I have found that a rice cake will have great shredding appeal when added to toys.  My favorite application is to top an empty clear plastic applesauce cup that has nuts, small pieces of vegetable and fruit inside with a rice cake.  My parrots will eagerly shred through the rice cake to get at what is inside the applesauce cup. 
 
I find my birds are more interested in shredding away the rice cake to get at what is under it - than they are in eating the rice cake.  But it is good to know that there are whole grain rice cakes available that are made with brown rice and no added salts or sugars.
 
Recently, in a quest to give my parrots something new and exciting to do; I discovered ice cream cones make great additions to toys.  They have the same shredding appeal as the rice cakes and they add variety.  I will make a small hole in the end of the ice cream cone and string it on the toy (upside down).  Inside the ice cream cone I will put nuts and other treats and then cover the cone with an empty applesauce cup.  Above and below those items I add other toys like a crunch ball, whiffle ball, corn husks, plastic toy parts, etc.
 
In the example pictured below, I used a vine ring as my base and medium hemp rope to string on items to make the vine ring more interesting.  I placed a rice cake on top.  In the center of the vine ring I filled an ice cream cone with a nutri-berry and carrot pieces and topped it with a vine ball stuffed with an almond.  Under the vine ring I added a paper towel roll stuffed with corn husks and another vine ball with a peanut inside.  After Zorba tore apart the ice cream cone and rice cake, he went to work shredding the vine balls and vine ring.


 
Zorba the Beak!

www.ParrotEnrichment.com

• Keep proof of ownership records.
• Make a record of your bird's leg band ID.
• Have several recent color photos of your bird on hand.
• Have a digital photo ready to go for a lost bird flyer, or even better...
• Draft a flyer complete with a photo on your computer containing all your pertinent contact information that can be quickly updated with last minute specifics regarding the loss (date, location, etc).
• Microchip your bird for ID purposes.  This is a small device inserted under the skin.  A scanner can then be used to retrieve your bird's information.

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What's the Point? 

• Pine and fir Christmas trees with soft needles are the safest.  Avoid sharp needle trees and artificial tees with metallic needles.   Also be aware that many trees are treated with pesticides as well as chemically treated so that they will last longer.
• Colorful ornaments and dreidels can attract the attention of our curious and playful companions.  Birds should be kept away from metallic ornaments that can break into sharp pieces resulting in cuts and wood ornaments that often contain lead paint.
• Tinsel and angel hair can present entanglement and GI blockage hazards for birds.
• Decorative electrical lights and cords are used in abundance during the season.  Make sure the cords are well hidden and keep your bird away from them.  Chewing the cords can result in burns and electrocution.
• Holiday plants such as Poinsettia, Mistletoe berries, Holly berries and Christmas Cactus are all known to be either toxic or at a minimum severe irritants to birds.  
  

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