# Do Parrots Really Like Crackers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 17, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-parrots-really-like-crackers/517957 "2009-11-17T21:59:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-parrots-really-like-crackers/517957/1 "2009-11-17T21:59:01Z")
You always hear the phrase on TV/Movies where the parrot says “Polly want a cracker” Do parrots really love crackers? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-parrots-really-like-crackers/517957/2 "2009-11-17T22:09:49Z")
They will eat them, or at least crumble them to a fine powder. (I hatched/hand fed/owned a yellow naped amazon parrot for many years) ---
**Author:** ![truthbot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@truthbot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthbot)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-parrots-really-like-crackers/517957/3 "2009-11-17T22:35:27Z")
My cockatiels will beg shamelessly for a corn chip. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-parrots-really-like-crackers/517957/4 "2009-11-17T22:39:47Z")
Imagine a parrot on a ship. Salted pork. Fish. Crackers. Your pick. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-parrots-really-like-crackers/517957/5 "2009-11-17T23:04:52Z")
Mine did. And my buddy’s African Grey loves all things like that, including pizza crust. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-parrots-really-like-crackers/517957/6 "2009-11-18T00:15:23Z")
Yes. ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-parrots-really-like-crackers/517957/7 "2009-11-18T00:29:43Z")
Mine eat crackers but they like pork chops better. Not that I would allow them to eat an entire pork chop in one sitting. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-parrots-really-like-crackers/517957/8 "2009-11-18T02:45:21Z")
Mine eat crackers. And corn chips. And potato chips. And deli meats. Chicken, beef, fish, egg rolls, peanut butter… And under protest, they will even eat their bird kibble. (The conure will take her corn chip and dunk it in dip just exactly like she sees people do!) ---
**Author:** ![pythonzzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@pythonzzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pythonzzz)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-parrots-really-like-crackers/517957/9 "2009-11-18T03:11:24Z")
Parrots love ‘people food’ but care should be taken not to give them greasy/salty goodies like chips and seasoned crackers (plain tortillas are a good substitute) - and never give them chocolate, avocado, or alcohol. My yellow-crown Amazon would strip the marrow out of a cooked chicken thigh bone - he’d growl and snarl at anyone daring to disturb him while devouring his treat. The dbl yellow-head loves plain baked french fries straight out of the oven - she slices the crispy outside to scoop out the warm soft interior (she refuses cold fries). ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-parrots-really-like-crackers/517957/10 "2009-11-18T18:09:05Z")
If I’ve crunched it up a bit in my mouth, my conure will reach in and get it. I suppose that’s how his mother fed him when he was a baby; he thinks I’ve regurgitated something for him. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-parrots-really-like-crackers/517957/11 "2009-11-18T18:27:30Z")
Don’t know from parrots, but my parakeet used to love Doritos. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-parrots-really-like-crackers/517957/12 "2009-11-18T18:33:05Z")
Two attractions: [ul] [li]Crunchy things are fun to smash up and scatter on the floor. Ours will crunch (unsugared) cereal flakes, (unsalted) corn chips, crackers, anything snappy.[/li] Anything one flock member is eating is immensely interesting. The flock eats together – maybe sharing risk, especially in the case of ground-feeders? – and obviously one good way to find what’s edible is to watch what others eat. So if the humans have crackers, birds want them![/ul] ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-parrots-really-like-crackers/517957/13 "2009-11-18T18:46:19Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Don’t know from parrots, but my parakeet used to love Doritos. Actually, budgerigars (parakeets) _are_ parrots. [From this link:](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parrot) > [@](#): > > Parrots species that are commonly kept as pets include conures, macaws, Amazons, cockatoos, African Greys, lovebirds, cockatiels, budgerigars, eclectus, Caiques, parakeets, Pionus and Poicephalus. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-parrots-really-like-crackers/517957/14 "2009-11-18T19:02:46Z")
I also had a parakeet who loved Doritos, in fact he would freak out just hearing you open the bag. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-parrots-really-like-crackers/517957/15 "2009-11-18T20:06:13Z")
The _occasional_ salty/sweet/greasy/whatever treat isn’t going to hurt a healthy bird whose diet is mostly proper bird food. But you do have to be careful about ingredients that are toxic to birds, and the quantity. The problem is that most humans don’t know what “moderation” is. And for darn sure there is _nothing_ moderate about any parrot I’ve ever known. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-parrots-really-like-crackers/517957/16 "2009-11-18T21:04:01Z")
Crackers, Arkies, pretty much any Southerner will do. (d&r)