Can Canary Birds Eat Strawberries? 5 Facts to Consider

Can canary birds eat strawberries? Should I include them in my canary bird’s seed and fruit-based diet? Most bird parents ask themselves these questions while considering whether to add strawberries to their birds’ diet.

Yes, canary birds can eat strawberries. But only with moderation or in smaller quantities. Ideally, canaries are fond of fruits such as apples, oranges, tomatoes, and grapes. However, of all the fruits, strawberries are the most favorite fruits for canaries.

As a pet bird parent, you could consider feeding your canary with strawberries or strawberry seeds. Read more on feeding canaries with these tiny, delicious fruits.

Are Strawberries Good For Canaries?

Yes, any type of berries that is fit for human consumption is also safe for canaries. Strawberries are safe for canaries but only in low quantities. These fruits park plenty of vitamin C. Moreover, they are rich in magnesium, iron, and calcium.

Strawberries also have lots of health benefits for canaries. The tremendous amount of potassium in strawberries is vital for strengthening bones. Folate is another essential mineral in strawberries.

This nutrient aids with making white and blood cells in animals’ bone marrow. The presence of these cells helps with protecting canaries against illnesses.

Canaries with a vitamin C deficiency are likely to experience mental illnesses. Thus, feeding your little bird with strawberries is vital to improving its overall mental health.

Vitamin C further helps create antibodies and strengthen the immune system, consequently keeping your bird healthy throughout.

Are Strawberry Seeds Safe for Canary Birds?

Yes, strawberry seeds are safe for canary birds. Relatively smaller canaries can start with strawberry seeds before they can eat strawberries.

However, remember to rinse the seeds to eliminate any harmful pesticides they could be carrying. Pesticides are potentially dangerous for all pet birds, including canaries.

How Many Strawberries Should Canaries Eat?

Although strawberries are excellent and safe for canary birds, moderation is crucial while feeding the birds with these delicious fruits.

A single strawberry in a week is sufficient for your bird. Any other fruit is just a waste. Canary birds have smaller stomach space than other pet birds, thanks to their tiny size.

Feeding Too Many Strawberries to Canary

While strawberries are delicious and healthy for canaries, too many of these fruits can be detrimental to their overall health. Strawberries contain fructose, which is a natural sugar occurring in fruits.

Birds are unable to break down fructose quick enough like other creatures. Feeding your canary with too much strawberry can lead to these conditions below.

– Diarrhea

Strawberries have high water content. This water content can increase the liquid content in your bird’s stomach, consequently causing diarrhea.

Too many strawberries will cause an increase in the liquid content of your bird’s fecal matter. If the bird’s dropping doesn’t appear normal within hours, it signals an excess consumption of strawberries.

– Diabetes

Yes! Canaries are susceptible to diabetes too. Excess sugar can make them diabetic, just like humans. If you feed your canary with excess strawberries, you are making them vulnerable to diabetes.

Therefore, keep the quantity low while feeding it with these sugary fruits. Although sugar is a beautiful treat for most canaries, it can be a potentially harmful toxin in excess. Keep your bird’s diet to the recommended one fruit a week.

– Stomach Upset

Stomach upsets are likely to occur if you feed your canary with strawberries for the first time. Stomach upsets should pass soon once your bird gets used to eating strawberries. But stomach upsets become a problem when they persist. It signals that you are feeding your canary with excess strawberries.

Excess sugar content in strawberries can upset your bird’s tummy. That’s why moderating its strawberry consumption rate is vital. Canaries are naturally calm and peaceful birds. However, these birds could become noisy when they have stomach upsets.

Apart from the high sugar content, most inorganically grown strawberries contain high amounts of pesticides. Such pesticides can lead to stomach upsets in canaries and other pet birds.

Are Dried Strawberries Good for Canaries?

Dried strawberries aren’t suitable for canaries. They are strictly fit for human consumption. Plus, dried strawberries contain plenty of added sugar, food coloration, and additives.

Canaries also don’t have solid and hook-like bills like parrots. For this reason, canaries, especially smaller canaries, have difficulties tearing the dried strawberries apart.

Furthermore, canaries have problems digesting dried and frozen strawberries. The rigid fiber can be too hard for their digestive system to handle. Ideally, canaries should thrive well on fresh strawberries.

Can Canaries Eat Wild Strawberries?

Yes, they can. Wild strawberries are ideally the best for pet birds, including canaries. Since they grow out in the wild, there is a low possibility of contamination with harmful pesticides.

If you want to feed your bird with wild strawberries, there is no problem at all. However, ensure you collect these fruits from a safe place. Or in areas where there is no risk of pesticide contamination.

Furthermore, refrain from collecting wild strawberries that are next to a busy road. Collect them from deep in the wild. There is a high possibility that wild strawberries next to a highway have contact with dust and other pollutants such as vehicle exhaust.

These pollutants pose a health risk to your bird. More importantly, remember to rinse wild berries before feeding them to your canary bird. Rinsing is vital for eliminating any nasty contaminants that could be potentially harmful to your bird.

Preferably, always opt for wild strawberries for your bird. Canaries love such wild fruits over strawberries that grow on farms. First, such fruits have a high mineral and nutrient content.

Thus, they provide plenty of health benefits in comparison to farmed strawberries. Even more important, wild strawberries are pesticides and pollutant-free and hence unlikely to cause problems for canaries.

Conclusion

Strawberries are ultimately a delicious treat for canaries. They also make a healthy fruit-based diet for these tiny yet lovely pet birds.

Start feeding your canary with strawberries and give it the healthy diet it deserves. However, feed it with moderation lest it succumbs to the adverse effects of consuming excess strawberries.