Bird-Safe Wood

Parrot-Safe Wood

Most wood is safe for most birds, but parrots are big chewers. This means that you have to take extra care that the wood you use for their perches isn't toxic. Also keep in mind; in the wild, parrots will naturally eat clay to offset anything toxic that they may ingest. Captive parrots don't have access to this clay. 

Store-Bought Wood

Untreated pine is commonly used for bird toys, as well as balsa. Hard wood that's hard to chew (and commonly used for perches) includes manzanita, dragonwood, and bottlebrush. All of this wood is very well-suited for birds and parrots in particular because of their chewing capacity. 

Safe Wood

The following is wood that you may be able to cut and use yourself, provided that the wood has not had any contact with pesticides or other chemicals. The wood will need to be cleaned and dried, and in some cases stripped of the outer bark. 

Purportedly Safe:

  • Acacia
  • Almond
  • Apple
  • Arbutus
  • Ash
  • Aspen
  • Bamboo
  • Beech
  • Birch
  • Citrus
  • Cork
  • Oak
  • Cottonwood
  • Crabapple
  • Dogwood
  • Elm
  • Fig
  • Fir
  • Fruitless Mulberry
  • Ginkgo Grape Vines
  • Grape Palm
  • Guava
  • Hackberry
  • Hazelnut
  • Hibiscus
  • Hickory
  • Ironwood Larch
  • Lilac
  • Liquidamber
  • Madrona
  • Magnolia
  • Manzanita
  • Maple
  • Mediterranean Laurel
  • Mesquite
  • Mimosa
  • Mulberry
  • Norfolk Island Pine
  • Oak
  • Palm
  • Papaya
  • Pear
  • Pecan
  • Pine
  • Poplar
  • Ribbonwood
  • Rose
  • Sassafras
  • Spruce
  • Sweet Gum
  • Sycamore
  • Thurlow
  • Tree Fern
  • Umbrella Tree Vine
  • Maple
  • Walnut
  • Wilow

 

Toxic Woods

Allegedly toxic:

  • Apricot
  • Bis d'arc
  • Cherry
  • Eucalyptus
  • Horse Apple
  • Nectarine
  • Peach
  • Plum
  • Prune
  • Sequoia
  • Sitka cedar
  • Yellow cedar

Unequivocally toxic:

  • Box Elder
  • Crepe Myrtle
  • Chinese Popcorn
  • Chinese Snake Tree
  • Chinese Tallow
  • Hemlock
  • Holly
  • Laurel
  • Pitch pine
  • Redwood
  • Sumac (Rhus/Toxicodendron)
  • Yew
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