Bird-Safe Wood

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Parrot-Safe Wood

Most wood is safe for most birds, but parrots are big chewers. This means that you have to take extra care that the wood you use for their perches isn't toxic. Also keep in mind; in the wild, parrots will naturally eat clay to offset anything toxic that they may ingest. Captive parrots don't have access to this clay.

Store-Bought Wood

Untreated pine is commonly used for bird toys, as well as balsa. Hard wood that's hard to chew (and commonly used for perches) includes manzanita, dragonwood, and bottlebrush. All of this wood is very well-suited for birds and parrots in particular because of their chewing capacity.

Safe Wood

The following is wood that you may be able to cut and use yourself, provided that the wood has not had any contact with pesticides or other chemicals. The wood will need to be cleaned and dried, and in some cases stripped of the outer bark.

Purportedly Safe:

Acacia
Almond
Apple
Arbutus
Ash
Aspen
Bamboo
Beech
Birch
Citrus
Cork
Oak
Cottonwood
Crabapple
Dogwood
Elm
Fig
Fir
Fruitless Mulberry
Ginkgo Grape Vines
Grape Palm
Guava
Hackberry
Hazelnut
Hibiscus
Hickory
Ironwood Larch
Lilac
Liquidamber
Madrona
Magnolia
Manzanita
Maple
Mediterranean Laurel
Mesquite
Mimosa
Mulberry
Norfolk Island Pine
Oak
Palm
Papaya
Pear
Pecan
Pine
Poplar
Ribbonwood
Rose
Sassafras
Spruce
Sweet Gum
Sycamore
Thurlow
Tree Fern
Umbrella Tree Vine
Maple
Walnut
Wilow

Toxic Woods

Allegedly toxic:

Apricot
Bis d'arc
Cherry
Eucalyptus
Horse Apple
Nectarine
Peach
Plum
Prune
Sequoia
Sitka cedar
Yellow cedar

Unequivocally toxic:

Box Elder
Crepe Myrtle
Chinese Popcorn
Chinese Snake Tree
Chinese Tallow
Hemlock
Holly
Laurel
Pitch pine
Redwood
Sumac (Rhus/Toxicodendron)
Yew