No. 1 of the 5 Messiest Foods Your Bird Will Love: Almonds With Shell

Parrots naturally like to forage for food in their environment much as they would in the wild. Pet bird experts call this “working for food,” and pet birds love to do it. Being a comfortable fit for both large and small birds alike, almonds come contained in their own foraging toy — a bird needs to solve the problem of the shell before they can get to their almond treat!

Smaller pet birds, such as cockatiels or budgerigars (budgies), may need some help getting started.  For them, a partially started shell (slightly cracked) or even an already shelled almond sliced or broken into bite-sized pieces can have the same impact and last even longer.

Although a macaw might be begging for the next almond at the same time a Senegal parrot still struggles with its first, an almond with shell can fit easily in tight, hidden spots, making them an ideal food to use for some additional foraging practice … and damaging your ego when your pet bird figures out your hiding spot faster than it took you to think it up!