Do Birds Eat Quinoa? (Read This First Before Feeding!)

Birds love to eat grains, but you would rarely find them eating quinoa. So what gives? Do birds eat quinoa? Answers to all this are coming right up.

Quinoa is considered a super grain that is extremely healthy for humans – but what about your birds? Is it a good food for birds?

If your birds prefer grains, quinoa can be an excellent addition to their mix.

In this article, we will talk about whether birds can eat quinoa, how you should prepare and give quinoa to them, its health benefits, and what other grains you can consider.

Can Birds Eat Quinoa?

Birds can eat quinoa. However, you would rarely find a bird eating quinoa in the wild. This is because naturally occurring quinoa has a coating of a substance called saponin on it.

Saponin is a kind of bitter coating on the grain that stops birds and wild animals from feeding on it. It is a toxic antinutrient that can weaken the gastrointestinal lining and cause leaky gut syndrome.

If you can, however, remove the saponin by soaking the quinoa seeds, then it is a healthy snack that your pet birds will love. We will talk more about how to prepare quinoa for birds later on.

Can Wild Birds, Garden Birds, and Baby Birds Take Quinoa?

Yes, all types of birds can eat quinoa, whether they are your pets or just garden birds that come to your feeder. However, as mentioned earlier, the quinoa needs to be soaked first.

For baby birds, who are still developing their digestive system, raw quinoa seeds might not be a great idea. For them, it is best if you soften the quinoa by cooking it for some time and mashing it up a bit.

Most baby birds eat regurgitated food, so always avoid giving them hard grains. Here’s a video showing budgies (parakeets) feeding on quinoa and giving it to their babies as well.

Why Is Quinoa Healthy for Birds?

Quinoa is considered a superfood for humans, and the nutrients it contains are equally important for birds. If you look at the nutritional profile of quinoa, you will find some of these things that are important for birds.

Vitamins

Water soluble vitamins such as Vitamin B6, riboflavin, thiamin, and niacin are passed out through urine and feces, which is why you should supplement them regularly. 

These vitamins have helps the cells metabolize energy in the bird’s body. Quinoa is an excellent source of these vitamins.

Quinoa also contains vitamin E, which helps in egg production and reproduction.

Minerals

There are two types of minerals: macro and micro. Macrominerals are easily found in most foods, whereas microminerals need special sources.

Both types of minerals help to maintain bones, muscles, the heart, and the brain

Quinoa is super rich in micromineral, which includes iron, copper, zinc, iodine, manganese, and selenium

It also contains macro-minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. Calcium helps birds in reproduction and the outer hard shell of eggs is largely made from calcium.

Flavonoids

Quinoa is rich in the flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol. Flavonoids are a class of nutrients present in all plants, their roots, seeds, fruits, and so on. Flavonoids improve immunity in birds.

Lysine

Lysine helps birds synthesize proteins. It also helps in calcium absorption and fights against fatigue and anemia.

Omega-3 Fatty acids

Fatty acids help birds in several ways: They help in making eggs hatch, improve the skin and fur, and help them absorb vitamins such as A, D, E, and K.

Fiber

Fiber helps birds digest food, just like it helps humans. It also helps regulate their blood sugar level. Quinoa has loads of fiber in it.

Protein

Quinoa is also a good source of protein. The high protein content in quinoa help birds in fighting against diseases. Protein helps them grow and is part of their tissues, muscles, and feathers.

What Type and Color of Quinoa Are Best for Birds?

If you try to shop around for quinoa in the market, you will find several varieties of different colors including red, black, purple, green, and even orange.

Out of these, the maximum nutrition resides in the red variety of quinoa. Even though all varieties of quinoa have similar nutrition, red quinoa has more flavonoids, which we had explained earlier. However, almost any variety of quinoa has a lot of nutrition to offer.

How to Prepare Quinoa for Birds?

Quinoa can be prepared in several ways. You can give it to your birds sprouted, cooked, or raw (after soaking it in cold water). 

Cooked Quinoa

Cooking quinoa is one of the best options. It does not take much time and effort. 

The first step should be to wash it thoroughly. It does not take much time to cook quinoa in boiling water, so we would suggest you cook it, especially if you are going to feed it to chicks. 

Keep it in boiling water for 10-12 minutes. After some time, the grains will grow smaller and lose their hardness. Once cooked, keep it open for some time to let it cool off. 

You can add other seeds, corn, eggs, veggies, and other nutrients to the quinoa afterward.

Sprouts Quinoa

Sprouting helps increase the nutritional level of quinoa. You need to start off by washing the quinoa and then putting them in a bowl full of cold water.

Let them soak for an hour or so before draining out the water. Keep rising the quinoa every few hours and let it sit for 24 hours. The sprouts should come out in that much time.

Quinoa Flakes 

You can find quinoa flakes at a supermarket or a place where you can get healthy food. These are pressed grains made in the form of flakes, without any processing.

To prepare them, you can serve them directly, or boil them in water for 10-12 minutes, which will make them slightly softer.

Dry Uncooked Quinoa Seeds

As mentioned earlier, uncooked quinoa seeds need to be soaked before birds will even consider eating them (they taste horrible). 

Organic quinoa does not have the outer coating of saponin, so you can get that if you want to give uncooked quinoa.

Quinoa Alternatives

There are several types of seeds that can be a good alternative to quinoa and are also high in nutrition, such as:

• Wheat: Wheat contains protein, dietary fiber, B-complex vitamins, fats, and carbs. 
• Brown rice: When cooked, brown rice has plenty of protein, vitamin B1, fiber, fats, and carbs. It is also rich in minerals.
• Millet: Millet is also considered a superfood because of its high fiber and B-vitamin content. It has several minerals and is also gluten-free, just like quinoa.
• Maize: Maize has many nutrients including folates, thiamine, magnesium, phosphorus, etc. It can be a good substitute for quinoa
• Wheat: Wheat contains protein, dietary fiber, B-complex vitamins, fats, and carbs. 
• Brown rice: When cooked, brown rice has plenty of protein, vitamin B1, fiber, fats, and carbs. It is also rich in minerals.
• Millet: Millet is also considered a superfood because of its high fiber and B-vitamin content. It has several minerals and is also gluten-free, just like quinoa.
• Maize: Maize has many nutrients including folates, thiamine, magnesium, phosphorus, etc. It can be a good substitute for quinoa

Which Birds Love Quinoa?

Quinoa can be a great addition to almost any birds diet, especially for pet birds such as these:

• Finches: Finches have a mixed diet of grains, insects, worms, berries, etc. Quinoa can be added to their diet.
• Doves and Pigeons: These birds also like to gorge on quinoa.
• Robins: Robins typically prefer insects to seeds or grains, but if you put it in front of them, they will eat it
• Canaries: While canaries prefer seeds, quinoa is also a good supplement to their main diet
• Parakeets and Lovebirds: Despite their small size, they can safely enjoy quinoa and in fact like to do it because of its slightly nutty flavor
• Cockatiels: Cockatiels are largely granivorous and therefore quinoa can easily be mixed in their diets along with other grains. You can give it either sprouted or cooked.
• Parrots: the green pigmentation in their feathers is made from protein, which quinoa helps in supplementing. Protein also helps to keep their bodies warm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wrap Up

Birds can eat quinoa, as long as you soak it for some time in the water or else cook it for them. It is a very nutritious meal for them.

You can prepare it as cooked, in the form of flakes, and even sprout it. You can mix it with various other grains, seeds, and a bit of fruit for them to get even more nutrition from the mix.