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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsTropes that don't make sense
If pirates kept parrots, how did they get seed for them? They have a specific diet.
Recursion
(56,582 posts)It's kind of unfortunate that many bird owners think seeds are what birds should eat. As an occasional treat it's fine, but most parrots do much better on a diet of invertebrates and fruit. (Cockatiels and cockatoos can do fine on a mostly-seed diet, but true parrots and macaws will not do as well.) Back when I had my conure, I would give him fresh fruit and every other day or so pick up some mealworms from the bait shop. Not exactly for the squeamish, but he loved it.
In addition to being kind of interesting pets to have on board, and fetching a good price back in Europe, tropical birds were appreciated on ships because they would eat the weevils from ship's biscuit and mostly leave the biscuit alone (Melville talks about this in either Billy Budd or Typee).
Aerows
(39,961 posts)I loved him.
I had no idea they could eat bugs. Maybe he'd still be with me if I fed him more bugs than seeds.
That just took the wind out of my sails for this post.
Recursion
(56,582 posts)Cockatiels and cockatoos are the ones that really like dry seeds, but a 'tiel will probably gulp up the occasional bug given the chance.
That just took the wind out of my sails for this post.
Sorry! I just love naval history and I thought that was an interesting enough answer to deflate an otherwise great trope-buster!
Aerows
(39,961 posts)I love birds. I have pet-sat for large birds, too (African Grey that made everybody scared of losing a finger but loved me) and I really love them.
Didn't think about introducing bugs into their diet, but maybe I should. Fewer bugs, healthier birds. Win-win to me.
sarge43
(28,939 posts)They'll eat pretty much anything. About the only things that aren't good for them are chocolate, very fatty foods and most milk produces, although a bit of plain of yogurt isn't amiss and anything with alcohol.
My 'tiels love veggies, rice, pasta, cooked eggs (nobody they know), popcorn, cooked beans, lentils
My macaw's breakfast: a little parrot seed, spinach, beans or peas, some whole wheat bread, a piece of fruit, some grape tomatoes and nuts.
If the captain of the ship is dining well, so is his parrot.
I keep telling my chickens this, but they don't listen. They free range in addition to getting some feed at night. However, they hang out a lot of the day under the bird feeder to catch seeds the wild birds drop. I tell them to go scratch for bugs instead of trying for easy food, because chickens don't eat an all-seed diet. They walk away, but next thing they're back fighting over chickadee spillage.
malthaussen
(17,065 posts)Just like mice love cheese.
-- Mal