Can Cockatiels Eat Bananas? [Can They Have The Peels?]

Having a strong, healthy, and happy cockatiel all starts with feeding them the correct diet. Without giving them the nutrition they need, it’s impossible for them to reach their full potential. As you might know, cockatiels need a diet that consists of pellets, seeds, and fresh fruits and veggies. But while cockatiels need fruits in their diet, they can not eat every fruit on the planet. Thus, it’s essential that you properly research any new fruit you’re thinking of offering them. If you’re here, you’re probably wondering if cockatiels can eat bananas.

Today, I’m going to tell you everything you need to know about feeding bananas to your cockatiel. I will go over several questions such as: whether or not they can eat this fruit safely, if it’s healthy for them, if they can eat the peel, and much more.

So, can cockatiels eat bananas? Yes, cockatiels can most definitely eat bananas. It’s a good fruit to include in their diet and does not contain anything that’s harmful to your bird. It should by no means be a large part of their diet, but feeding your bird a small piece of a banana every now and then is not a problem, and is beneficial because of the vitamins and minerals that bananas have.

To find out more about feeding these delicious fruits to your cockatiel, keep reading.

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Are bananas good for cockatiels?

To find out whether or not bananas are good for cockatiels to eat I always like to take a look at what exactly they contain. By doing so, we get a better understanding of what we’re feeding our birds.

So, 1 ounce (28 grams) of banana contains the following nutrients, according to nutrition data.

• 25 calories
• 6.3 grams of carbs
• 3.5 grams of sugar
• 0.7 grams of fiber
• 0.1 grams of fat
• 0.2 grams of protein

As we can see from the numbers above, these fruits are quite high in sugar, but also contain a decent amount of fiber. On top of that, they’re relatively low in calories and fat, which is good news because cockatiels do not need all that much fat in their diet.

Of course, bananas also contain vitamins and minerals. They’re not the most nutritious fruit in the world, but they are a pretty good source of Potassium, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin C. They also have a number of antioxidants.

On the whole, bananas do not contain anything that poses a threat to your cockatiel and can be part of a healthy diet. Of course, it should not be the only fruit you feed your cockatiel. These birds need many different kinds of fruits and vegetables, feeding them only one type of fruit does not suffice.

Can cockatiels eat banana peels?

Something else that you might be curious about is whether or not cockatiels can eat the peels. This is a good question – after all, there are quite a few animals that can eat bananas whole, peel included!

The peels are not particularly dangerous to your cockatiel, but it’s not recommended to leave them on. They’re not very tasty and often contain pesticides. Even if you leave them on it’s very likely that your cockatiels will just ignore the peel and only eat the flesh of the fruit. It’s better to treat the peel as a natural wrapper and throw it away.

Are bananas toxic to cockatiels?

Not at all. There’s nothing in a banana that’s toxic to cockatiels. However, there is one thing that you need to take into account. You must make sure to not overfeed your bird on this fruit. Cockatiels are small, and a portion that might not seem very big to you can be huge to them. On top of that, bananas contain a pretty large amount of sugar, and too much sugar in your bird’s diet can lead to weight gain. Cockatiels are already prone to obesity so making sure not to overfeed them is very important.

How much banana can cockatiels have?

Now that you know that cockatiels can eat bananas and that you need to be careful not to overfeed them you’re probably curious: how much is too much? Your cockatiels should ideally eat around 20 to 25%  of their food intake in fruits and vegetables every day, but filling that entire 20 to 25% with a single fruit is not a good idea. Every fruit has different vitamins and minerals, which is why it’s so important that you give them a large variety of different fruits.

Also, as I’ve already said, cockatiels are small animals. Because of that, giving them a whole banana is out of the question. A large banana can weigh up to 140 grams, which is more than the weight of your average cockatiel! For that reason, you must cut the fruit into smaller pieces. However, if you have a lot of cockatiels it is possible to give them a whole banana that they can share between them.

On the whole, I recommend that you give your cockatiel a small piece of a banana no more than once a week.

Do cockatiels like bananas?

Most cockatiels love bananas because they’re so sweet. However, it’s not out of the question that your particular bird doesn’t find it very appetizing. If that’s the case, don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong with your bird. They all have their own likes and dislikes and there are many other fruits and vegetables that they can eat so try giving it some alternatives to find out what they like the most.

Other fruits and veggies that cockatiels can eat

If your bird doesn’t like bananas or if you simply need some ideas for other fruits to feed them, this short list of fruits and veggies that cockatiels can safely eat will come in handy. Keep in mind, this list is not exhaustive. For a more complete overview of what cockatiels can and can not eat, I suggest checking out my cockatiel nutrition guide. It gives a more complete overview of which fruits and veggies your bird can, and can not eat. It also goes over some good treats that you can give your bird, for instance, did you know that you can feed your cockatiel bread? All that and more is covered in the guide linked above.

With that out of the way, here’s a quick list of fruits and veggies that are cockatiel approved!

Fruits for cockatiels:

• Apples (without the seeds)
• Papaya
• Watermelon
• Many different kinds of berries (such as blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc)
• Grapes
• Oranges
• Pears
• Mango

Vegetables for cockatiels:

• Kale
• Cauliflower
• Zucchini
• Tomatoes
• Green Beans
• Okra
• Cucumber
• Carrots

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Frequently asked Questions

Can cockatiels eat banana chips?

I wouldn’t recommend giving your bird banana chips. Fresh bananas already contain quite a large amount of sugar, and the chips contain even more. On top of that, they contain quite a high amount of fat, 1 oz can contain a total of 8 grams of fat, which is more than 80 times as much as what’s in a regular banana! Don’t believe me? Take a look at this packaging

Can cockatiels eat banana bread?

In very small amounts banana bread should be okay, but I really mean small amounts. It’s quite high in sodium, calories, and fat, so make sure that you do not overfeed them on it.