If you are a first-time bird owner then it must be confusing you how to select the best toys for cockatiels. And you should be because there is a wide range of toys that are available online for cockatiels and each toy serves a different purpose.
Toys not only serve the purpose of entertainment but also serve the purpose of educating them.
Toys for cockatiels are designed according to their needs whether they like to nibble/chew or they want to have a little fun on a swing and ropes.
Best Toys for Cockatiels
That is why it becomes quite overwhelming to selecting a good toy for your cockatiel. To remove this confusion we have gone through several toys and consolidated a list of the top 10 toys for cockatiels.
If you don’t have any previous experience or knowledge on how to select the best toy for your cockatiel then you can go through our quick buying guide at the end of this article. This will give you an idea of how to select a good toy for your cockatiel.
List of Top 10 Best Toys for Cockatiels :
Bwogue Bird Swing Toys
The first toy set for cockatiels on our list is from Bwogue bird swing toys with bells.
This is a complete set of toys where your pet bird will get all types of toys. The toys are made of safe and non-toxic material which is also durable.
You will be getting balls, bells, swings, and chew toys. This is a perfect toy set for small and medium-sized birds. The set completes all the needs of birds such as perching, chewing, swinging, and foraging. There is even a small bell-type toy if your birds like noisy toys.
Pros:
- Complete set of toys for your birds to play with.
- Birds love to play with different kinds of toys.
- Fits perfectly inside the cage as well if your cage is big enough.
- The toys are very sturdy colorful.
- Natural non-toxic materials and colors are used for manufacturing the toys.
Cons:
- If your birds are notorious then they might destroy the toys very soon.
- Needs a big cage if you want to set it up inside.
Bonka Bird Toys
This is a foraging bird toy that is heart-shaped. It is suitable for parrots, cockatiel, and African grey conure who like to forage.
It is a rainbow-colored shreddable toy. There are 2 types available in which one has a single heart for foraging and the other has a double heart.
The colorful and beak-friendly materials keep your pet happy and active. All pet birds need to have foraging toys as it is a natural urge.
The toy is very light in weight and easy to grab materials on this toy makes it perfect for pets of all ages.
The duo foraging heart is 100% bird safe and brightens up any cage or aviary it’s put in.
Pros:
- Colorful material which attracts the birds.
- Non-toxic material is used
- Light in weight and can be put inside the cage easily.
- 100% bird safe.
- Fulfills the bird’s urge to forage.
- You can hide seeds or treats in the finger traps for lots of foraging fun.
Cons:
- May create a mess that you have to clean when the bird is done with foraging.
- If you have a notorious bird it will be destroyed in a couple of days.
- A bit costly considering it is designed to be destroyed.
Sweet Feet and Beak 3-Inch Diameter Super Shredder Ball, Small
This is also a shredding ball-type toy for fulfilling the foraging needs of your bird. It is available in 3 sizes – 3/5/7 inches diameter balls.
It keeps your bird busy and happy by encouraging the natural chewing and shredding behavior of the birds. Your feathered friend also needs something comfy to do on the top sitting on their bird perch. This hanging shredder ball toy promotes your bird’s physical and emotional health.
The manufacturer has taken great care of safety while designing this toy. This shredding ball is safe and made of non-toxic materials if swallowed.
The bright colors are food safe and will keep your bird busy in shredding, picking, and preening for hours to find the hidden blocks, balls, and more.
You can easily put the toy inside the birdcage. All Sweet feet and beak toys are made in the USA and are designed to keep your birds safe and entertained
Pros:
- Bright colors attract the birds.
- Natural products used for manufacturing.
- Light in weight and can be placed inside the cage easily.
- Fulfills the natural urge of foraging birds.
Cons:
- May create a mess that you have to clean when the bird is done with foraging.
- If you have a notorious bird it will be destroyed in a couple of days.
- A bit costly considering it is designed to be destroyed.
Featherland Paradise, Knots ‘n Blocks
This toy from Featherland Paradise fosters interactive play by encouraging your bird to swing, climb and stay active in a fun fashion. It is available in small, medium, large, extra-large, and giant sizes.
The bright multicolored wooden blocks and knots are designed to keep your bird engaged and busy for hours. Your cockatiel can use it as a gym on which he can swing, climb, exercise and play.
It is created from safe materials such as 100% cotton rope, wood, and natural sisal rope. Your bird’s beaks will also be conditioned and the fabric texture also stimulates both beak and foot activity.
You can easily install this knots and blocks toy inside or outside the cage with the help of a quick link fastener.
It is ideal for boredom busting, and the wooden pieces are perfect for biting. The hanging toys’ eye-catching movements, sounds, and vibrant colors will grab your bird’s attention and encourage your bird to swing, climb, chew and shred.
Pros:
- Vibrant colors for catching the bird’s eyes.
- Your bird can use it as a gym, swing, and chew toy.
- Made from 100% natural and non-toxic materials.
- Durable and long-lasting.
- Fulfills the natural urge of foraging/chewing.
Cons:
- It is designed for large-sized birds, however, small birds can also enjoy this toy.
- You have to clean the pile of gnawed-out pieces from the bottom of the cage.
Penn-Plax Bird Life Activity Center
An amazing gym for your birds by Penn-Plax store. This toy provides the perfect activity center for your pet’s curiosity, exercise, and socialization. It helps your bird to learn to spend time outside the cage playing with an assortment of toys and activities.
The large size includes a 6-step ladder, 100% cotton rope with an acrylic toy, cosmic links climbing toy, play swing, and copper bell.
Natural wood and nontoxic paint are used for building this toy considering the safety of your pet. The large size will be best for a cockatiel as it includes perches, ladders, and bells and its dimensions are 10x14x10 inches.
Pros:
- A complete outdoor gym for your cockatiel.
- Made from 100% natural and non-toxic materials.
- Durable and long-lasting.
- Colorful design attracts birds.
Cons:
- You will need a large cage if you want to put it inside.
- Not safe if your pet bird is a flight risk.
Wesco Pet Kabob Shreddable Bird Toy
This is a basic chew and shred type toy which is designed for thee birds to destroy.
It is shaped like a kebab that is it has the word kebob in its name. This toy satisfies the basic instinct of chewing in birds.
It is made from soft fibrous pithy wood that is irresistible to hookbill birds. This product is completely biodegradable.
Pros:
- Fulfills the inner chewing desire of birds.
- Made from natural wood.
- Biodegradable
Cons:
- No bright colors to attract the bird.
- Works just like a chew toy on which a parrot can latch.
Petsvv Rope Bungee Bird Toy, Bird Perch
This rope bungee bird toy from Petsvv is perfect for Senegal parrots, small cockatoos, green cheek conure, cockatiels, and mini macaws.
It is just a rope that you can use as a perch or a swing toy. You can create a spinning or twisting action with rope to attract the birds.
The rope is made from 100% cotton which provides a soft footing and the bungee promotes and helps to develop birds’ coordination and balance skills. It is available in 2 sizes.
Birds love this toy as it swings, bounces and spins.
Pros:
- Perfect for almost all-sized birds.
- Enhances a birds’ balancing skills.
- Made from 100% cotton.
- You can reshape it using the bendable internal wire.
- Beautiful colors attract the bird.
- The bell at the bottom also attracts the birds.
Cons:
- Not so good for chewing purposes.
- Putting it inside a small cage can be difficult as there will be not so much movable space left.
Rypet Natural Bird Cage Toys for Small and Medium Birds
It is a perch toy for birdcages that is available in multiple colors. The small size is best for cockatiels, parakeets, and other similar-sized birds.
The perch’s rough surface is made of natural quartz sand and high-quality PVC inside with food grade color and non-toxic materials.
This toy provides excellent foot exercise and hard coating on the surface keeps beaks and nails trimmed naturally and it is safe to chew as well.
The perch is fully outfitted with a metal wing nut and a built-in-bolt so no tools are required for installation.
The manufacturer guarantees customer satisfaction otherwise they will replace or refund the purchase.
Pros:
- Sturdy perch for your birdcage.
- The surface of the perch keeps the nails and beaks trimmed naturally.
- Easy to install and no need for tools for this purpose.
- Made of non-toxic materials.
- Customer satisfaction guarantee by the manufacturer.
- This is a perch that provides excellent foot exercise for your bird.
Cons:
- Apart from perching, there is very little you can do with this toy.
Bonka Bird Toys 1969 Spoon Delight
The 1969 Spoon delight from Bonka bird toys is a shiny, noisy, and medium bird toy.
This toy is quite durable as the reflective surface attracts the birds and appears to be super pleasing to beaks and feet.
It is perfect for macaws, parrots, cockatoos, cockatiels, and many more birds.
As it is made from sturdy stainless steel it lasts for a long time. It is made from 100% bird-safe materials.
The noise from the jingling of spoons also makes attractive noise to the birds.
Pros:
- Sturdy stainless steel design that lasts for a long time.
- Shiny spoons attract the birds.
- The noise is not too loud and delights the birds.
- Can be placed inside a cage easily.
- Bright-colored keys attract the birds’ attention.
Cons:
- If you have a macaw then they can easily dent up the spoons as they are heavy chewers.
- The size of this chain is not too big.
- The plastic keys or rings can break and your bird might swallow it.
Super Bird Creations Mini Flying Trapeze Toy for Birds
This ultimate swing toy from Super Bird Creations is specially designed for small-sized birds such as cockatiels.
The swing toy is designed with a seagrass mat suspended by a colorful plastic chain decorated with fun to explore toy parts. A lot of bright colors are also used for seeking the attention of the birds.
Its easily replaceable seagrass mat is a favorite of many birds to chew. The swinging platform promotes exercise and helps to develop coordination and balance skills and also provides a comfortable alternative rest area.
This unique swing toy is designed to keep the birds busy keeping in mind the destructive behavior of parrots by simulating physical activity, curiosity, and mental engagement.
Pros:
- Birds love to chew through seagrass mats.
- Bright colors with different toys attract birds.
- Relieves boredom and develops coordination and balance.
- Provides a comfortable rest area.
- It can be easily placed inside a cage.
Cons:
- The plastic chain can be dangerous if the bird swallows the plastic.
- You have to change the seagrass mats once they are all chewed upon.
Final Thoughts:
Every toy has its specification and benefits. We cannot just decide which is the best toy for cockatiel. It depends on a lot of factors such as size, chewing habits, and activity level.
However, if we have to select then we will go with Bwogue Bird swing toys as it is a complete set for your cockatiel activity.
This toy set contains a gym, swing, chewing balls, and noise-making bell toy and all of these are available at a reasonable price.
Things you need to consider before buying the best toys for cockatiels that will keep them happy:
Material of Cockatiels Toys
Cockatiel toys are made of a wide variety of materials. You can easily find toys made of metal, rope, papers, and woven plant organic materials.
Different toys are designed for different types of needs such as natural wood toys are used as chew toys.
Make sure the material used for making toys is non-toxic and safe for their beaks. If the toys are made from rubber or foam the cockatiels can easily swallow them and can lead to their death as well.
Size of Cockatiels Toys
The size of toys decides whether they be placed inside a cage or outside it. For example, a gym for birds activity needs to be placed outside and a shredder ball can be placed both inside and outside the cage.
You should also consider the size of your pet bird whether they will be able to play with it properly or not.
Purpose of Toys
Foraging – Typically designed with brightly colored, beak-safe shredded paper and keep the cockatiel curious by investigating the toy using its beak.
Chewable – Cockatiels love to chew on things as it is their instinct. For cockatiels who like to nibble, you can buy toys made of non-toxic material such as wood or rope.
This will also keep your bird from chewing up unsafe items around your home.
Perching – Cockatiels loves to perch. Perching toys are specially designed to enhance their sitting experience. These toys provide different areas to sit such as a swing or a rope.
Noise-making toys – Cockatiels loves toys that make noise. Jingling toys always grab their attention and are generally shiny which keeps them delighted and busy.
Cage Toys – There are a few toys that are specially designed to be put inside the cage so that a cockatiel can enjoy it in his alone time as well. They can be a chew toy or perching-related toys such as a bridge or swing
Safety Parameters
Not all materials are safe for birds and not all toys are designed keeping in mind a particular bird species. That is why you should keep the species of your bird in mind which will help you to choose the right toys for them.
Cockatiels love to chew and if they swallow toxic toys made from plastic or foam they might die. Therefore, safety is a major factor that you should always keep in mind.
If the toys have color make sure that the color used is nontoxic and safe if swallowed. All the plastic parts should be BPA-free.
Longevity of Toy
If your cockatiel is active and has chewing and nibbling habits then it is very likely that the toy will not last long. Your cockatiel will eventually demolish the toy.
A good toy should last for several weeks or you can also buy a bunch of shreddable toys for your pet’s enjoyment.