Natural pine wood material that encourages chewing behaviour
- Works well with pellets, nuts and seeds wrapped in paper
- Durable and strong
Cons
- Some birds are unfamiliar with the concept of foraging but this can be taught
- The wood material is less suitable for fresh fruits and veg
- Will need to be monitored and replaced with wear and tear
This simple yet effective food puzzle toy works great with chunks of fruit and vegetables, and it can be hung anywhere in the enclosure, helping pique your bird’s interest in healthy food. The stainless steel bell in the toy also helps attract and hold interest by making noise when your bird interacts with it.
One of the few safe but also durable parrot toys out there, this foraging toy is a great investment for your parrot’s environmental enrichment. It also works great in combination with our other recommended toys!
Best Food and Water Bowls
Birdie Stainless Steel Coop Cup and Clamp
Pros
- Fits almost any enclosure and easy to install
- Easy to clean and dishwasher safe
- 100% non-toxic stainless steel
- Suitable for many kinds of foods like chop, seed, and pellets
- Lots of different sizes
Cons
- If positioned under a perch, food may be soiled easily
While it seems like an inconsequential detail, food and water bowls are actually really important for birds, as plastic bowls accumulate scratches over time that harbour bacteria, and poor quality metal bowls may be made out of toxic heavy metals. Stainless steel bowls are durable, and are also food-safe, just like stainless steel kitchen equipment.
This design allows for easy removal of the bowl for washing, and the clamp system makes it simple to rearrange your bird’s enclosure, or even add extra bowls for different foods.
What our customers say: "Perfect size for my young bird and the clamps are really good and very b and stable." - Lyn, VIC
What to look for in toys for small parrots
Choosing toys for small parrots is essential for their mental and physical well-being. Here are some factors to consider when selecting toys for small parrots.
Remember that each parrot is unique, so observe your bird's preferences and adjust their toy selection accordingly. Providing a stimulating environment with a variety of toys will contribute to your small parrot's happiness and mental health.
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Checkout our Vet Guide on feeding your small Parrot!
In our guide we cover the essentials for feeding medium sized parrots like African Greys and Ringnecks, plus foraging ideas for enrichment for a long, happy life.
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History
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Mon 30 Mar 2026
Edited by Dr Gillian Hill BVSc (Hons)Dr Nicole Wynne BSc BVMS MANZCVS (Unusual Pets)
Veterinarian, MANZCVS (Unusual Pets)
Dr. Nicole graduated from Murdoch University in WA in 2014, and immediately started working in exotics-only practice. She was also one of the few vets in Australia that would routinely see venomous snakes ranging from death adders to tiger snakes. Although Dr. Nicole enjoys seeing all exotic pets, her absolute favourite are rabbits. She passed her Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists Membership (MANZCVS) exam in unusual and exotic pets in 2021.
