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When I began to pursue an avian speciality certification after establishing an animal care organization, the subject of nutrition simply fascinated me. So much information is flooding the net these days about what to feed a companion bird, whether a budgie/parakeet, cockatiel or marvelous macaw, it's sometimes difficult to wade through the junk science, old wives tales, well meaning owner advice or just plain dangerous suggestions.

On the top of my list of things to NOT feed any bird with a hooked bill (parrots from budgies/parakeets to the biggest macaws) would be vitamins from pet stores. I really wish they weren't allowed to sell them (along with the supposed antibiotics or sprays or mite protectors). Another top item would be grit. If your bird has a hooked bill, it does not need grit, never did and never will. One of the most frequent causes of crop impaction in psittacines is from foreign objects, which grit is to them. They leave the seed shells behind when they eat, so there's no necessity for a tool to break the seed open in their gut, like pigeons and canaries, finches and so on would need. So when you're looking through the products in your local pet shop, don't be taken in by slick packaging that might have a picture of your bird on it. Put nothing in your bird's water and keep the sand (grit) out of their mouths.

We all know not to feed our feathered friends alcohol, caffeine, chocolate and avocado, but did you know how many foods have those things in it that we might not suspect? I've found some of my clients feeding their bird regular treats of power or health bars, thinking it must be good. In some cases these birds were getting chocolate chips the owner didn't realize were tucked inside.

Keep in mind that just because a food is green, doesn't mean it's healthy or safe. Though most are probably just food coloring and others are spinach based, some are made from avocado, so read the ingredients carefully. I'd also like to clear up the great avocado scare too. No, this isn't the best fruit for a bird, but chances are a bite isn't going to produce an emergency. The larger the bird and the further away from the pit, the less likely there will be any harm, but I want to stress - this is something you should NOT feed your bird.

And don't use avocado branches for perches.

There is also a big difference in what some owners think is a "little bit". One fellow gave his companion a piece of cookie regularly. I never considered how big that "piece" might

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