Indulging a bird in sunflower seeds is not good for its health. Not only are sunflower seeds very high in fat but they also lack the necessary nutrients, vitamins and amino acids, a bird requires for optimum health. There is also a possibility of fungal infections with dry seeds should the necessary precautions not be taken and this could negatively affect the health of the bird.

Birds on a dry sunflower seed diet are more likely to pluck their feathers due to the psychological influence of the high fat content of sunflower seeds and the lack of nutrients in a sunflower seed diet. The high fat content of sunflower seeds can also lead to Lipomas and fatty liver syndrome. Lipomas, a fatty tumour, are common in Amazons and Galah Cockatoos. With fatty liver syndrome the functioning of the liver is affected and this leads to dry skin and makes the bird more susceptible to other diseases.


A case study of a diet without sunflower seeds

Sam Bester, a cockatiel, was born in 1976 and according to Sam's owner he never touched sunflower seeds found in the cockatiel seed mix that he ate at first. He simply pushed it aside and ate the rest of the fine seeds. His diet mainly consists of food as shared with him by his owners; this includes cooked potato and pumpkin, raw grated carrot, rice, cereal, pasta, fruit and canary seeds. He has spent his lifetime with the Bester family and is over 32 years of age; he is also still very healthy. Sam must be one of the oldest cockatiels in the world as the average life span usually ranges between 15 to 20 years.

As illustrated with Sam’s story it is both imperative and beneficial for a bird to enjoy a balanced diet; even though the food his owners shared with him was better than a diet consisting only of sunflower seeds a balanced bird food would be even more beneficial. Ideally Sam should now be placed on a healthy balanced diet of bird food; this will greatly increase his standard of living as well as his life expectancy.