Birds, like us humans, need plenty of enrichment to keep their minds active. Whether it is simply playing with a toy or finding creative ways to forage for food, providing mental stimulation is vital for keeping them healthy and happy.
However, regular bird toys can be expensive and can get damaged quickly. That’s why creating your own bird toys can be such a great idea. Here are ten great suggestions to get you started.
1. Bird Tunnel
Have an old slinky that your children have stretched out and no longer is of any use? If so, your birds will love it. Of course, this is only suitable for small birds, but the coiled structure gives them an intriguing passageway to stimulate their curiosity.
One of the best aspects of this toy is that it takes almost no effort, as you can just thread the slinky through the cage. The smooth surface makes it safe for them, and bright colors can enhance their environment. For added visual effect, you can hang a few things from it with a string, such as bells and old bits of wool.
2. Puzzle Piece Hanger
This one is a bit trickier to make but suits many of the most popular birds. Here, you’ll want to hang several pieces of string from a hook, and then use an old jigsaw that either has missing pieces or isn’t being used anymore.
In between these pieces, you can space them out with old bits of plastic tubing, such as a straw. The pieces, with their varied shapes and colors, will provide them with tactile simulation and allow them to explore and play.
As an added benefit, it’s another great way to repurpose things you’re not using anymore. It can also be customized depending on the size of your bird.
3. Hanging Play Center
Another similar idea is to use carabiners to hang various playthings from the top of the cage, such as in the picture. You can either use pieces of wood doweling as the center or alternatively, you can use sanded-down sections of tree branches.
You can then wrap this wood in string or leave it bare. From the wood, you can then hang any pieces of appropriate scrap you can find such as blocks, ribbon, cork, or beads. This gives them a challenging and versatile environment that is sure to stimulate their curiosity.
4.Popsicle Toy
This is one of the easier bird enrichment toys to make, especially if you like eating popsicles. It’s a fun one if you have children, as you can get them to color in the sticks, and then you can tie them together. These sticks mimic natural obstacles, making the birds want to investigate.
Once colored (or you can leave them plain), poke a hole in them, thread a string through them and space them out with beads. It’s a simple and fun way to satisfy the natural curiosity of your birds.
5. Hanging Cups
While it’s great to satisfy their curiosity and give them some mental stimulation, it’s also a good idea to make them forage for food. These hanging cups are a great way to do it and you can even add some colored paper on the bottom to give them more stimulation.
There are two ways to do this as you can either face the cups downwards and make them work hard for the food or face them up to make it a little easier. Don’t have paper cups? If not, It’s a great idea to cut off the bottom of an egg carton.
6. Cupcake Forager
This is similar to the above concept, but it’s easier for birds, and you may think it’s prettier. The dangling cupcake holders make great little compartments for hiding food. Not only that, but the varying textures can give birds some tactile enrichment.
If you’re finding that food falls out to easily, you can get creative and even glue bottle tops to the bottom of the cupcakes. It’s a toy that is not only great for your birds but also allows you to repurpose materials and cut down on waste.
7. Adventure Wall
Here we have something a little different for outside the cage. If you’re happy to let your birds roam around, then why not create an adventure wall for them? They’ll be able to perch on the wall and play with any toys you put up there.
All you need to do is screw in some old metal racks, and then you can get creative. Ideas include cups to hold treats, vibrant blocks, and bells to capture their attention, or old puzzle pieces for them to pick at. It allows them to explore outside the cage and be more mentally active.
8. Toilet Roll Forager
A simple way to get your birds to forage is by hanging empty toilet roll holders and allowing them to pick at the food inside. You’ll want to find something to weigh it down, such as a cork or an old wooden block.
You can make this more challenging for your birds by folding over the ends of the roll or cutting them in two and threading them through each other. This helps to promote their natural foraging behaviors.
9. Bird Swing
It’s easy to create your own bird swing to care for your pet bird. All you need to do is thread string through two holes in a dowel and then separate them via beads. You’ll soon be able to create a stimulating perch and a secure platform for them to rest or play.
And there are plenty of alternatives to dowels or beads. For example, you could use sticks for the cross sections and space them out with cut-up pieces of straw. This will help to mimic the natural motion of branches in the wild.
10. Bird Ladder
Our final idea is similar to the last one, but you can make a few quick changes. It’s very easy to make a ladder using sturdy twigs that you can find in the garden. Added to this, you can space them out with the likes of empty acorn and nut shells.
Another option here is to make the ladder completely out of sticks and connect it all together will a little bit of wood glue. You can rest it on the bottom of the cage to go with the toys you have hanging from the top.
