Re good weeds for birds

[hillcresttiels]

I agree Dandelion flower. roots and leaves high on nutritional list along with chickweed and Millet Sprays
Cheers Frank

[AussieBirds]

A very Interesting subject Anna I am taking special note of what you are posting. It is obvious that you are reserching it completly and I will look forward to further post.

John

[parrotpotential]

Thanks Anna for kickstarting this off. Our birds, especially the cockatiels absolutely love dandelion leaves. I always love to hear about things that are good for our birdies so feel free to add more

[eckie]

hi
yes i found out about dandelions last week of
a breeder near me. my birds absouloutley love them.
keep us posted on other weeds good for birds anna.
keep up the good work

[lovemytiels]

good one Nat. I hunted for ages to get the pics of the weeds so that people know what the weeds looked liked. Keep up the good work. Cheers Anna

[tielkeets04]

do you have any idea what they might be getting from
native flowers
I started bringing flowers in for my lorikeet and the cockatiels are eating them faster than he is
Grevillea, eucalyptus and bottle brush
all the best tielkeets04

[lovemytiels]

Mostly from what i know about these flowers is that thet all have nectar in them which is like a sweet water to them & pollen Haven't tried my tiels on them but will give it a go as the bottlebrush is out in abundance here at the moment. I know my rosellas love the bottle brush & wait patiently to bring them into the avairy for them Here is a list of safe flowers that you can give your birds, but as usual only in moderation.

MOST POPULAR EDIBLE FLOWERS

(These are the most commonly consumed flowers of the eighty edible varieties.)


Borage blossoms (Borago officinalis)—Tiny blue flowers have slight cucumber flavor.
Calendula flowers (Calendula officinalis)—Also known as "pot marigolds", multi-colored blooms with a peppery taste. Sometimes called "poor man's saffron"
Carnation flowers (Dianthus caryophyllus)—Red, pink, and white blossoms with clove taste.
Chamomile flowers (Chamaemilum nobile)—Daisy-like flowers with a slight hint of apple flavor. Especially good for parrots when calming influence is needed.
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)—the lavander-pink pom pom flower is actually composed of many small florets. Flowers have a mild onion flavor.
Daisies (Bellis perennis)—Yellow and white flowers with light mint or clover flavor.
Dandelion flowers - pictured (Taraxacum officinale)—Small yellow blossoms have honey flavor when picked young. Older flowers are bitter but my Eclectus parrots do not seem to notice. Also offer the dandelion leaves which are an excellent source of nutrition.
Day lilies (Hemerocallis)—Many colored blossoms with sweet taste and crunchy lettuce texture. Flower buds and blossoms can be consumed at all stages of growth. Note: Many lilies (Lillium species) contain alkaloids and are NOT safe for parrots or people.
Elderberry flowers (Sambucus canadensis)—Sweet tasting flowers. For colds and chills, Gypsies mix elderberry flowers, yarrow and peppermint and steep in boiling water for 13 minutes, and drink tea frequently.
Gladiolus (Gladiolus spp.)Flowers of many colors grow on a spike with flowers above each other, all usually facing the same way. Has lettuce texture and flavor.
Hibiscus flowers (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)—Tropical blossoms in a variety of colors have slightly acidic taste. One of the favorite flowers of most parrot species.
Honeysuckle flowers (Japanese Lonicera japonica)—Small white to yellow trumpet-shaped blossoms are sweet and delicious. Parrots relish these flowers and the Loridae family of birds especially loves the honeysuckle nectar. Only the Japanese honeysuckle is edible and only the blooms should be used as the berries are extremely poisonous. Offer only the flowers so that no berries on the vines will accidentally be eaten.
Impatiens (Impatiens wallerana)—Multi-color small blooms with mild taste.
Johnny-Jump-Up flowers--(Viola tricolor) Yellow, violet, and lavender flowers with wintergreen flavor. Leaves are also edible and contain vitamin C.
Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)--Lavender blossoms have heavy floral fragrance and lemon flavor.
Marigolds flowers (Tagetes signata pumila)—Bright yellow and orange flowers with citrus flavor.
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum)—Purple flowers are edible as well as leaves and seeds which are known for benefits to liver.
Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus)--Red, yellow, and orange flowers have a tangy, peppery flavor and are the most popular of all edible flowers. Leaves can be eaten too.
Pansies (Viola X Wittrockiana)—Purple, white, yellow bi-color blooms have a sweet, tart flavor.
Passionflowers - pictured (Passifloraceae - passion flower family)--Passiflora caerulea and Passiflora edulis are two of the hundreds of varieties. Some vines produce large greenish white and purple blossoms and then orange or purple edible fruit, depending upon the variety of the plant. *See website below with information and photos of 200 Passionflower varieties.
Roses (Rosa spp)—Some of the tastiest rose varieties are Rosa xdamascena, Rosa gallica, and Rosa rugosa, Flower carpet rose, Double Delight, Mirandy, and Tiffany variety. Roses have a slight fruity flavor.
Sage (Salvia officinalis)—Lavender-blue flower spikes grow only on the culinary variety. The variegated species of sage do not flower. Flowers have distinctive sage flavor.
Other herb flowers—The tiny flowering blooms of the following spices are edible: anise, basil, bee balm, chives, coriander (cilantro), dill, fennel, garlic, oregano, rosemary, and thyme.
Sunflowers (Helianthus)--Many varieties but most have yellow leaves around a "black eye" center. Mature flowers contain the seed that all parrots find so irresistible!
Tree flowers—Parrots can be offered the flowering blooms of the following trees: Apple, bottlebrush, citrus (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, kumquat), eucalyptus, melaleuca, and plum.
Tulips (Tulipa spp.)—Multi-color flowers with crisp, cucumber taste.
Vegetable flowers—Butterblossom squash flowers have slight squash taste. Zucchini flowers, podded pea flowers (ornamental peas are poisonous), okra, pumpkin, and runner bean flowers are edible.
Violets (Viola odorata)—Deep violet and white color with sweet wintergreen taste.

Cheers for now Anna ;D

[tielkeets04]

thanks for the list, got lots of things in the garden
I can now try
tielkeets04

[fischer]

Again thanks Anna, The list of edible flowers astounds me, as I have a horticultural background, but I would never have thought of some of these flowers as edible, one flower I do feed my Birds is the yellow flower of a weed called Farmers Friend (in NSW anyway) I dont know its botanical latin name but your all probably know it, has those black seeds with 3 little prongs that stick to your clothing, don't know how nutritious it is, the Birds seem to love the flowers and seeds
Cheers...Tony

[lovemytiels]

Hi Tony, I got this list of edible flowers from a great site on the web. Can never have too much info on what we can feed our fine feathered friends. Motherhen was telling me about a plant & seeds that stick to you as you walked by them & the birds love them. I remember those plants when i was a kid but think they have been eradicated from the suberbs of Adelaide, as i haven't seen them for years. The only seeds that we have here that fits your decription is what we call three cornered jack & hurts like hell if you get them stuck in bare feet. Don't know if this is the same plant as you are describing as different states have different name for plants. If anyone knows I would love to know as we have plenty of those 3 pronged seeds here. Cheers for now Anna

[Smiley]

no anna they are not the same ...A guy invent velco from this plant as well..I waish I knew the bitanical name for this..Well since ther rain has finaly come..I mite beable to get some photos of the weeds...as I said in my last post,I have a lot of weeds and have not got a name for them...


Natalie

[fischer]

Hi Anna, Natalie is right, its not 3 cornered jack, I have had that experience too, and it doe's hurt, I will see if I can find the botanical name for you, give me a day or two, theres not many botanical books dedicated to weeds .
Cheers Tony

[Smiley]

Thanks Tony your a good man..I only did a cert 11 in Australian and conservation and restortion..we did not cover to many weeds...I will get heaps of photos for you to find there names for ;D..


Natalie

[kim]

Hi
I too have been taking a big interest in my tiels eating habits. I have a lot of natives out the back so I'm lucky to give him a great veriety of greens but I have discovered that he can't eat bottle brush because it gives him diarrhea. Pitty, he liked it.

[indy]

i am originally from NSW and we used to call the three pronged seed you are talking about a stickybeak, because yes they stick to everything.