IndianRingNeck.com

COMMON HOUSEHOLD POISONS

Poisons, unfortunately, are not just the chemicals found in cleaning agents and pesticides. Many houseplants, food items, cookware and aerosols can be just as deadly. Below are listed just some of the countless substances, which have been determined to be toxic to our birds.

PLANTS:

Apple seeds

Azaleas

Bird of Paradise

Bittersweet

Buttercup

Cherry Laurel

Cherry seeds

Chokeberry

Clematis

Common Privet

Crocus

Daffodil

Deiffebachia

Dogwood

Elderberry

English Ivy

Foxglove

Four-o-clock

Honey Suckle

Holly

Hydrangea
Iris

Ivy

Jack-in-the pulpit

Juniper

Lily of the Valley

Lupine

Marigold

May Apple

Milkweed

Mistletoe

Morning Glory

Mushrooms

Narcissus Bulbs

Nightshades

Oak (acorns)

Peach Seeds

Pear Seeds

Periwinkle

Philodendron

Plum Seed

Pokeweed
Poinsettias

Poison Ivy

Poppies

Rhododendron

Rhubarb

Rosemary

Sage

Skunk Cabbage

Snap Dragons

Thornapple

Tiger Lily

Toadstools

Tobacco

Tomato Plant

Tulip bulbs

Trumpet Vine

Venus Fly Trap

Wild Cherry

Wisteria

Virginia Creeper

Yews


FOOD ITEMS:

Avocado
Alcohol
Caffeine

Chocolate
Fruit Seeds

Nutmeg


CHEMICALS:

Aerosol Sprays

Alcohol

Ammonia

Antifreeze

Bath Salts

Bubble Bath
Cigarettes

Denture Solutions

Emtryl

Fertilizers

Formaldehyde
Herbicides

Lead

Moth Balls

Natural Gas

Nitrates

Panacur
Perfume

Salt

Smoke

Teflon

Tramisol






These lists are not all-inclusive, as there are hundreds of items that are toxic to our birds in some quantity.

COMMON HOUSEHOLD PLANTS TO AVOID

Controversy over which plants are safe around birds and which are toxic continues to confuse bird owners trying to safe guard there feathered friends. Although we don’t know if each plant tested could poison all birds we believe your birds are safest if you avoid the following plants:

Arum Lily

Autumn Crocus or Meadow Saffron

Australian flame tree

Avocado

Azalea

Baneberry

Beans: castor, horse lava, broad, glory, scarlet, runner, mescal, rosary peas, precatory, navy

Bird of Paradise

Bishop’s Weed

Black Laurel

Black Locust

Bleeding Heart or Dutchman’s Breeches

Bloodroot

Bluebonnet

Bulb Flowers: Iris, Amaryllis, Daffodil, Hyacinth, Narcissus

Burdock

Buttercup

Cacao

Camel Bush

Caster Bean

Caladmum

Calla Lily

Cardinal Flower

Chaliace (trumpet vine)

Cherry Tree

Chinaberry Tree

Christmas Candle

Clematis

Cocklebur

Coffee (senna)

Coffee Bean (rattle bush, Rattlebox, coffee weed)

Coral Plant


Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Indiana Tulip)

Jasmine (Jessamane)

Jimsonweed (thornapple)

Kentucky Coffee Tree

Lantana

Larkspur

Lily of the Valley

Lily (Arum)

Coriander

Corn Cockle

Coyotillo

Cowslip

Cut leaf Philodendron

Daphne

Death Camus

Devil’s Ivy

Dieffenbachia (dumbcane)

Elderberry

Elephant Ear

Ergot

Eucalyptus (especially dried, died or treated for floral arrangements)

False heilebore

Flame Tree

Felt Plant (maternity plant, air plant, panda plant)

Firethorn

Four O Clock

Fox Glove

Glottidium

Golden Chain

Grass (Johnson, Sorghum, Sudan, Broom corn)

Ground Cherry

Heaths (Kalma, Icucotho, Peires)

Rhododendron (Mountain Laurel, Black Laurel, Andromeda, Azaleas)
Heliotrope

Hemlock

Henbane

Holly

Honeysuckle

Horse Chestnut (Buckeye)

Horsetail

Hydrangea

Ivy (English, or other varieties)

Sandbox Tree

Skunk Cabbage

Sorrel (Dockey)

Snowdrops

Spurges (pencil tree, snow on the mountain, Candelobra Tree)

Sweet Pea

Locoweed (milk thistle)

Locusts (black, honey)

Lords and Ladies

Malanga

Marijuana (hemp)

Mayapple (mandrake)

Mexican Breadfruit

Mexican Poppy

Milkweed (Cotton Bush)

Mistletoe

Mock Orange

Munkshoed

Moonseed

Morning Glory

Mountain Laurel

Mushrooms

Nettles

Nightshades “DEADLY” (black, garden, wood, bittersweet, eggplant, Jerusalem cherry)

Oak

Oleander
Parsley

Periwinkle

Philodendron (split leaf, Swiss cheese)

Pigweed

Poinciana

Poinsettia

Poison Ivy

Poison Oak

Pokeweed

Potato shoots (eyes)

Privot

Pyraceantha

Rain Tree

Ranurnculux (buttercups)

Rape

Rattlebox

Red Maple

Rhubarb Leaves

Tansy Ragwort

Tobacco

Vetch

Virginian Creeper

Wattle

White Cedar (Chinaberry)

Wislena

Yews

Yellow Jasmine


This list should not be considered all-inclusive, as there are hundreds of items that are toxic to our birds in some quantity!

courtesy of thecuckoosnest

Thanks Donna for that info.

Put it as a sticky for everyone to easily access

ive read that feeding IRN's some flowers is ok. This is from a book - 'Parrotlopaedia - A Guide to Parrot Care'. Some of the things in the list of 'safe food' in this book are in your list of bad stuff;
Blackberry flowers and berries,
Chickweed,
Dandelion leaves and flowers,
Elderberry flowers and leaves,
Evening Primrose,
Hawthorn Berries,
Honeysuckle flowers and Berries,
Milk Thistle,
Red Clover,
Roses and rosehips,
Rowan berries,
Seeding grasses,
Violets,
Yarrow.

it does say that Buttercup, Daffodil, Foxglove, Iris, Periwinkle and Rhododendron are very poisenous for birds.

Would you feed your birds the flowers and berries because the book says so or would you stay clear?

IMO I wouldn't feed them any of the flowers except the dandelions only if they haven't been treated with chemicals.

For the most part the parrots that eat these flowers live in the wild and they can be toxic to them and that's where the clay licks in the Amazons and tropical rainforest come into play. They go to these Clay licks and eat the clay to absorb all the toxins they get from these plants. Unfortunately our caged birds do not have these clay licks available and that's why I would not feed certain foods they eat in the wild.


Just my opinion

Donna

thats a very good point. im always wary of what books and such say, and would always rather ask an experience person. ill try the dandelions if i can find some in my mams garden.

cheers for the reply =)

I am kind of leary of General parrot books when it comes to learning about our IRN. They are helpful in many ways but seem tso broad. I see other parrot type birds at the store eating food that I know Buddy couldn't handle. I haven't found any IRN books in the store so I am going to shop online for one today. I am so thankful for this site and all the posts that really has helped us learn how to take care of our IRN.

Hi,
I saw that some herbs are on the list. Such as sage and parsley, I order my dried mix of greens and herbs for birds from a web site that has all organic food for birds. And I add it to my IRNs food, becouse she is a picky eater. But there is green herbs like parsley and a lot of other natural organic herbs and greens plus even garlic.
The clay the wild parrots use to detox themselves after feeding on toxic plants is called ( Bentonite clay ). Parrots in the wild know where to find this clay and when to use it. It is a natural detoxifying clay. This clay can be found in health food stores and ordered online. And I have read that some breeders like to use this clay to detox there birds routinly to keep them healthy.
Should we offer this Bentonite clay to our domestic pet parrots as a natural routine health tonic?? Would they just instinctively eat it, or would they have to learn from a wild flock? I am very interested in learning as much as I can about toxins and poisons so I know what to avoid and how to provide a safe and healthy environment.

Hi,

One note to this (great) sticky:

Some modern gadgets - phones, PDAs are being coated in TEFLON as a premium product feature. It's done to prevent fingerprints etc on the gadget. A good example is the 'HTC Hero' phone.

I know my Alex and IRN will chew anything left lying about; you should know if your gadet has been treated, its a very recent and clearly labelled special feature.

Ian

Can we use pinesol? Is that considered a chemial base liquid? How about dishwashing soap to clean thier cages and toys?

is it the Eucalyptus's branches or leaves that are toxic?

Is water from a water softener bad for bathing and drinking for my IRN??

Thanks

jmlance wrote:Is water from a water softener bad for bathing and drinking for my IRN??

Thanks

So far I have not seen anything saying softened water is bad for our birds- with evidence. Many owners give it to their birds and drink it themselves.

Thanks!! I give Skye RO water for drinking but I am trying to get her used to getting in the shower to wash and when I get her to she drinks allot for some reason.

I have to get back to the list every time I feed my TAG. It’s hard when you’re sitting in the living room at night watching television not to share some of that snack food with Polly. I know - I’ve been there! For the health of your bird, you really must not give him potato chips or other salty foods.

jmlance wrote:Thanks!! I give Skye RO water for drinking but I am trying to get her used to getting in the shower to wash and when I get her to she drinks allot for some reason.

I've found some more info on softened water related to zinc toxicity, basically if you give soft water to your parrot make sure it isn't in a galvanized metal dish. Zinc is soluble in softened water and therefore would be ingested IF in a galvanized dish.
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww14eiii.htm

I think we all use stainless when it comes to metal, but just something to be aware of.

So far that's the only bad thing I've seen related to softened water.

Does anyone know if the ink used on magazine papers is harmful. I have an idea for a toy that I want to use a magazine, but I don't want my babies to get sick. I have seen toys made out of playing cards before at bird shows, so I assume magazine papers would be ok, but i wanted to check with the experts first.

I noticed that mushrooms are on the list. Which mushrooms does this include? Are mushrooms that humans eat okay?
Dana

Hi Dana

I was told that all mushrooms were off the list.

Regards

Shane

3tiels&aringneck wrote:Does anyone know if the ink used on magazine papers is harmful. I have an idea for a toy that I want to use a magazine, but I don't want my babies to get sick. I have seen toys made out of playing cards before at bird shows, so I assume magazine papers would be ok, but i wanted to check with the experts first.

Magazines are glossy and colour. The inks used can contain lead or other harmful chemicals. Regular black and white pages from a newspaper are fine though.

SkyesMom wrote:I noticed that mushrooms are on the list. Which mushrooms does this include? Are mushrooms that humans eat okay?
Dana

According to http://www.parrot-and-conure-world.com/ ... birds.html
"Mushrooms are a type of fungus, and have been known to cause digestive upset in companion birds. Caps and stems of some varieties can induce liver failure."

This pretty much sums up what I've read all over the net. Fungus is a risk if you choose to feed it. The common consensus is that regular button mushrooms well cleaned and cooked are okay but still a risk.

ian1 wrote:Some modern gadgets - phones, PDAs are being coated in TEFLON as a premium product feature. It's done to prevent fingerprints etc on the gadget. A good example is the 'HTC Hero' phone.

my friends lost their bird from it being near the iron when they were using it. small particles of teflon coating on the iron were released from the heat, and this was enough to kill it.

xx_sheena_xx wrote:is it the Eucalyptus's branches or leaves that are toxic?

i use ecaluptus branches for my birds (dont have much else around here!) and have never had a problem, and ive been told they make very good branches due to their dry and sturdy nature. they are strong and durable and can outlast the bird's customisation, and can be less prone to rot once dry. eucalupts often concentrate toxic oils in their leaves to prevent animals eating them.

jmlance wrote:Thanks!! I give Skye RO water for drinking

we use RO water in our labs, but where do you buy this for the bird???

Lead is especially injurious. Pets are exposed to it through many sources, including consumer products, paint chips, linoleum, and lead dust produced when surfaces in older homes are scraped or sanded.

3tiels&aringneck wrote:Does anyone know if the ink used on magazine papers is harmful. I have an idea for a toy that I want to use a magazine, but I don't want my babies to get sick. I have seen toys made out of playing cards before at bird shows, so I assume magazine papers would be ok, but i wanted to check with the experts first.

Not sure about Magazines but my Ring chows on a phone book often. I did remove the front and back cover as well as anything that resembled them out. She is doing just fine and loves to eat and make a mess of the book.

jimmyjack wrote:

ian1 wrote:Some modern gadgets - phones, PDAs are being coated in TEFLON as a premium product feature. It's done to prevent fingerprints etc on the gadget. A good example is the 'HTC Hero' phone.

my friends lost their bird from it being near the iron when they were using it. small particles of teflon coating on the iron were released from the heat, and this was enough to kill it.

xx_sheena_xx wrote:is it the Eucalyptus's branches or leaves that are toxic?

i use ecaluptus branches for my birds (dont have much else around here!) and have never had a problem, and ive been told they make very good branches due to their dry and sturdy nature. they are strong and durable and can outlast the bird's customisation, and can be less prone to rot once dry. eucalupts often concentrate toxic oils in their leaves to prevent animals eating them.

jmlance wrote:Thanks!! I give Skye RO water for drinking

we use RO water in our labs, but where do you buy this for the bird???

You get RO water from buying a system for your house. I happen to have a Kinetico K5 but there are less expensive versions you can get from Home Depot or Lowes.

Thank you for all these posts very helpful!

so good infos. thanks you

id like to climb nearby mt

Hi
Guys quick question
I saw in the list birds of paradise I have this plant growing about a metere or o
Away from my aviary
Could some one plz explain if or in which way it's dangerous.
Thanks

Shay-aus wrote:Hi
Guys quick question
I saw in the list birds of paradise I have this plant growing about a metere or o
Away from my aviary
Could some one plz explain if or in which way it's dangerous.
Thanks

Unfortunately there are quite a few plants that fall under this name, but I believe the lists refer to these http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strelitzia . The seeds and flowers are considered toxic to parrots.

I don't know if I'm posting in the right place but Food dye is a household product.
I'm not going to name the 3 Food dyes I have read up ALOT on them(I don't want to get myself into trouble) Certain ones contain E numbers which research has shown has caused cancer,tumours'rashes'ashtma to name a few in Humans and animals. Also some contain sugar which will make the toys taste nice.
It has made me worry a lot to what toy manufacturers use.
If your like me and are overly cautious have a look online at food dye ingredients.
I have read up on PME which some are 100% natural ingredients others are not.
I am saving up for Vitacritter!

My hen alexandrine loves peppermint polo sweets but an aviary vet told me that refined sugar was bad for her, so that rules out all sweets! All the more for me! Some people say that IRN are sweet toothed, but my bird does not like cane sugar, or peanuts.
AJpeter

I never really thought they were till you wrote that. My irn loves sweetcorn,grapes,strawberries all very sweet

I've picked up another few of these pans. I had some before Gracie but thru them out. Now I read there is no PTFE or PROA in them. I loved them before. Do you think they will be ok?

Lola 13

What on earth (Woe) is a vital critter, l thought wild dogs are called critters.

AJPeter

ALUMINUM.

We cook with it, we use it to side our houses, some travel cages are made of it. I think Sergeant Schultz had a near-religious experience with it, but is it safe to put in my bird cages?

"Why do you want to put Aluminium in your bird cage?
AJPeter

I want to lock the grate and pan so they cannot slide forward and out when the dog noses around the bottom of the cage. One of the methods I'm considering involves an upside-down letter U -shaped piece of metal. One side of the U would be going down through the grate and through a hole I would drill in the pan, and the other would go outside the cage at the back. It would prevent the pan or grate from sliding unless I removed the U. The U's I have happen to be made of aluminum. Using that would be cheaper than going out and buying stainless steel U's, even if I can find some. However, I can count on the birds to play with the U's, so they have to be safe.

On Billie's previous cage there was no door lock so l used a paper clip but Bilie was able to open the door so l used the hook from a plate rack which are rubber covered and hold a plate so you can hang it on the wall these are a lot tougher but it was not long before Billie had picked the rubber off but she could not undo the door! The hook is made of copper wiring.

Still a little unclear how Aluminium will help you secure the rack unless you crunch it up and stuff it into the gap

AJPeter

It does help if l read your email properly, the U bend; smooth Aluminium is soft but not soft enough for a bird to dent of chip bits off, but never the less she will want to lick it amd l do not know the answer is it safe?

AJPeter

MissK
I have just remembered that "Justask.co.uk have a vet on line and you could ask about the aluiminium there also Northern Parrots have a vet on line.
AJPeter

Smallworld wrote that Tee tree oil was posinous but Johnson's sell a plumage spray that contains tea tree oil which encourages preening, it smells nice but is it really posinous?
AJPeter

Vittacritter is a parrot safe dye for toys etc,its only in America.

Thanks Lola13.

AJPeter wrote:Smallworld wrote that Tee tree oil was posinous but Johnson's sell a plumage spray that contains tea tree oil which encourages preening, it smells nice but is it really posinous?
AJPeter

Tea tree oil is considered to be toxic.

Johnson's recomend you do not spray bird in the face perhaps that is that their cop out if something goes wrong? But l cannot believe a large company like Johnson's can sell something that is toxic.
AJPeter

How about Christmas trees? Is pine a concern? This will be our first Christmas with the birds. They haven't got on the tree yet, but knowing them it's only a matter of time!

No l don't think Melika is making it up just puzzled.
AJPeter

AJPeter wrote:No l don't think Melika is making it up just puzzled.
AJPeter

Don't worry, AJPeter, I know what you mean. How can a company put something on the market that they know is unsafe? Perhaps the oil is only unsafe digested in certain amounts. I don't know. All I know is that it is considered toxic.

Achilles&Percy wrote:How about Christmas trees? Is pine a concern? This will be our first Christmas with the birds. They haven't got on the tree yet, but knowing them it's only a matter of time!

Mostly it's going to be the stuff on the tree that could post a real problem, though there are a few kinds of tree you don't want. Here's some info for you to brush up on to keep your fid safe:
http://www.avianweb.com/christmaswarnings.html
http://lafeber.com/pet-birds/top-ten-ho ... ards-bird/
http://www.mdvaden.com/bird_page.shtml

My bird loves Apple seeds and he has been eating it for a while first thing that he eats before eating the Apple is its seed.
Can someone explain what's the problem with them eating apple seeds, what can go wrong? Shall I stop feeding them?
Also same with green chilli he loves the seed not the chilli itself

Jungle wrote:My bird loves Apple seeds and he has been eating it for a while first thing that he eats before eating the Apple is its seed.
Can someone explain what's the problem with them eating apple seeds, what can go wrong? Shall I stop feeding them?
Also same with green chilli he loves the seed not the chilli itself

Sorry for the delayed response!
It seems like there is A LOT of debate on the subject of apple seeds. While they do contain some cyanide, it is only a trace. If that was the only thing your bird ate, he would probably become ill. Some say that some seeds aren't bad. Others will point out that wild birds are known to eat some toxic substances BUT also supplement with other foods that tend to neutralise these toxins (which our birds don't have access to). So basically some say it's a myth that it can be toxic, while others staunchly believe that they should never be given. After reading much of the current evidence, I would not be uncomfortable feeding an apple with its seeds. But I wouldn't feed a lot of apple anyway, so they wouldn't be exposed to much in total.