Happy hour gives parrots a taste of the wild

At Best Friends Animal Sanctuary’s Parrot Garden, there’s a special time of day that both the birds and their caregivers look forward to.  

Around midafternoon, as the sun filters through the aviary windows and feathers rustle in anticipation, caregiver Jessica Hagedorn makes her rounds. In her hands are two bowls filled with treats: Nutri-Berries (a parrot snack) and birdie cookies today. Tomorrow, it might be almonds and apple slices. This is parrot happy hour — and for the birds, it’s about more than just a snack.

“Every day, we walk around and offer two different treats to the birds,” Jessica explains. “They get to choose whichever treat they want. It gives them some control over their environment, and that really makes them happy.”

Choice might seem like a small thing, but for the parrots at Parrot Garden, it’s a meaningful part of their routine. While their regular food and water are provided each morning and replenished in the evening, happy hour is when things get a little more interesting — and personal.

Harry and Joe, a pair of bright green Quaker parakeets, are usually among the first to pick. True to form, they clutch their Nutri-Berries tightly in their tiny feet, nibbling contentedly.

“They always choose Nutri-Berries,” Jessica says with a smile. “It’s a good treat.”

Nearby, Mimi, a stunning double yellow-headed Amazon parrot shimmering in hues of yellow, green, and flashes of rainbow, gently reaches out. Today, she goes for a birdie cookie.

[Learn more about adoptable birds at Best Friends]

Captain, a majestic blue-and-gold macaw with an impressively long tail, isn’t shy about his preference either. He selects two cookies in quick succession, clutching them both before settling in to enjoy his snack. Others — like Zeus, an African grey parrot — prefer to eat right out of the bowl, dipping their beak straight in.

Jessica notes that offering variety is key: “We switch it up for them every day to make it fun. It’s about keeping it exciting and new, so they’re not just getting the same thing over and over.”

In the wild, parrots spend much of their time foraging, exploring, and making choices about what to eat and where to go. Living under human care, opportunities like that can be limited. That’s why giving them even small choices can have a big impact on their well-being.

“As caregivers, we make a lot of choices for them,” Jessica says. “This is their chance to make a decision for themselves. And you can see how much they enjoy it.”

[When parrots go to school]

From chubby little Quakers to long-tailed macaws, every bird gets a turn. Some stretch out a foot to snag a treat gently while others prefer to reach with their beaks. By the end of happy hour, the room is filled with quiet crunching, happy chirps, and plenty of satisfied feathered faces.

“It’s a small thing,” Jessica says, offering a final treat, “but it really does make them happy.”

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.