# why is my parrot a cannibal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 14, 2004, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-parrot-a-cannibal/279772 "2004-12-14T13:02:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![oh\_s](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b38774/32.png) [@oh\_s](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oh_s)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-parrot-a-cannibal/279772/1 "2004-12-14T13:02:45Z")
Does anyone know if it’s normal for a greater sulfur-crested cockatoo to eat the bones of chicken, steak & especially lamb? Seriously this buzzard will even eat smallgoods. He is nearly 18yrs old, never been sick, spoilt rotten & he has been doing it since he was 3mths old. If I’ve got it he has to have it and he will either share it with me or do a song and a dance till I give it to him. He goes Berko on bone marrow. I just hope I’m not killing him, cause he is fat. The local vet doesn’t do birds and is no help at all. Everyone I know just says keep that thing away from me. Any advice will be most welcome. Oh yeah, he was taken from his nest and I had to spoon feed him. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-parrot-a-cannibal/279772/2 "2004-12-14T13:06:11Z")
You mean carnivore. A cannibal is an animal that eats others of its own species whereas a carnivore eats meat. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-parrot-a-cannibal/279772/3 "2004-12-14T13:44:21Z")
It isn’t uncommon for Parrots to eat meat. One of my books even recommends you give it a little chicken. I do not feed mine chicken, but my old one used to eat shrimp with me. ---
**Author:** ![oh\_s](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b38774/32.png) [@oh\_s](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oh_s)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-parrot-a-cannibal/279772/4 "2004-12-14T14:15:25Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > You mean carnivore. > > A cannibal is an animal that eats others of its own species whereas a carnivore eats meat. ``` Well that shouldn't be to hard to fix, I get several hundred in the front yard every morning. I'll just have to shoot one, cook it and see what happens. Though its been said that rocks are easier to cook than cockies, (old Koori saying). ``` ---
**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:** [December 14, 2004, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-parrot-a-cannibal/279772/5 "2004-12-14T14:38:42Z")
It is normal for parrots to eat chicken, chicken bones and (hard boiled) chicken eggs. The eggs have to be cut in half at first, then they seem to get the idea on how to open them theirownselves. ---
**Author:** ![oh\_s](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b38774/32.png) [@oh\_s](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oh_s)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-parrot-a-cannibal/279772/6 "2004-12-14T15:07:34Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > It is normal for parrots to eat chicken, chicken bones and (hard boiled) chicken eggs. > > The eggs have to be cut in half at first, then they seem to get the idea on how to open them theirownselves. Thank you Paul, I’ve always been unsure about eggs, I won’t have to fight for them now.