Last updated: October 2026
Written by the Birdsville team. We’ve been helping Sydney bird owners keep their parrots happy and busy at our Alexandria store since 1985.
Foraging bird toys are toys that hide treats or food inside, so a parrot has to search, shred, pull, open or work out a puzzle to get its reward. In the wild, parrots spend hours every day looking for food, but a pet parrot with a full bowl can finish eating in under an hour. Foraging toys give those hours back, challenge your bird’s mind and help prevent boredom, screaming and feather picking. This page covers why foraging matters, the different types of foraging toys, how to teach your bird to forage step by step, what to hide inside, and which toys suit each size of parrot. You’ll find foraging bird toys in store at Birdsville, and a big range online at Petsville (https://petsville.com.au/search?q=forag&type=product) with delivery Australia wide.
More information coming soon.
Foraging Bird Toys Key Takeaways
Foraging bird toys hide treats or food so a parrot has to search, shred or solve a puzzle to reach them.
Wild parrots can forage for 4 to 6 hours a day, while pet parrots with a full bowl may eat for less than an hour.
Foraging is linked to better feather condition and less feather picking in pet parrots.
Start easy and build up: a treat in an open cup first, then covered, then wrapped, then inside a puzzle toy.
Use part of your bird’s daily food for foraging, not extra on top, so it doesn’t gain weight.
A pinch of your bird’s Birdsville Blends mix makes a perfect foraging filler, with lots of different shapes and textures to find.
Rotate foraging toys every week or two so your bird always has a new challenge.
Foraging bird toys are sold at Birdsville, 684 Botany Road, Alexandria, and online through Petsville with shipping Australia wide.
Foraging Bird Toys Quick Facts
What they are: toys that hide food or treats for a bird to find
Types: shred and find toys, foraging boxes, baffle cages, foraging walls and puzzle toys
Best for: every parrot, from budgies to macaws
What to hide: a pinch of seed mix, millet spray pieces, nuts in the shell, dried fruit and small pellets
Daily rule: use part of the day’s food, not extra on top
Rotation: swap foraging toys every 1 to 2 weeks
Cleaning: remove leftover fresh food the same day and replace soiled cardboard and paper
Why Is Foraging Important for Parrots?
Foraging is important because searching for food comes naturally to every parrot, and a pet bird without it has a lot of empty time.
A study summarised by Lafeber Vet (https://lafeber.com/vet/foraging-as-a-means-of-behavior-modification/) found wild Puerto Rican Amazons forage for 4 to 6 hours a day, while pet orange winged Amazons with a full bowl ate for only 30 to 72 minutes a day. The same article reports that young Amazons given foraging enrichment had better feathers and less feather picking. RSPCA Queensland (https://www.rspcaqld.org.au/resources/pet-care/bird-enrichment-pet-care-MCGRRT4RB62FATNGRJHX7BWSNUQA) adds that birds handed ready to eat food can lose their foraging skills, which may lead to abnormal behaviour. Foraging toys turn mealtime back into the busy, rewarding job it would be in the wild.
What Are the Benefits of Foraging Toys?
Foraging toys keep a parrot’s mind busy, burn energy, slow down eating and help prevent problem behaviours.
Foraging Toys Prevent Boredom
A parrot that has to work for its food spends more of the day doing something useful. That leaves less time for the boredom that leads to screaming, biting and plucking. Our guides to squawking (https://birdsville.net.au/screaming-and-squawking-parrots-how-to-stop/) and parrot biting (https://birdsville.net.au/parrot-biting/) cover these problems in more detail.
Foraging Toys Exercise the Brain
Parrots are clever birds that need problem solving. Working out how to open a box, pull a treat through the bars of a baffle cage or untwist a paper wrap keeps your bird’s mind sharp.
Foraging Toys Slow Down Eating
Birds that gobble their favourite seeds first and ignore the rest do better when food has to be found a little at a time. Foraging spreads eating across the day, much like it would be in the wild.
Foraging Toys Help Shy Birds Gain Confidence
Each small success builds confidence. Nervous or newly rehomed birds often become braver and more curious once they learn that exploring new things brings a reward.
What Types of Foraging Toys Are There?
The main types of foraging toys are shred and find toys, foraging boxes, baffle cages, foraging walls and puzzle toys.
Shred and Find Toys
Treats are hidden inside seagrass, cardboard or paper that your bird shreds to reach them. The Nature Island Shred and Find Foraging Toy (https://petsville.com.au/products/shred-find-foraging-toy-small) comes in small, medium and large and is packed with paper shreds, wooden blocks and space for treats. The Shredz Party Box (https://petsville.com.au/products/bainbridge-shredz-party-box-destructive) and Pizza Box Toy (https://petsville.com.au/products/pizza-box-bird-toy) are cardboard boxes made to be torn open.
Foraging Boxes
A box filled with shreddable material your bird digs through to find hidden food. Try the BeakJoy Natural Signature Foraging Box (https://petsville.com.au/products/beakjoy-peak-play-natural-signature-blend-s) or the Happy Wings Foraging Box (https://petsville.com.au/products/bj-happy-wings-toy-box-small). These also work well on the cage floor, see our Bird Foot Toys page (https://birdsville.net.au/bird-foot-toys/).
Baffle Cages and Foraging Walls
A baffle cage is a small stainless steel cage you fill with treats and shredded paper, and your bird pulls the treats out through the bars. The Baffle Cage Forage Toy (https://petsville.com.au/products/bainbridge-baffle-cage-small-10cm) is long lasting and easy to clean. The Foraging Wall (https://petsville.com.au/products/bainbridge-foraging-wall-medium) is a flat panel you fill with treats or paper, clipped to the side of the cage.
Climbing and Hanging Foraging Toys
Some foraging toys combine climbing, chewing and searching. The Forage ’n’ Play Ladder (https://petsville.com.au/products/forage-n-play-ladder-small) lets birds climb and hunt for hidden treats, while the BeakJoy Twisted Forage Buddy (https://petsville.com.au/products/beakjoy-twisted-forage-buddy) and Nature Island Foraging Blooming Pot (https://petsville.com.au/products/nature-island-blooming-pot) hang in the cage for birds to pick apart.
How Do You Teach a Parrot to Forage?
Teach a parrot to forage by starting with easy, visible treats and making each step a little harder as your bird learns.
Many pet parrots have never had to look for food, so they need to learn. Keep your bird’s normal food bowl in place while it’s learning, and only make the next step harder once the current one is easy.
Step 1: Put a favourite treat in an open paper cup or small dish where your bird can see it.
Step 2: Loosely cover the cup with a scrap of paper so the treat is partly hidden.
Step 3: Fold the paper over completely, or wrap a treat in a twist of plain paper.
Step 4: Hide treats in a shred and find toy or foraging box, and let your bird watch you do it the first few times.
Step 5: Move on to baffle cages, foraging walls and puzzle toys that take real problem solving.
Some birds learn in days and others take weeks. If your bird gets frustrated, go back a step and make it easier again.
Can You Turn the Whole Cage Into a Foraging Area?
Yes. Long Island Bird and Exotics Veterinary Clinic (https://birdexoticsvet.com/post/parrot-games-bird-enrichment-tips) suggests placing small portions of food in several dishes at different heights around the cage and moving them between feeds, so your bird has to explore to find its meal. You can also build a foraging tree from safe, unsprayed branches with dishes or foraging toys hung at different levels. Corn husks, plain paper cups, cardboard rolls and unbleached coffee filters all make easy wrappers to hide food in.
What Should You Hide in Foraging Toys?
Hide small amounts of your bird’s usual seed mix, millet spray pieces, nuts in the shell, small pieces of dried fruit or a few pellets in foraging toys.
The best foraging filler is food your bird already loves. Our Birdsville Blends (https://birdsville.net.au/birdsville-blends/) are ideal, because every pinch has different seeds, legumes, dried vegetables and colours for your bird to pick through. Use Birdsville Blends Budgie Gourmet (https://petsville.com.au/products/birdsville-blends-budgie-500g) for budgies, Cockatiel and Lovebird (https://petsville.com.au/products/birdsville-blends-cockatiel-lovebird-500g) for cockatiels and lovebirds, Tropical Small Parrot (https://petsville.com.au/products/birdsville-blends-tropical-small-parrot-500g) for conures, quakers and ringnecks, Healthy Parrot (https://petsville.com.au/products/birdsville-blends-healthy-parrot-500g) for Eclectus and other large parrots, and Cocky Mix (https://petsville.com.au/products/birdsville-blends-cocky-mix-4kg) for galahs and cockatoos. Pieces of Millet Spray (https://petsville.com.au/products/millet-sprays-mixed-100g) are a favourite with small birds, and Birdsville Blends Nut Magic (https://petsville.com.au/products/birdsville-blends-nut-magic-400g) makes a great reward for macaws and African greys.
Take the food for foraging out of your bird’s daily amount, not on top of it. Foraging should replace some bowl feeding, not add extra treats that lead to weight gain.
What Are the Best Foraging Toys for Each Size of Parrot?
The best foraging toy is one your bird can open without frustration, made from materials it can safely shred.
Best Foraging Toys for Budgies, Cockatiels and Lovebirds
Small birds do best with soft, easy to shred toys. The small Shred and Find Foraging Toy (https://petsville.com.au/products/shred-find-foraging-toy-small), the Forage ’n’ Play Ladder (https://petsville.com.au/products/forage-n-play-ladder-small) and simple paper cups or twists filled with a pinch of seed are perfect to start with.
Best Foraging Toys for Conures, Quakers and Indian Ringnecks
Medium parrots enjoy a bit more challenge. The BeakJoy Twisted Forage Buddy (https://petsville.com.au/products/beakjoy-twisted-forage-buddy), Nature Island Foraging Blooming Pot (https://petsville.com.au/products/nature-island-blooming-pot), Foraging Wall (https://petsville.com.au/products/bainbridge-foraging-wall-medium) and BeakJoy Natural Signature Foraging Box (https://petsville.com.au/products/beakjoy-peak-play-natural-signature-blend-s) all suit them well.
Best Foraging Toys for Cockatoos, Galahs, Eclectus, Greys and Macaws
Large parrots need sturdy toys and harder puzzles. The large Baffle Cage Forage Toy (https://petsville.com.au/products/bainbridge-baffle-cage-small-10cm) is stainless steel, so it lasts, and the Shredz Party Box (https://petsville.com.au/products/bainbridge-shredz-party-box-destructive) gives big beaks plenty to destroy. Nuts in the shell are a foraging toy on their own for these birds.
Can You Make Your Own Foraging Toys?
Yes, you can make simple foraging toys at home from plain paper, cardboard and other safe household items.
RSPCA Queensland suggests egg carton puzzles, cardboard tubes, covered dishes and newspaper. Fold seed into a twist of plain paper, stuff a toilet roll tube with shredded paper and treats, or hide nuts in the cups of an egg carton. Use plain, unprinted paper and cardboard with no glossy coating, glue or staples, and throw them away once they’re soiled.
How Do You Keep Foraging Toys Safe and Clean?
Keep foraging toys safe by removing leftover fresh food the same day, replacing soiled paper and cardboard, and checking toys for loose parts.
Fresh fruit and vegetables left inside a foraging toy can go mouldy quickly, so stick to dry food for toys that stay in the cage all day, or remove fresh food within a few hours. Throw out any cardboard or paper that’s wet or covered in droppings. Wash stainless steel baffle cages regularly. Check toys every few days for loose strings, broken pieces or metal parts your bird could swallow, and pick toys with stainless steel hardware. Our Natural Bird Toys page (https://birdsville.net.au/natural-toys/) explains why cheap metal parts can be dangerous.
How Does Sydney’s Weather Affect Foraging?
Sydney’s summer heat and winter evenings both change how you use foraging toys.
In summer, fresh food hidden in foraging toys spoils fast and can attract ants, so use dry seed or nuts in toys that stay in the cage, and take out anything fresh within a couple of hours. Cardboard and paper also go soft and mouldy faster in humid weather, so replace them more often. In winter, birds spend longer indoors with shorter days, so add an extra foraging toy or two to fill the longer evenings.
A Tip From Our Staff
Don’t forget Australia’s own foraging toys. For red tailed black cockatoos and other big cockatoos, we recommend native seed pods such as gumnuts, she oak and banksia cones, wattle pods and hakea or grevillea pods, along with walnuts, macadamias and almonds still in the shell. Cracking them open keeps a big beak busy and in shape. Collect seed pods away from roads and sprayed areas, and rinse them before offering.
Foraging Bird Toys Frequently Asked Questions
What are foraging toys for birds?
Foraging toys are bird toys that hide treats or food inside, so your bird has to search, shred, pull or solve a puzzle to reach them. They copy how wild parrots spend hours looking for food. Types include shred and find toys, foraging boxes, baffle cages, foraging walls and puzzle toys.
Why are foraging toys good for parrots?
Foraging toys are good for parrots because they keep the mind busy, use up energy and fill the hours a pet bird would otherwise spend bored. Studies have linked foraging to better feather condition and less feather picking. They also slow down eating and help shy birds gain confidence.
How do I get my bird to use a foraging toy?
Start easy, with a favourite treat in an open paper cup your bird can see. Once that’s easy, cover the cup with paper, then wrap the treat, then move to a shred and find toy or foraging box. Let your bird watch you hide treats at first, and go back a step if it gets frustrated.
What can I put in my bird’s foraging toys?
You can put a pinch of your bird’s usual seed mix, millet spray pieces, nuts in the shell, small pieces of dried fruit or a few pellets in foraging toys. Use part of your bird’s daily food instead of extra treats, and remove any fresh food the same day so it doesn’t spoil.
How do you make a homemade foraging toy?
Fold a pinch of seed into a twist of plain paper, stuff a cardboard tube with shredded paper and treats, or hide nuts in the cups of an egg carton. Only use plain, unprinted paper and cardboard with no glue, staples or glossy coating, and throw homemade toys away once they’re soiled.
How often should I give my bird foraging toys?
Give your bird at least one foraging toy every day, and swap in different ones every week or two to keep things fresh. Many owners fill a foraging toy each morning with part of the day’s food, which keeps their parrot busy while they’re at work or out.
Where Can I Buy Foraging Bird Toys in Sydney?
Birdsville stocks a wide range of foraging bird toys, along with our Birdsville Blends seed mixes to fill them, at 684 Botany Road, Alexandria NSW 2015, servicing the Eastern Suburbs and Inner South Sydney. Drop in to see what’s new or call (02) 9669 1766, and our team will help you find the right challenge for your bird. We’re open 9:30am to 5:30pm on weekdays, 10am to 5pm Saturday and 10am to 4pm Sunday, with directions on our Contact page (https://birdsville.net.au/contact-birdsville/).
Not in Sydney or can’t get to the shop? Petsville has a great range of foraging toys online (https://petsville.com.au/search?q=forag&type=product), delivered to your door wherever you live in Australia. From shred and find toys and foraging boxes to stainless steel baffle cages and foraging walls, there’s something for every bird, and you can add your Birdsville Blends seed to the same order.
Popular foraging bird toys on Petsville:
Nature Island Shred and Find Foraging Toy (https://petsville.com.au/products/shred-find-foraging-toy-small)
Baffle Cage Forage Toy (https://petsville.com.au/products/bainbridge-baffle-cage-small-10cm)
Foraging Wall (https://petsville.com.au/products/bainbridge-foraging-wall-medium)
BeakJoy Natural Signature Foraging Box (https://petsville.com.au/products/beakjoy-peak-play-natural-signature-blend-s)
BeakJoy Twisted Forage Buddy (https://petsville.com.au/products/beakjoy-twisted-forage-buddy)
Forage ’n’ Play Ladder (https://petsville.com.au/products/forage-n-play-ladder-small)
Looking for more? See our Natural Bird Toys (https://birdsville.net.au/natural-toys/), Bird Foot Toys (https://birdsville.net.au/bird-foot-toys/) and Seeds and Grains (https://birdsville.net.au/seeds-grains/) pages.
About Birdsville
Birdsville has been at 684 Botany Road, Alexandria NSW 2015 since 1985, specialising in birds and small animals. We stock a huge range of bird toys and avian products, and our Birdsville Blends seed range is mixed in store for every type of bird.
Sources
Wild and pet parrot foraging times, and foraging and feather picking: Lafeber Vet, Foraging as a Means of Behaviour Modification
Lost foraging skills and homemade foraging ideas: RSPCA Queensland, Bird Enrichment
Food stations, foraging trees and wrapper ideas: Long Island Bird and Exotics Veterinary Clinic, Parrot Games and Bird Enrichment Tips
Product details: Petsville product listings
Staff tip and seasonal advice: the Birdsville team
follow us live (https://www.facebook.com/BirdsvilleRosebery/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/petsvillesydney/).
