They require a varied diet, a
seed only diet will lead to health problems such as vitamin
deficiency. An example of a good diet would be a quality
pelleted mix, in conjunction with a mix featuring seed,
nuts, and dried fruits, with fresh vegetables (greens and
roots) and fruits fed regularly; furthermore, it is quite
common (and appreciated by the parrot) to partake with their
human owners of safe foods like pasta, bread, etc.
It is important to avoid foods with high fat content (generally) while striving to provide a wide variety of foods. There are some foods which are toxic to birds and parrots as a group. Cherries and most other Rosaceae pits and seeds, avocados, chocolate, and caffeine are among the foods toxic to parrots. Chocolate and caffeine are not metabolized by birds the same way they are in humans. Rosaceae seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides, and avocados contain persin which are both toxic compounds to birds. Safe foods include oranges, apples, grapes, peanuts, walnuts and sunflower seeds.
