Why do small birds love Balsa Wood?
Over the years, the little Parrots have NOT had many chewable options. Most of the toys that are chewable are made with woods such as pine and hard wood which are designed to last longer, making them a great choice for the medium and large Parrots. Better options for your smaller Parrots are toys made with balsa wood, Bamboo Shredders and natural grasses. Balsa wood in particular is a common favourite among the Parrotlets, Lovebirds, Quakers, Cockatiels and Budgies.
Balsa is a very pliable pithy wood with stringy grain. It is grown in plantations, predominantly in Ecuador. For humans, it has been used to manufacture model airplanes, skis and surfboards for countless years.
When introducing balsa wood to your Parrot, you should be aware that:
1) Parrots that have a tendency to eat pieces of other chew toys may ingest the balsa, therefore it is highly recommended that you supervise your Parrot when interacting with the balsa toy, and remove if necessary.
2) Chewing is a necessity in the Parrot world. To them, their beaks are a third hand. They use their beak for climbing, eating and playing. A lack of chew toys can result in overgrown, malformed or scissor beaks.
3) Parrots will chew up wood and allow the excess to fall to the bottom of the cage. Their instinct is to create nesting materials (using soft bedding).
4) Toys for Parrots are not like toys for humans. They are meant to be destroyed. If your Parrot does not feel like they are achieving success in the task of demolishing (or loving) their toy, they will ignore it and the toy will be no longer bring any benefit to your Parrot.
5) If your Parrot has a compromised beak, balsa wood is an excellent choice for satisfying the innate chewing behaviour. Because balsa wood is soft, spongy and pliable it chewable by just about any beak.
The balsa wood itself shreds more than it does splinter. When chewed up, the small pieces are not sharp or needle like as hardwood is when broken. Balsa is non-toxic, very fun to tear up and destroy and will be a favourite among all of your smaller Parrots along with your larger gentle ones. A well chosen toy does not have a long life.