Bright yellow in color with pulpy flesh inside, mangoes are delectable fruits enjoyed by people of all age groups. While some people like to eat it raw, others prefer drinking mango shake or smoothie. Most of the birds are fond of mangoes, too. But what about parakeets?
Can parakeets eat mangoes? Yes, parakeets love eating mangoes. Mangoes are a storehouse of nutrients and make healthy treats for parakeets when fed in moderation. But if they’re eating more mangoes than recommended, it might affect their health.
In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about feeding your pet parakeets mangoes.
Mangoes For Parakeets: Health Benefits
Mangoes are undoubtedly luscious fruits, not just for us but for our feathered pets as well. However, due to their tiny size, parakeets have a small diet in which you must fit in all the nutrients they need in order to keep them healthy. Therefore, while they might like eating mangoes but before including these fruits in their diet, we must find out whether or not these are healthy for them.
Let’s begin by taking a look at the nutritional content of mangoes:
Nutrients | Quantity |
Vitamin A | 56 mcg |
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) | 0.027 mg |
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 0.039 mg |
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 0.668 mg |
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) | 0.198 mg |
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) | 0.118 mg |
Vitamin B9 (Folate) | 43 mcg |
Vitamin C | 36.5 mg |
Vitamin E | 0.9 mg |
Vitamin K | 4.3 mcg |
Calcium | 9 mg |
Phosphorus | 13 mg |
Magnesium | 10 mg |
Potassium | 168 mg |
Copper | 0.112 mg |
Manganese | 0.062 mg |
Iron | 0.13 mg |
Zinc | 0.04 mg |
Protein | 0.82 g |
Carbohydrates | 14.97 g |
Fats | 0.38 g |
Sugars | 13.67 g |
Dietary fibers | 1.6 g |
Water | 83.45 g |
Calories | 66 kcal |
Serving size: 100 grams
Now, let’s discuss how these fruits can benefit the health of your feathered pets:
Mangoes are packed with nutrients
Like all the other birds, the parakeets, too, need various nutrients in their diet to maintain their overall health. Mangoes are rich in several vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A, B-complex series, C, E, and K, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and so on. All these nutrients make mangoes a nutrient-dense fruit, which is healthy for your parakeet.
Mangoes boost cardiovascular health in Parakeets
As we’ve already discussed, mangoes contain Vitamin C in abundance. Vitamin C is essential for parakeets as it protects them against oxidative stress and boosts their cardiovascular health.
Mangoes promote the immune system
Mangoes are not only rich in nutrients but also in antioxidants, which are responsible for the smooth functioning and maintenance of your pet’s immune system. And since a healthy immune system promotes longevity, it ensures that your parakeet leads a long and healthy life.
Mangoes prevent dehydration in Parakeets
While mangoes are not better at fighting dehydration than other watery fruits such as cucumbers, watermelons, and so on, they still contain a substantial amount of water to keep them hydrated and energetic throughout the day.
How many mangoes should a Parakeet eat?
As we’ve gathered in the last section, mango is a great addition to your parakeet’s diet as far as fruits are concerned. However, it doesn’t mean that you can feed them as many of these fruits as you want to.
You must remember that only 10% of a parakeet’s daily diet should consist of fruits. Besides, along with all its advantages, mangoes do have a couple of downsides for your feathered pet as well.
The downside to feeding parakeets too many mangoes
In the nutritional chart given above, you might have noticed that mangos have quite a high level of natural sugar, just like in pomegranates.
If your pets eat too many of these treats, they might be at the risk of suffering from diabetes. While some parakeets are born with the disease, there are many cases in which they develop it over time due to the over-consumption of sugary foods.
However, as long as you stick to moderation while feeding them mangoes, you have nothing to be worried about. We would recommend you to feed them a couple of small mango slices once a week.
Is mango seed safe for Parakeets to eat?
The straightforward answer to this question is NO. It is not possible for parakeets to eat mango seed. Mangoes have a single, large seed present right in the middle of the juicy flesh. This seed is far too large to fit inside the tiny mouth of your feathered pet, so, there’s no way they can eat it.
However, many parakeet-owners leave the seed intact in a mango while feeding it to their pets. They believe that it would be fun for their birds to pick the flesh of the seed or even try to break it apart with their beaks. If you want to know whether doing that is okay or not, we will make it simpler for you: it is not.
You must have heard of some fruit seeds containing amygdalin, a chemical compound that is harmful to birds and animals. There’s a common rumor that the mango seeds contain a small amount of amygdalin as well. While we don’t have enough evidence to prove it, as a responsible pet parent, it is better to avoid feeding them these seeds.
Can Parakeets eat mango skin?
How do you eat mangoes? By peeling off the outer skin and eating the pulpy flesh inside. But why do we discard its skin? Most people believe that it is inedible. But in truth, it is not.
It’s simply not appetizing enough. But if you look at them from a nutritional perspective, they’re quite healthy, with an abundance of Vitamins A, C, dietary fibers, and antioxidants.
Therefore, feeding the mango skin to your parakeet (if they’re interested in eating them) is a good idea. But you must be careful about the pesticides. Most fruits are sprayed with chemicals and pesticides to keep them safe from insects. If these pesticides are inside your pet’s body, they can be very sick.
Thus, if you’ve made up your mind about feeding them the skin of mangoes, try to buy organic ones that are free of any such harmful chemicals.
Is it okay to feed dried mangoes to Parakeets?
Dried mangoes are the dehydrated version of mangoes that have been dried in the sun or artificially in order to preserve them for a longer time.
Those who crave mangoes all year round usually buy the dried mangoes. But is it okay to share the dried mangoes with your parakeets? Only if you have dried them at home by yourself.
This is because most of the store-bought dried mangoes contain several chemicals and preservatives to give them a longer shelf life. And while these chemicals might not affect your health, they can prove to be lethal to your fragile pets.
Can Parakeets drink mango juice?
The juice extracted from a mango has about the same nutritional value as the fruit itself. So, if your parakeets can eat the fruit, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t drink its juice.
However, you should feed them only home-made mango juice and not the store-bought ones, since those can likely contain refined sugar, additives, and preservatives, all of which can be detrimental to the health of your feathered pet.
Frequently asked questions
Can I feed Licorice to my parakeets? No. Licorice is considered to be toxic for most birds, including parakeets. Therefore, feeding them Licorice is not a good idea.
Do parakeets drink water? Yes, parakeets need water just as every other bird does. It is essential to provide your feathered pet with access to clean drinking water throughout the day.
Conclusion: Can Parakeets Eat Mangoes?
Let’s revise what we’ve learned above. Mangoes are not only delicious but also one of the healthiest fruits, both for you as well as for your feathered pets. Even the skin of these fruits is healthy for parakeets, as long as you’ve washed them thoroughly. The safest way to feed them mango skin is to buy organic mangoes.
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