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When you settle down for a movie night, you see those beady eyes staring you down as you munch on your popcorn, and it’s only natural to want to share. The good news is that as long as your popcorn doesn’t have any salt, butter, or sweeteners on it, your parrot can have some.
Of course, you can make plain popcorn and give your parrot a serving before covering your portion with seasonings.
Can Parrots Eat Popped Popcorn?
While you can’t flavor their popcorn, there’s no reason your parrot can’t eat plain popcorn. So, if you’re planning a movie night, it might be a good idea to have a separate bowl for your parrot that doesn’t have any salt, butter, sugar, or spices.
Popcorn Nutritional Information
Air-popped popcorn has the following nutritional yield
- Total Energy: 30.9 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 6.23 grams (g)
- Protein: 0.96 g
- Fat: 0.336 g
Source: USDA
Popcorn is approximately 78% carbohydrates, 12% protein, and 4% fat.
Can Parrots Eat Popcorn Kernels?
Some people say that you can feed popcorn kernels to parrots, while others say that you can’t. The truth is that completely raw and hard popcorn kernels are safe for parrots to eat. That said, some might not appreciate their hard texture (though others might love them).
If you take the time to boil the kernels to soften them up, they might become more palatable for your parrot (if you’re keen to offer it to them).
Can Parrots Eat Microwave Popcorn?
It’s best for your parrot to avoid microwave popcorn.
If you’re thinking of heading out to the store and purchasing a bag of popcorn off the store shelf, the chances are that your parrot can’t eat it. Microwave popcorn bags may contain diacetyl, and the invisible vapor fumes of this chemical compound are toxic for parrots.
Interestingly, diacetyl is also a cause for concern when it comes to human health and has historically been implicated as a cause for respiratory illnesses among microwave popcorn factory workers (including the aptly named “popcorn lung”).
In the United States, several manufacturers have stopped using diacetyl in their microwave popcorn preparations. Still, it’s best to avoid the risk altogether whenever possible, so it’s probably best to avoid giving microwave popcorn to your parrot.
The 3 Other Movie Time Snacks for Your Parrot
Just because you don’t have any unsalted and unsweetened popcorn around doesn’t mean your parrot can’t get their own movie-time treat. Below, we highlighted three alternatives that you can give your parrot.
1. Fruit
Just because it’s a regular part of their diet doesn’t mean that your parrot won’t enjoy an extra helping of their favorite fruit for the movie. Familiar favorites include mango, cantaloupe, or apples. Take the time to learn your birds’ preferences, and give them their favorite treats.
2. Pasta (Unseasoned or Uncooked)
You might not think that pasta is a movie-time snack, but your parrot will love it. Even better, you don’t have to cook the pasta if you don’t want to, though it can make everything a bit quieter for the show.
3. Nuts
While they’re healthy in moderation, nuts also have plenty of fat. But as long as you don’t overdo it, there’s no reason that your parrot can’t have a few nuts as occasional treats.
The 5 Foods That Are Toxic to Parrots
Whether you’re planning a movie night, game night, or just a night to indulge in snacks, chances are that you’ll have more than just popcorn. But what else out of the snack bowl can you feed your parrot? More importantly, what foods can harm your bird?
1. Avocados
While parrots love different fruits and vegetables, they cannot handle avocados. Almost every part of the avocado is extremely dangerous for your bird, so don’t pass them the guacamole.
2. Chocolate
While your bird is likely to pine for chocolate, the last thing you should do is give it to them. Two ingredients in chocolate can wreak havoc on your parrot’s body. Your bird is incredibly sensitive to the theobromine and caffeine, and ingestion can quickly lead to overdose and death.
Even if the chocolate doesn’t kill your bird, it will increase their heart rate and can induce tremors and seizures.
3. Excess Salt
Salt isn’t great for humans, but our large bodies can handle a reasonable amount. A bird has a much smaller body, and even a little salt can devastate them. Keep this in mind when you’re thinking of feeding them leftovers from meals, chips, popcorn, or other treats.
4. Caffeine
If a food has caffeine, you must keep it away from your bird. Caffeine can lead to seizures, tremors, sudden collapse, and other potentially life-threatening complications. Your parrot doesn’t need an early morning pick-me-up, so keep the caffeine away.
5. Bitter Orange
Although many people think that most fruits are safe for parrots, bitter oranges are considered toxic for them. These are not to be confused with the more common (and perfectly safe) sweet oranges.
Final Thoughts
The next time you’re sitting down for an afternoon snack or a movie, go ahead and pass some of the popcorn or make your parrot their own bowl. While they can’t have extra toppings, they’ll appreciate feeling like a part of the family.
Just be sure not to overdo it, and keep the popcorn as a treat because it doesn’t meet any of their nutritional requirements.
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Featured Image Credit: Sergey Saulyak, Shutterstock
