Best toys for parrots: Keep your feathered friend flapping

Parrot in cage playing with the best toys for parrots
(Image credit: Getty)

If you're looking for the best toys for parrots then you've come to the right place. With the pick of what's on offer here, you can rest assured that there's enough on show to keep your feathered friend happy.

These top toys are essential for creating an interesting environment for your bird. After all, simply investing in the best parrot cage for your buddy isn’t enough. There are a number of ways you can enrich your parrot’s life, including ensuring they receive ample time out of the cage and encouraging foraging. 

Although we often think of toys as being more for dogs and cats, parrots are highly intelligent creatures who truly thrive when they have fun and interesting toys and accessories to engage with.

Toys for parrots serve a number of purposes: for instance, they can be puzzle-based and keep those bird brains busy, and can enrich their environment by imitating their natural home. Moreover, they can help tap into and develop their natural instincts and talents. 

What's more, you don’t need to spend too much money to do this. Parrot toys tend to be relatively affordable, so you can find a great selection without your bank account even noticing that you've been shopping. If your budget is a bit tighter, however, then be sure to check out our guide to the best DIY bird toys for all sorts of wonderful toys using items you may already have around your home.

Whether you make your own parrot toys or purchase ones from your local store, the most important thing is to keep your feathered friends cage full of variety and to swap the toys out regularly. 

Here are the best toys for parrots you can invest in right now... 

PetsRadar's pick of the best toys for parrots

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CAMITER 7 Piece Parrot Toy Set

(Image credit: Camiter)

CAMITER 7 Piece Parrot Toy Set

Best overall parrot toy

Specifications

Type of toy: Chewing, hanging
Material: Wood, metal
Helps with: Stress-relief, mental stimulation
No. of pieces: 7

Reasons to buy

+
Great value for money
+
Super colorful
+
Non-toxic/environmentally friendly 

Reasons to avoid

-
The bell toy can be unsafe
-
Too much for a small cage

This is a great-value set including some of the best parrot toys on offer. You really do get a lot for your money with 7 toys in total, including rotational wooden beads, a parrot swing, cotton rope, wooden pendant, copper bells and more. 

Your parrot will be mesmerized by the beautiful colors of this set and it will keep them entertained for hours. These toys are great for birds to relax and provide mental stimulation while carrying out their natural behaviours such as chewing and pecking. 

These parrot toys are made from non-toxic and environmentally friendly materials so they are safe for your parrot, however, some buyers have noted that the small bells may not be suitable for smaller birds as they can easily chew this item and swallow the small ball. 

All the toys have metal hooks, which make it easy to clip them on to any cage, and they will brighten up their living space.

Trixie Natural Living Perch toy for parrots

(Image credit: Trixie)

Trixie Natural Living Perch

Best budget parrot toy

Specifications

Type of toy: Perch
Material: Natural wood
Helps with: Claws
No. of pieces: 1

Reasons to buy

+
Better for claws than plastic
+
Rope to hang from
+
Effective yet affordable

Reasons to avoid

-
Not overly stimulating 
-
Fixing is tricky

If you’re looking to make your parrot feel more at home, then this natural wood perch is ideal for their cage. The branch mimics that of a tree branch in the wild, providing a place for your bird to perch and peck. The natural wood is much better for your parrot’s claws than a plastic perch, so you’ll find them much more relaxed and comfortable with this parrot toy. 

The perch is sturdy and also has some hanging ropes which provide some mental and physical stimulation for your parrot to swing and chew.  

At 25cm in length and 25mm in diameter, it fastens onto your birdcage with a hook and a clip, however, depending on the size of your cage this could be trickier to attach than some, with buyers saying it can wear quite easily over time. 

Shred it! Shredding Toy for Parrots

(Image credit: Happy Pet)

Shred it! Shredding Toy for Parrots

Best chew toy for parrots

Specifications

Type of toy: Chew toy
Material: Plastic, paper
Helps with: Boredom
No. of pieces: 1

Reasons to buy

+
Refillable roll
+
Affordable 
+
Hours of fun

Reasons to avoid

-
Takes a while to get the hang of
-
Makes a mess

For those who have particularly mischievous birds, this Shred it! Roll is heaps of fun. Rather than let your bird destroy your home, this small paper roll allows them to peck and pull at this paper, shredding it up in the comfort of their cage without making a mess in your living room.

The plastic roll holder simply clips onto the cage and a thick roll of paper is placed inside, the bird can then pull this paper out from the opening at the bottom, and then the fun begins! Some buyers said this parrot toy can be a little tricky to get the hang of to start with, but once your parrot knows what they’re doing (and that they won’t get in trouble for shredding), they can play all day and beat their boredom with this simple yet fun toy. 

The roll is refillable and you can buy separate paper rolls, which are very cheap. The plastic holder has several holes to help your parrot grip onto it and retrieve the paper, and while you will have to clean out the shredded paper from their cage, at least it’s not toilet paper all over your house!

Hanging Bird Bath toy for parrots

(Image credit: Bird Bath)

Hanging Bird Bath

Best multi-functional parrot toy

Specifications

Type of toy: Bath
Material: Plastic
Helps with: Washing
No. of pieces: 1

Reasons to buy

+
Keeps birds cool
+
Doubles as a bird bowl
+
Has a mirror for entertainment

Reasons to avoid

-
Could make a mess
-
Will need cleaning
-
Quite small

Give your parrot a space to relax and cool down with this hanging birdbath. It simply clips onto the side of the cage and you can fill it with water for them to bathe or play. This bath is made from durable non-toxic plastic which is safe for your bird and it practically fits in any birdcage. You can then unclip it easily to remove and clean. 

The bath comes with a small mirror, which can be fun and mentally stimulating for birds to see their reflection, especially if they live alone. Allowing your parrot to bathe is good for their health and hygiene as it clears their feathers of dust and ensures no pests or parasites get stuck to them. Bathing also moisturizes their skin and keeps them cool which is important during the summer months. 

When you’re not bathing your parrot you can also use this as a bird bowl to put food or water for them to drink. It is easily accessible, but it may be a little flimsy for bigger birds.

Superbird Activity Wall toy for parrots

(Image credit: Superbird)

Superbird Activity Wall

Best parrot toy for smaller cages

Specifications

Type of toy: Climbing, chewing
Material: Cotton, wood, vine, cardboard
Helps with: Mental stimulation
No. of pieces: 1

Reasons to buy

+
Multiple activities
+
Super colorful
+
Different textures

Reasons to avoid

-
Quite pricey

This parrot activity wall is perfect for keeping a cage neat and tidy while still giving your bird plenty of entertainment. Simply clip this on to the wall or the roof of the cage and your parrots can chew, peck, climb and swing- all of the natural behaviours parrots have. 

While this parrot toy may seem expensive, this is one of the best parrot toys 2020 has to offer due to it offering several activities in one. This is worth a few smaller toys, but this activity wall is made of high-quality materials and is designed to last, even with your birds chewing at it. 

The different colors and textures provide great mental stimulation to parrots, and all of the materials are non-toxic and bird safe, so you can have peace of mind that your birds are looked after. 

If you’re not looking to clutter up the cage with lots of toys, then this is the best parrot toy for you.

Jingle Ball Parrot Toy for parrots

(Image credit: jingle ball)

Jingle Ball Parrot Toy

Best parrot toy for mental and physical stimulation

Specifications

Type of toy: Ball
Material: Plastic
Helps with: Mental and physical stimulation
No. of pieces: 1

Reasons to buy

+
Colorful
+
Can put treats inside
+
Easy to grasp

Reasons to avoid

-
Jingling will annoy you 

Your parrot could have hours of fun with this jingle ball that is easy to pick up, roll and chew. It features a jingling bell inside which provides good mental stimulation for your bird, however, this could annoy you after more than 10 minutes (but is a good toy for them to play with while you’re out of the house!)

The plastic ball is around 3 inches, making it the ideal size for medium birds to play with. Some buyers noted that their birds were quite keen on destroying it (making it a pricey toy for such a short lifespan), however, when they stuffed treats or shredded paper inside, it became even more fun for them to play with. 

This ball could be used on its own either inside or outside of the cage for parrots to chase, or you could attach it to some string and hang it up as a swinging toy for them. If you get fed up of the jingling ball, the two sides screw apart so you can remove it and always replace it with something else, or leave it hollow.

Bird Perch Natural Wood Stand parrot toyPets Radar Approved Award

(Image credit: Coppthinktu)

Bird Perch Natural Wood Stand Toy

Best parrot tree

Specifications

Type of toy: Climbing, chewing
Material: Natural wood
Helps with: Mental stimulation
No. of pieces: 1

Reasons to buy

+
Imitates parrot's natural environment
+
Can hang toys
+
Multiple sizes

Reasons to avoid

-
Some pet owners have trouble with assembly

Ideal for climbing or playing, the Bird Perch Natural Wood Stand Toy provides your bird with the perfect perch. It's created from non-toxic natural wood that's rough enough to be sturdy and enticing enough to help your parrot to exercise and maintain healthy feet, without hurting. 

The tree is available in a good few sizes to match most common parrot cages and it offers a pretty spacious area for up to four birds to perch, imitating their natural environment spent with other parrots high in branches. 

It's fairly easy to put together; the perch can mounted inside or outside the cage with the screw and disc system, though some bird owners have reported a few issues with the size of the screws being too small for the size of hole. 

You can leave it plain and use it as a perch or even hang toys from it to create a foraging tree effect that will keep them entertained for hours.

It's an ideal accessory to sit back and watch your feathered friend hop from branch to branch. 

Superbird Paper Party Sticks parrot toyPets Radar Approved Award

(Image credit: Super bird)

Superbird Paper Party Sticks

Most versatile parrot toy

Specifications

Type of toy: Various
Material: Paper
Helps with: Mental stimulation
Weight: 22.7g

Reasons to buy

+
Cheap
+
Multiple purposes
+
Suitable for a variety of birds

Reasons to avoid

-
Might be of limited use for some birds

We like the idea of parrot toys that have multiple uses. Arriving in the form of a number of colorful paper sticks, these serve a number of purposes: for instance, they can be used in game of fetch with your parrot, or hidden around their cage for them to find.

Beyond this, they can also be easily used to create other toys, as they are easy to thread into things like balls. Their low weight makes them easy to use in this regard.

As well as for play, they can serve practical uses. Making an important phone call, or in a work meeting that can't be disturbed? These will provide a welcome distraction.

Their versatility is further highlighted by the number of bird species they are deemed to be suitable for: African Greys, Amazons, Budgies, Cockatoos, and Lovebirds are all listed among the species these are recommended for.

Their lifespan may be in question, as these aren't exactly the strongest-looking of material, but there should be a good amount of mileage in these in terms of potential use.

How to choose the best toys for parrots

There are so many different parrot toys on the market today, but every bird is unique so make sure you think about your parrot’s unique and individual behaviours before buying them a toy. 

If your parrot gets quite restless, then getting them a toy that is going to keep them mentally and physically stimulated will wear them out so they get some rest at the end of the day. Swinging toys and balls are good for this. Colorful toys tend to be more appealing to parrots too, as they are familiar to them, and these can be comforting especially if they are the only bird in the house. Birds with a calmer demeanour may enjoy toys that help them relax such as the perch, the bath or the swing

Education and mental capacity is also important for parrots, and some of the best parrot toys provide a challenge for birds to figure out how they work, like the Shred it! Toy. In having to work things out for themselves, this indulges their curiosity and keeps them creative. 

Make sure you consider the space you have available and the size of your pet. Some toys might take up too much room, which is why toys such as the Activity Wall are great to keep the cage spacious.

Sarah Butcher

Sarah is a freelance writer and marketer, covering a variety of topics from lifestyle and fitness to sustainability and travel. When she’s not writing for PetsRadar or other websites, she can be found looking after her pet chickens or relaxing with a cuppa and a cute doggo snoozing on her lap!