The 9 Best Foods for Cockatiels of 2026

Best Overall

RoudyBush Daily Maintenance Bird Food

$19

$18 at Amazon $18 at Chewy $18 at Petco

RoudyBush Daily Maintenance Bird Food was designed as an all-in-one diet by an avian nutritionist after 16 years of research at the University of California, Davis (in 1991, he even authored a paper specifically about cockatiel nutrition). Formulated with 11 percent protein, 6 percent fat, 3.5 percent fiber, and 12 percent moisture, ingredients in RoudyBush Daily Maintenance Bird Food include ground corn, ground wheat, soy meal, and soy oil.

Birds can be picky eaters and will sometimes make seemingly arbitrary choices, such as eating only one color out of a multi-colored selection of pellets. While cockatiels enjoy variety, and several of our picks come in multiple colors, the consistency of the Daily Maintenance formula means the RoudyBush crumbles can serve as a reliable staple food, which can be supplemented with other snacks. However, it is nutritionally complete enough that no additional foods are necessary for your bird's diet. Marc Morrone of Parrots of the World cited RoudyBush Crumbles as his favorite cockatiel food. 

RoudyBush also makes it as simple as possible to switch from a different bird food to its formula, with instructions on the back for introducing your bird to the food, including our favorite tip: "Act as if you are eating the RoudyBush." Even more in-depth instructions are available online.

RoudyBush Daily Maintenance Bird Food is available in other sizes and textures as well, with crumbles and minis most appropriate to the size of an adult cockatiel. The crumbles are available in half-pound, 22-ounce, 44-ounce, 10-pound, and 25-pound bags.

_{Primary Ingredients: Corn, wheat, soy meal, soy oil | Sizes: 8 ounces, 22 ounces, 44 ounces, 10 pounds, 25 pounds}

Best Organic

Harrison's Bird Foods High Potency Fine

$30

$25 at Amazon View on Harrisonsbirdfoods.com View on Walmart

This bird food is certified organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and also non-GMO verified. Organic ingredients include millet, barley, corn, toasted soybeans, peanut kernels, sunflower kernels, peas, lentils, oat groats, brown rice, chia, and alfalfa. Harrison's Bird Foods Fine and Super Fine size pellets are appropriate for cockatiels.

Harrison's Bird Foods High Potency formula is their most versatile, appropriate for birds that are weaning, molting, or breeding. However, unlike our top pick, which is meant to complete your bird's primary diet, Harrison's is designed to be supplemented with vegetables, fruits, and snacking seeds for omega-3 fatty acids.

Harrison's Bird Foods High Potency Fine is available in 1-pound, 5-pound, and 25-pound bags. Or you can buy it by the case. While Harrison's Birds Foods recommends High Potency Fine or High Potency Super Fine for eight months after switching from previous bird foods, after that, you may consider switching your cockatiel to its daily maintenance formula, Adult Lifetime Fine.

_{Primary Ingredients: Millet, barley, corn, toasted soybeans, peanut kernels, sunflower kernels, peas, lentils, oat groats, brown rice, chia, alfalfa | Sizes: 1 pound, 5 pounds, 25 pounds}

Best for Foraging

Lafeber's Classic Nutri-Berries Pet Bird Food for Cockatiels

$40 at Amazon $40 at Chewy

$45

$40 at Petco

Lafeber’s Classic Nutri-Berries make a great option for your cockatiel if you’re looking for something that will trigger their natural foraging instinct. These pellets are non-uniform; the ingredients are fortified with vitamins and formed into a small ball. Your cockatiel will get the enrichment of picking at and crunching into the ball while getting vitamins in every bite. 

These are non-GMO and made with natural ingredients, using no artificial dyes. While they are a bit pricier than some of our other options, at $38 for a 3.5-pound tub, the vast majority of owners say their cockatiels love these pellets. In using any non-uniform food, you want to pay attention to whether there are parts your pet is ignoring. This shouldn’t be as much of a problem with this food, as all of it is enriched with vitamins, but you want to make sure your pet is meeting their complete nutritional needs.

^{Primary Ingredients: Millet, grass seed, oat groats, ground corn | Sizes: 10 ounces, 3.5 pounds}

Best Fruit Pellets

ZuPreem FruitBlend Medium Bird Food

$17 at Amazon $16 at Chewy View on Petco

Zupreem's Fruitblend pellets combine the typical pellet blend of ground corn, wheat, and soybean meal with a profusion of real fruits, including oranges, apples, grapes, and bananas, in the ingredients list. This makes these an excellent complement to other pellets, or as a primary food source—Zupreem recommends a diet of 60 percent Fruitblend pellets, balanced with other vegetables, fruits, and the occasional snacking seed.

The Fruitblend pellet's blend of colors makes them more fun than other, blander pellets for your cockatiel, who will likely learn to hunt and pick for their favorite flavors.

FruitBlend with Natural Fruit Flavors Medium Bird Food is available in 14-ounce, 2-pound, 17.5-pound, and even 35-pound bags.

_{Primary Ingredients: Corn, soybean meal, wheat, vegetable oil, sugar, oranges, apples, grapes, bananas | Sizes: 14 ounces, 2 pounds, 17 pounds, 35 pounds}

Best Foraging Fruit

Vitakraft Fruit Cocktail Parrot & Cockatiel Treat

$15 at Amazon $15 at Chewy View on Petco

Whether you’re trying to reward your cockatiel or just in the mood to spoil it, treats can come in handy. This treat mix from Vitakraft is made with 11 easy-to-pronounce ingredients, including dehydrated bananas, pineapples, papayas, coconut, carrots, red peppers, and whole peanuts, with zero added sugars. It also contains essential trace elements, vitamins, and minerals, so you can feel extra good about giving it to your bird.

As with all treats, it’s important to keep portion sizes in mind, as you don’t want to over-treat your pet and risk ruining its appetite or having it gain weight from too many treats.

_{Primary Ingredients: Dehydrated bananas, pineapples, papayas, coconut, carrots, red peppers, whole peanuts | Sizes: 1.15 pounds}

Best Variety Pack

Bird Street Bistro Sample Pack Bird Food

$50 at Amazon $60 at Chewy View on Birdstreetbistro.com

Try this sampler pack from Bird Street Bistro to discover your cockatiel’s favorite flavor—they can choose from CinnaSpice, Viva Las Veggies, AppleBerry, and Southern Feast. Made in the United States, each flavor pack includes organic whole grains, fruits, and veggies, all topped off with a blend of healthy spices and free of added sugars, salt, colors, and preservatives. To prepare, just mix the food with water and heat it before serving it to your bird. After meal time, throw out any leftovers and be sure to offer your bird plenty of fresh water to drink.

_{Primary Ingredients: Whole grains, freeze-dried fruits, air-dried vegetables, nuts, spices | Sizes: 12 ounces, 3.18 pounds}

Best Bars

Lafeber's Fruit Delight Avi-Cakes

$13 at Amazon $9 at Chewy View on Petco

These bars are soft and chewy, which makes them beloved by birds and their owners alike. Each square is made up of a 50-50 blend of nutritionally balanced pellets, fruits, and grains held together with sweet, sticky, nutritious molasses. They also offer omega-3s and omega-6s for skin and plumage health. If you find your bird has trouble eating them whole, try crumbling one up and putting it in their bowls. These bars can be used as a treat or served as a full meal alongside some good-for-birds human foods.

_{Primary Ingredients: Corn, soybean meal, wheat flour, canary grass seed, millet, oat groats, cranberries, papaya, mango, peanuts, dates, pineapple, molasses | Sizes: 8 ounces}

Best Millet Spray

Nemeth Farms Store Worlds Freshest Sun-Dried Spray

$20 at Amazon View on Allparrotproducts.com

This product is 100-percent sun-dried millet with no added ingredients. It doesn’t include stems, just the edible tops. This makes for a great cockatiel treat as your bird can pick the millet off the spray. Millet is high in amino acids, which can be beneficial for overall bird health, as well as containing essential vitamins and minerals. This millet is grown and dried in the USA. Sun-drying naturally fortifies the nutritional content. 

You can store it in a cool environment. Each bag should last you a bit as it contains numerous pieces. Millet is an efficient energy source for cockatiels; however, it is not enough to encompass their entire diet, so you will need to supplement with other cockatiel foods and treats.

^{Primary Ingredients: Sun-dried millet | Sizes: 1 pound}

Best Cuttlebone

Jmxu Cuttlebone with Metal Holder

$7 at Amazon View on Kmart.com

A cuttlebone is the internal shell of the cuttlefish (similar to a small squid). It is an excellent source of calcium for your cockatiel. Its rough, grainy texture helps grind your bird's beak to keep it healthy and strong, since pecking at and playing with the cuttlebone works to remove the scaly outer layers that can build up on your pet's beak over time.

While not all birds enjoy chewing cuttlebone, many do. If so, it makes a good toy that also provides a nutritious supplement. If your cockatiel is not interested in playing with a cuttlebone, you can shave or grind it into a powder to add to their regular diet as a source of calcium to promote healthy bones.

_{Primary Ingredients: Cuttlebone | Sizes: 4 count; average length 3.5 to 4 inches}