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Sandra July 13, 2021

Safe Wood Branches And Trees

Here is a list of safe wood or branches that make for good wooden perches for your parrots.

You should never use wood from any plants or tree branches if they were treated with pesticides or any type of chemical treatment! It’s best to get wooden perches from reputable, trusted pet bird stores online or locally.

Using safe woods is also important because birds love to chew and destroy wooden toys and perches for entertainment. It is also a source of enrichment, chewing wood provides a sense of security and personal satisfaction. A bonus is that it also helps trim their beaks while doing this.

If there is a wood that is not on this list it is not advised to not offer it in your bird’s aviary. There is a lot of toxic woods for birds as well so let’s focus on the SAFE woods that we can use.

Safe Wood Types

  • ACACIA - Silk Tree would be in this group
  • AILANTHUS - Tree of Heaven
  • ALMOND
  • ALDER - (White alder)
  • ARALIA - Fatsia japonica
  • ASH - Fraxinus
  • ASPEN - Populus
  • BAMBOO
  • BARBERRY- Berberis
  • BIRCH
  • BEECH - Fagus
  • BOIS D'ARC - horse apple tree
  • BOTTLE BRUSH
  • BUTTERFLY BUSH
  • BALSA
  • BASSWOOD
  • CAMELLIA
  • CITRUS - (lime, kumquat, grapefruit, orange, lemon)
  • CHOLLA
  • COTTONWOOD - Populus
  • CRABAPPLE - Malus
  • CRAPE MYRTLE - (not like myrtle)
  • DATE
  • DOGWOOD - Cornus
  • DOUGLAS FIR - Pseudotsuga
  • DRACAENA
  • ELM - Ulmus
  • ESCALLONIA
  • EUCALYPTUS
  • FIG
  • FIR - genus Abies
  • GINKGO
  • GRAPE VINES
  • GRAPE PALM
  • GUAVA
  • HACKBERRY
  • HAWTHORN - Crataegus
  • HIBISCUS
  • HICKORY
  • IRONWOOD - toxic leaves
  • JADE PLANT
  • JAVA WOOD
  • KALANCHOE
  • LARCH - Larix
  • LILAC - Syringa
  • MADRONA / MADRONE - Arbutus
  • MAGNOLIA
  • MAPLE
  • MANZANITA - Arctostaphylos
  • MESQUITE - remove sharp parts
  • MIMOSA
  • MOUNTAIN ASH - Sorbus
  • MULBERRY - Morus
  • NANDINA -common name is heavenly bamboo
  • NORFOLK ISLAND PINE - Araucaria
  • NUT TREES - exclude chestnut
  • OLIVE TREES
  • ORANGE
  • OREGON GRAPE - Mahonia
  • PALM
  • PAPAYA
  • PEAR
  • PECAN
  • PINE - (not to be used as shavings or bedding)
  • PHOTINIA - ( debatable )
  • POPLAR - Populus
  • PUSSY WILLOW - Salix
  • RAPHIOLEPSIS - Indian Hawthorn
  • RIBBONWOOD
  • ROSE - Rosa
  • RUBBER PLANT - Ficus elastica - (not Weeping Fig)
  • RUSSIAN OLIVE
  • SASSAFRAS
  • SILK TREE
  • SPIRAEA
  • SPRUCE - Picea
  • STAGHORN SUMAC - (not all are safe)
  • STRAWBERRY TREE - Arbutus like Madrone
  • SWEET GUM
  • SYCAMORE
  • THURLOW
  • TREE FERN
  • VIBURNUM
  • VINE MAPLE - Acer
  • WEEPING WILLOW - Salix - (remove the bark)
  • WALNUT
  • YUCCA

UNSAFE Wood types

Wood types that are NOT bird safe to use in bird toys or perches include:

  • CEDAR
  • RED CHERRY
  • PLYWOOD
  • OAK
  • ANY WOOD THAT HAS BEEN SPRAYED FOR PESTICIDES
  • ALL WEATHER-TREATED WOODS 
  • AND MANY MORE!