Even though they’re equipped with 2 legs and no arms, parrots are quite adept at manipulating objects with their feet- even balanced on one leg! Sometimes their grasp is full of food, a tasty nut, a feather to itch themselves with, or a chunk of toy. This tactile experience can be very engaging for a parrot, and even humorous to watch for us when their foot has a mind of it’s own! Playing with foot toys can build curiosity, dexterity, and excitement.
Foot toys can be an important play item that you and your bird can interact with together. These foot toys can be small wood shapes, leather knots and pieces, little wiffle balls, in-shell nuts, or wooden/plastic beads on a rope. This tiny-toy approach is a novel way to play, and may even help encourage older birds that are intimidated by large hanging toys, to play as well. Avoid coins, unknown metals and magnets, and other unsafe materials.
Foot toys can be left on the bottom of the cage, but they may get pooped on! Some birds never venture down to the bottom of their cage, but you can always bring the toys to them! Create a toy-bowl for your bird with any medium-sized bowl or dish that you can hang or attach to the cage. Fill it with small, parrot-safe, hand-held items, and even a few dry edible treats. When your bird is out of the cage, remove the bowl (and refill it if needed) and move it to a safe flat surface with your bird for more playtime!