Bird Foot Toys | Birdsville

Last updated: October 2026
Written by the Birdsville team. We’ve been setting up cages for parrots of every size at our Alexandria store since 1985.

Bird foot toys are small, loose toys that a parrot picks up, holds in its foot, chews, rolls and throws, and the best place for many of them is the floor of the cage. Most owners fill the top half of the cage with perches, swings and hanging toys and leave the bottom empty, but plenty of parrots naturally spend time on the ground. Galahs, corellas, cockatiels, budgies and quakers spend hours walking and digging on the ground in the wild, and even birds that live high in the treetops love to wrestle a toy with their feet. This page explains why the cage floor is the most forgotten part of the cage, which foot toys suit each size of parrot, how to set the floor up safely, and how to turn it into a play area. Browse the full range of foot toys on Petsville (https://petsville.com.au/collections/foot-toys) or see them in store.

Bird Foot Toys Key Takeaways

Bird foot toys are loose toys a parrot holds, chews, rolls and carries with its feet.
The cage floor is the most overlooked part of a parrot’s cage, yet many parrots naturally spend time on the ground.
Australian ground dwelling parrots such as galahs, corellas, cockatiels and budgies get the most out of floor toys.
Wild parrots stay busy for most of the day, while many pet parrots spend hours with nothing to do.
Toy play and enrichment are linked to less feather picking and fewer behaviour problems.
Pick foot toys bigger than your bird’s beak can swallow, made from safe natural materials such as sola, cork, willow, seagrass and untreated wood.
Keep the cage floor clean, change the paper daily, and rotate foot toys every week or two.
Bird foot toys are sold at Birdsville, 684 Botany Road, Alexandria, and online through Petsville.

Bird Foot Toys Quick Facts

What they are: loose toys a bird can pick up and hold in one foot
Where they go: the cage floor, a toy box, a play stand or a tabletop play area
Best for: every parrot, from budgies to macaws
Most keen floor players: galahs, corellas, cockatoos, cockatiels, budgies, quakers and African greys
Safe materials: sola, cork, balsa, willow, rattan, seagrass, loofah, paper and untreated wood
Size rule: always bigger than your bird can fit in its mouth
Rotation: swap toys every 1 to 2 weeks to keep them new and interesting
Cleaning: change floor paper daily and wash or replace soiled toys

Why Is the Bottom of the Cage Important for Parrots?

The bottom of the cage matters because many parrots naturally spend part of their day on the ground, and an empty floor wastes a big part of the cage.

Think about how wild birds spend their day. Flocks of galahs and corellas walk across open paddocks, cockatiels and budgies shuffle through long grass, and long billed corellas spend hours digging with their beaks. Lafeber (https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/pet-parrots-ground-foraging/), a leading avian care company, points out that a toy a bird ignores while hanging can become a favourite once it’s put on the floor. Yet in most homes the cage floor holds nothing but paper and droppings. Adding foot toys turns the bottom of the cage into a second play area, so your bird uses all of the space you’ve given it.

What Are the Benefits of Foot Toys for Parrots?

Foot toys keep a parrot busy, give it something to explore, exercise its feet and beak, and help prevent boredom behaviours.

Foot Toys Fill the Empty Hours

Wild parrots are busy from morning to night, exploring, chewing, digging and taking things apart. RSPCA Queensland (https://www.rspcaqld.org.au/resources/pet-care/bird-enrichment-pet-care-MCGRRT4RB62FATNGRJHX7BWSNUQA) notes that birds without enough to do can develop abnormal behaviours, and that chewing and digging are natural needs. A pet parrot in a cage has a lot of empty hours. A floor full of foot toys gives those hours back to shredding, rolling, carrying and exploring.

Foot Toys Help Prevent Feather Picking and Screaming

Boredom is behind many parrot problems. Lafeber Vet (https://lafeber.com/vet/foraging-as-a-means-of-behavior-modification/) reports that young Amazons given regular enrichment had better feathers and less feather picking. A parrot that spends its morning tearing apart a sola ball or shredding a cork has less time and energy for plucking, screaming or biting. See our guides to squawking (https://birdsville.net.au/screaming-and-squawking-parrots-how-to-stop/) and parrot biting (https://birdsville.net.au/parrot-biting/) for more help.

Foot Toys Build Coordination and Problem Solving

Parrots hold objects in one foot the way we use our hands. Researchers at Macquarie University (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2821354/) found Australian parrots with a strong preference for one foot were better at solving puzzles, especially ones that needed the beak and foot to work together. Foot toys give your bird daily practice picking up, turning and holding objects.

Foot Toys Keep Beaks in Shape

Chewing wood, cork, sola and seagrass wears the beak down naturally and gives a parrot the satisfaction of destroying something. A bird with nothing to chew will often chew its perches, cage or feathers instead.

Which Parrots Like Playing on the Cage Floor?

Australian parrots that spend time on the ground love floor toys the most, but almost every parrot will play on the floor if you give it something worth exploring.

Galahs, corellas and sulphur crested cockatoos are natural ground dwellers and often spend more time on the cage floor than on their perches. Cockatiels and budgies spend time on the ground in the wild and happily shuffle through shredded paper on the cage floor. Quakers, African greys and conures are well known for lying on their backs and wrestling a foot toy. Larger birds such as Eclectus and macaws enjoy carrying a toy around and taking it apart piece by piece.

What Are the Best Foot Toys for Each Size of Parrot?

The best foot toy is one your parrot can easily pick up and hold, but can’t swallow or break into dangerous pieces.

How Do You Turn the Cage Floor Into a Play Area?

Turn the cage floor into a play area with a mix of foot toys, a toy box to dig through and plenty of different textures to chew and shred.

Start with a toy box such as the BeakJoy Natural Signature Foraging Box (https://petsville.com.au/products/beakjoy-peak-play-natural-signature-blend-s), the Happy Wings Foraging Box (https://petsville.com.au/products/bj-happy-wings-toy-box-small) or the Love4Birds Forage Pack (https://petsville.com.au/products/love4birds-forage-pack-large). These are packed with shreddable pieces your bird can dig through and pull apart. Add a few foot toys of different shapes and materials, such as a soft sola ball, a crunchy cork, a woven seagrass ball and a rolling rattan ball, so there’s always something new to try. Plain paper scrunched into balls or torn into strips makes a cheap extra shredding toy.

Our Foraging Bird Toys (https://birdsville.net.au/foraging-bird-toys/) and Natural Bird Toys (https://birdsville.net.au/natural-toys/) pages have more ideas.

How Do You Set Up the Cage Floor Safely?

Set up the cage floor safely by keeping it clean, checking toys often and making sure your bird can’t get trapped or swallow anything.

Most cages have a wire grate above the tray to keep birds away from droppings. You can place foot toys and a toy box on top of the grate, or, as Lafeber suggests, remove the grate and line the floor with plain paper so the bird can walk on it. If you remove the grate, change the paper every day and make sure the tray is pushed all the way in so toes and wings can’t get caught. Take out any toy that’s covered in droppings, wash it or throw it away. Check toys every few days and remove loose strings, small pieces, broken metal parts or anything your bird could swallow.

When Should You Take a Floor Toy Away?

If your bird starts sitting on a toy, guarding it or treating it like an egg, take it away. Lafeber notes this behaviour can be hormonal, and removing the toy helps settle it down.

Is a Bird Sitting on the Cage Floor a Problem?

A bird playing on the floor is normal, but a bird sitting fluffed up and quiet on the floor is not. A parrot that sits on the cage floor without moving, with fluffed feathers or closed eyes, may be unwell and should see an avian vet straight away. Our Common Bird Illnesses page (https://birdsville.net.au/common-bird-illnesses/) lists the warning signs.

How Do You Get a Parrot to Play With Foot Toys?

Get a parrot to play with foot toys by introducing them slowly, showing interest in them yourself and trying different textures and sizes.

Some parrots are nervous of anything new. Leave a new toy next to the cage for a day or two before putting it inside, then place it on the floor away from its favourite perch. Pick it up and play with it yourself while your bird watches, as parrots are curious and want whatever you have. If one toy doesn’t catch on, try something softer, crunchier, bigger or smaller until you find what your bird loves. Young birds often learn to play on the floor first, before they’re confident on swings and hanging toys.

Can Foot Toys Help You Bond With Your Parrot?

Yes. Keep a few foot toys on a play stand or table where you sit, and play the drop game: your parrot drops the toy, you hand it back, and it drops it again. It sounds simple, but it’s a fun way to spend time together and build trust.

How Often Should You Change Your Bird’s Foot Toys?

Rotate your bird’s foot toys every one to two weeks so there’s always something new to explore.

Parrots get bored with the same toys, just like children. Keep a small collection and swap a few in and out each week. A toy that’s been put away for a month often feels brand new when it comes back. Replace toys once they’re chewed down or soiled, and remember that a destroyed toy is a toy that did its job.

How Does Sydney’s Weather Change Floor Play?

Sydney’s hot summers and cool winters both change how you use the cage floor.

In summer, Sydney’s humidity means soiled paper and natural toys like seagrass, willow and cork can grow mould faster, so change the floor paper daily and swap out damp or dirty toys straight away. Keep the cage out of direct afternoon sun too, as the floor of a cage near a window heats up quickly. In winter, birds spend more time indoors with longer nights, so a well stocked cage floor helps fill the extra hours and keeps them active when it’s too cold to sit outside.

A Tip From Our Staff

Birds love playing with their feet, and many will roll onto their backs to play with a toy held up in the air. If your bird ignores a toy hanging from the roof of the cage, try unclipping it and putting it on the floor, where it can pick it up, carry it and throw it around.

Bird Foot Toys Frequently Asked Questions

What are foot toys for birds?

Foot toys are small, loose toys that a bird can pick up and hold in one foot to chew, roll, carry or throw. They’re usually made from sola, cork, willow, seagrass, rattan, loofah or untreated wood. Foot toys suit every parrot from budgies to macaws and work especially well on the cage floor.

Do parrots play on the bottom of the cage?

Yes, many parrots love playing on the bottom of the cage, especially ground dwelling birds such as galahs, corellas, cockatoos, cockatiels and budgies. Adding foot toys, a toy box to dig through and some shredded paper turns the cage floor into a play area that keeps your parrot busy for hours.

Why does my bird sit on the bottom of the cage?

A bird that plays, digs or shreds on the cage floor is usually just enjoying itself. But a bird that sits still on the floor with fluffed feathers, closed eyes or a hunched posture may be sick. If your bird sits on the floor and seems quiet or unwell, see an avian vet as soon as possible.

Are foot toys safe for birds?

Foot toys are safe when they’re the right size and made from bird safe materials. Choose toys bigger than your bird can fit in its mouth, avoid small bells or loose strings for strong chewers, and check toys every few days. Remove any toy that’s broken, soiled with droppings or worn down to small pieces.

What can I put on the bottom of my bird’s cage?

You can put plain paper, foot toys, a toy box, shredded paper and safe chew toys made from sola, cork, seagrass or willow on the bottom of your bird’s cage. Change the paper daily and remove soiled toys. Avoid loose bedding that stays damp, which can grow mould and harm your bird.

How often should I give my bird new toys?

Rotate your bird’s toys every one to two weeks so it always has something new to explore. You don’t have to buy new toys every time. Swapping toys in and out of a small collection keeps them interesting, and a toy put away for a month often feels brand new again.

Where Can I Buy Bird Foot Toys in Sydney?

Birdsville stocks a wide range of bird foot toys, from natural wood and seagrass to sola, cork and toy boxes, at 684 Botany Road, Alexandria NSW 2015, servicing the Eastern Suburbs and Inner South Sydney. Visit us in store or call (02) 9669 1766, tell us your bird’s size and how hard it chews, and our team will help you choose. We’re open 9:30am to 5:30pm weekdays, 10am to 5pm Saturday and 10am to 4pm Sunday, with directions on our Contact page (https://birdsville.net.au/contact-birdsville/).

Outside Sydney, the full range is on Petsville (https://petsville.com.au/collections/foot-toys), with delivery across Australia.

Popular bird foot toys on Petsville:

Sola Balls (https://petsville.com.au/products/chipper-parrots-sola-ball-small)
Rattan Wobble Ball (https://petsville.com.au/products/rosewood-naturals-rattan-wobble-ball-large)
Agglomerated Corks (https://petsville.com.au/products/chipper-parrots-agglomerated-corks-foot-toy)
Paper Shredders (https://petsville.com.au/products/chipper-parrot-shredders-straight-9-meters)
BeakJoy Natural Signature Foraging Box (https://petsville.com.au/products/beakjoy-peak-play-natural-signature-blend-s)
Fun Balls Value Pack (https://petsville.com.au/products/fun-balls-value-pack-8pcs)

Looking for more ways to keep your bird busy? See our Bird Swings (https://birdsville.net.au/swings/), Bird Play Stands (https://birdsville.net.au/bird-play-stands/) and Cage Tidies (https://birdsville.net.au/cage_tidies/) pages.

H3: About Birdsville

Birdsville has been at 684 Botany Road, Alexandria NSW 2015 since 1985, specialising in birds and small animals. We stock one of Australia’s biggest ranges of bird toys and avian products, from foot toys and swings to play stands and cages.

Sources

Floor play, floor setup and hormonal toy guarding: Lafeber, Pet Parrots and Ground Foraging
Enrichment and feather picking: Lafeber Vet, Foraging as a Means of Behaviour Modification
Foot preference and problem solving: Magat and Brown, Macquarie University, Laterality Enhances Cognition in Australian Parrots (Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 2009)
Boredom, chewing and digging as natural needs: RSPCA Queensland, Bird Enrichment
Product details: Petsville product listings
Staff tip and seasonal advice: the Birdsville team