Food safety
Can Birds Eat Grapes? Yes, Washed and in Small Pieces
Yes, pet birds can eat grapes, but carefully and in small amounts. VCA Animal Hospitals lists grapes among suitable foods for budgies, and the Merck Veterinary Manual suggests grapes as a fruit for iron-sensitive birds. The cautions are about how they are served: wash grapes thoroughly to remove chemicals, cut them into bird-size pieces, and keep fruit to a modest share of the diet. Grapes are not the poison for birds that they are for dogs.
By Matt GarnettUpdated November 13, 20264 min read4 sources
The cautions first
Like any produce, grapes can carry residue from growing and handling, and VCA says fruits and vegetables for birds must be washed thoroughly to remove chemicals. Rinse grapes under running water and rub them gently, or buy organic if you prefer.
Size is the second caution. A whole grape is round and slippery, too large for a budgie or canary to handle safely. Cut grapes into halves for a cockatiel, quarters or smaller for a parakeet, and remove any seeds. The third caution is quantity: fruit is sweet, and VCA notes it is high in water and natural sugar.
Why grapes are not toxic to birds the way they are to dogs
Many owners have heard that grapes are dangerous for pets. The ASPCA explains that grapes and raisins can cause kidney damage in dogs, with tartaric acid the suspected cause, because dogs cannot process it. That warning is specific to dogs.
For birds, VCA includes grapes on its list of suitable fruits for budgies, and Merck's guidance for nectar-eating birds names grapes, apples and papaya as fruits to offer. Grapes are a normal, acceptable fruit for pet birds when served sensibly.
How to prepare grapes for a bird
Wash the grapes thoroughly, pull them off the stems, and cut them into pieces your bird can pick up easily. Seedless grapes save time; if a grape has seeds, remove them. VCA says it is not necessary to peel fruit for birds, so the skin can stay.
Serve the pieces in a separate dish from pellets and seeds, and remove them within a couple of hours. VCA warns that fresh fruit left in the cage all day may spoil and cause digestive upset.
Fresh foods spoil fast in a warm room; offer them in a clip-on dish in the bird cage and remove leftovers within a few hours, or hide a piece in a foraging toy.
How much fruit is enough
VCA recommends that fruits, vegetables and greens together make up no more than 20 to 25 percent of a budgie's daily diet, and for conures suggests fruit at about 10 percent because it is high in water and sugar. Pellets should be the base.
In practice, two or three small pieces of grape a few times a week is plenty for a parakeet or canary, and half a grape to one grape for a cockatiel. Rotate grapes with vegetables, which VCA lists far more of than fruits.
Raisins and grape products
Raisins are dried grapes with the sugar concentrated into a sticky bite, which makes them easy to overfeed. If you offer one, chop it small and treat it as a rare extra. Fresh grapes are the better choice.
Grape jelly, juice and grape-flavored snacks are processed and sugary, and VCA advises avoiding processed foods for birds. Wine is out entirely: VCA and Lafeber both list alcohol among things never to give a bird.
Foods to avoid and when to call a vet
Lafeber's do-not-feed list for birds includes avocado, which contains persin, a toxin reported to affect the heart in birds and linked to deaths after birds ate avocado or guacamole; chocolate; onion and garlic; fruit pits; and apple seeds. Keep those well away from your bird.
Call an avian veterinarian if your bird stops eating, fluffs up, sits on the cage floor or has diarrhea. For a suspected toxin such as avocado or chocolate, call straight away, or contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661; a fee may apply.
This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your pet.
Common questions
Are grapes toxic to birds?
No. Grape toxicity is a known problem in dogs, according to the ASPCA, but VCA lists grapes among suitable foods for budgies. Wash them well, cut them small and keep fruit to a modest share of the diet.
Can parakeets eat grapes?
Yes. Cut a washed, seedless grape into quarters or smaller and offer two or three pieces a few times a week. Remove uneaten fruit within a couple of hours, as VCA advises.
Can birds eat grape skins?
Yes. VCA says it is not necessary to peel fruit for birds. Wash the grapes thoroughly first, since grapes can carry pesticide residue, and cut them into small pieces.
Can birds eat raisins?
A small piece rarely is not dangerous, but raisins concentrate the sugar of grapes into a sticky bite. Fresh grapes cut into small pieces are the better choice for a pet bird.
Can wild birds eat grapes?
This page covers pet birds. Many backyard birds eat soft fruit, but always cut grapes into small pieces and never put out moldy fruit, which can spoil quickly outdoors.
Sources we checked
This guide is general information, not veterinary advice. If your pet is unwell or injured, contact your veterinarian.
