Here is a list of all toxic and safe wood or branches you can use as perches for your parakeets.
Do not forget, you should never use wood from any plants or tree branches if they were treated with pesticides or any type of chemical treatment!
If you aren’t sure if the wood you want to use has been chemically treated.
Or you want to clean the branches either way before using it. (To be on the safe side).
follow this link to see, how you make perches to your birds, from tree branches. (DIY style).
But always make sure the wood you want to use is not toxic. (Look at the list below).
You can expand how many result you see (default is 10), as well as searching directly across the table of what you are looking for.
| Wood / Tree | Safe / Toxic |
|---|---|
| ALDER | Toxic |
| ANDROMEDA -Pieris, Lily of the Valley shrub | Toxic |
| APRICOT | Toxic |
| ARROWHEAD VINE | Toxic |
| AUSTRALIAN FLAME TREE | Toxic |
| AUSTRALIAN UMBRELLA TREE | Toxic |
| AVOCADO | Toxic |
| AZALEA - Related to Rhododendron | Toxic |
| BANEBERRY - Actaea | Toxic |
| BEANS -castor, horse, fava, broad, glory, scarlet runner | Toxic |
| BLACK LOCUST - Robinia | Toxic |
| BOX ELDER | Toxic |
| BOXWOOD - Buxus | Toxic |
| BUCKTHORN - Cascara / Alder Buckthorn | Toxic |
| BRACKEN FERN | Toxic |
| BURDOCK | Toxic |
| CACAO | Toxic |
| CAMEL BUSH - Trichodesma | Toxic |
| CANARY BIRD BUSH - Crotalaria | Toxic |
| CANNABIS | Toxic |
| CASTOR BEAN | Toxic |
| CEDAR - Thuja, Chamaecyparis, Cupressus | Toxic |
| CHALICE - trumpet vine | Toxic |
| CHERRY | Toxic |
| CHINA BERRY TREE - Melia / Texas umbrella tree | Toxic |
| CHINESE MAGNOLIA | Toxic |
| CHINESE POPCORN / TALLOW | Toxic |
| CHINESE SNAKE TREE - Laquer plant | Toxic |
| COMMON SAGE | Toxic |
| CORIANDER - Cilantro | Toxic |
| DATURA | Toxic |
| DAPHNE | Toxic |
| DATURA STRAMONIUM - Brugmansia - angel's trumpet | Toxic |
| DIEFFENBACHIA | Toxic |
| ELDERBERRY | Toxic |
| EUONYMUS - Includes burning bush and more | Toxic |
| EUPHORBIA | Toxic |
| FELT PLANT - Kalancho baharensis | Toxic |
| FLAME TREE | Toxic |
| FIRETHORN - Pyracantha | Toxic |
| FLAME TREE - Brachychiton / Sterculia | Toxic |
| FOXGLOVE - Digitalis | Toxic |
| GOLDEN CHAIN TREE - Laburnum | Toxic |
| GROUND CHERRY | Toxic |
| CROWN OF THORNS | Toxic |
| HEATHS | Toxic |
| HEMLOCK - Tsuga | Toxic |
| HOLLY - Ilex | Toxic |
| HONEY LOCUST - Gleditsia | Toxic |
| HORSE CHESTNUT - Aesculus | Toxic |
| HUCKLEBERRY - leaves bad: evergreen & deciduous | Toxic |
| HYDRANGEA | Toxic |
| JASMINE | Toxic |
| JUNIPER - Juniperus | Toxic |
| KALMIA: also called Mountain Laurel | Toxic |
| KENTUCKY COFFEE TREE | Toxic |
| LABURNUM | Toxic |
| LANTANA - red sage | Toxic |
| LAUREL - Prunus | Toxic |
| LEUCOTHOE | Toxic |
| LUPINE | Toxic |
| MANGO - (fruits are okay: not wood or leaves) | Toxic |
| MEXICAN BREADFRUIT | Toxic |
| MOCK ORANGE - Philadelphus | Toxic |
| MONSTERA - big hunker of a house plant | Toxic |
| MOUNTAIN LAUREL - Kalmia latifolia | Toxic |
| MYRTLE - broadleaf evergreen, not crape myrtle | Toxic |
| NECTARINE | Toxic |
| NUTMEG | Toxic |
| OAK | Toxic |
| MISTLETOE | Toxic |
| OLEANDER | Toxic |
| PEACH | Toxic |
| PEAR - some sources lean toward safe | Toxic |
| PENCILTREE | Toxic |
| PITCH PINE | Toxic |
| PLUM | Toxic |
| PRARIE OAK | Toxic |
| PRIVET | Toxic |
| RAIN TREE | Toxic |
| RED MAPLE | Toxic |
| RED SAGE - Lantana | Toxic |
| REDWOOD - Sequiadendron, Metasequoia, Sequoia | Toxic |
| RHODODENDRON | Toxic |
| RHUBARB | Toxic |
| SAND BOX TREE | Toxic |
| SKIMMIA - entire plant: stem, berry, leaves | Toxic |
| SOLANUM - Jerusalem cherry or pepino | Toxic |
| SOPHORA - includes Japanese pagoda tree | Toxic |
| SUMAC | Toxic |
| TOBACCO | Toxic |
| TANSY | Toxic |
| TOMATO | Toxic |
| UMBRELLA TREE | Toxic |
| WALNUT | Toxic |
| WEEPING FIG - Ficus benjamina > Ficus elastica safe | Toxic |
| WHITE CEDAR - China | Toxic |
| WITCH HAZEL - Hamamelis | Toxic |
| WISTERIA | Toxic |
| YEW - Taxus | Toxic |
| ACACIA - Silk Tree would be in this group | Safe |
| APPLE | Safe |
| AILANTHUS - Tree of Heaven | Safe |
| ALMOND | Safe |
| ARALIA - Fatsia japonica | Safe |
| ASH - Fraxinus | Safe |
| ASPEN - Populus | Safe |
| BAMBOO | Safe |
| BARBERRY- Berberis | Safe |
| BIRCH | Safe |
| BEECH - Fagus | Safe |
| BOIS D'ARC - horse apple tree | Safe |
| BOTTLE BRUSH | Safe |
| BUTTERFLY BUSH | Safe |
| CAMELLIA | Safe |
| CITRUS - (lime, kumquat, grapefruit, orange, lemon) | Safe |
| CORN PLANTS | Safe |
| COTTONWOOD - Populus | Safe |
| CRABAPPLE - Malus | Safe |
| CRAPE MYRTLE - (not like myrtle) | Safe |
| DATE | Safe |
| DOGWOOD - Cornus | Safe |
| DOUGLAS FIR - Pseudotsuga | Safe |
| DRACAENA | Safe |
| ELM - Ulmus | Safe |
| ESCALLONIA | Safe |
| EUCALYPTUS | Safe |
| FIG | Safe |
| FIR - genus Abies | Safe |
| GINKGO | Safe |
| GRAPE VINES | Safe |
| GRAPE PALM | Safe |
| GUAVA | Safe |
| HACKBERRY | Safe |
| HAWTHORN - Crataegus | Safe |
| HIBISCUS | Safe |
| HICKORY | Safe |
| IRONWOOD - toxic leaves | Safe |
| JADE PLANT | Safe |
| KALANCHOE | Safe |
| LARCH - Larix | Safe |
| LILAC - Syringa | Safe |
| MADRONA / MADRONE - Arbutus | Safe |
| MAGNOLIA | Safe |
| MAPLE | Safe |
| MANZANITA - Arctostaphylos | Safe |
| MESQUITE - remove sharp parts | Safe |
| MIMOSA | Safe |
| MOUNTAIN ASH - Sorbus | Safe |
| MULBERRY - Morus | Safe |
| NANDINA -common name is heavenly bamboo | Safe |
| NORFOLK ISLAND PINE - Araucaria | Safe |
| NUT TREES - exclude chestnut | Safe |
| OLIVE TREES | Safe |
| ORANGE | Safe |
| OREGON GRAPE - Mahonia | Safe |
| PALM | Safe |
| PAPAYA | Safe |
| PEAR | Safe |
| PECAN | Safe |
| PINE - (not to be used as shavings or bedding) | Safe |
| PHOTINIA - ( debatable ) | Safe |
| POPLAR - Populus | Safe |
| PUSSY WILLOW - Salix | Safe |
| RAPHIOLEPSIS - Indian Hawthorn | Safe |
| RIBBONWOOD | Safe |
| ROSE - Rosa | Safe |
| RUBBER PLANT - Ficus elastica - (not Weeping Fig) | Safe |
| RUSSIAN OLIVE | Safe |
| SASSAFRAS | Safe |
| SILK TREE | Safe |
| SPIRAEA | Safe |
| SPRUCE - Picea | Safe |
| STAGHORN SUMAC - (not all are safe) | Safe |
| STRAWBERRY TREE - Arbutus like Madrone | Safe |
| SWEET GUM | Safe |
| SYCAMORE | Safe |
| THURLOW | Safe |
| TREE FERN | Safe |
| VIBURNUM | Safe |
| VINE MAPLE - Acer | Safe |
| WEEPING WILLOW - Salix - (remove the bark) | Safe |
| WIEGELA | Safe |
| YUCCA | Safe |
This helped A lot I am getting a budgie today, I have done my research but this helps more than you could imagine thanks
You are welcome 🥰
What about pomegranate tree?
I heard Almond is not safe to burn due to all the Pesticides they use on these trees. In fact some businesses I have talked to cant get licensed for Almond commercially. These are places that have been selling firewood cords for 20+ years too. So conflicting info…
This is so great and crazy. When I was a kid, budgies were my favorite animal, and I didn’t really realize that other people loved them as much as I did. Usually people talk about cats or dogs. As an adult my landlords don’t let me have animals. You have my ideal job! Thanks for all the great info you are putting out there. I always had a dream of breeding, but just watched two videos and am amazed at all I would need to learn first. Thanks for what you are doing.
You are most welcome 😍
As far as this specific discussion, when my brother and I were kids, he helped me make perches from willow. It seemed to work well for the birds. I am curious how you learned about all these plants. Are there certain natural chemicals commonly found in the toxic plants?
Conocarpus tree it’s safe or toxic?
I have a mulberry tree and i cut a branch and put it in a pot with soil. So it won’t wilt or dry. I want my budgies to play on the young leafs.
Is medlar wood safe?
Are wild cherry tree good for birds
Anyone know whether neem tree leaves and branches are toxic to budgies? There’s a lot of talk about the tree, but I can’t find anything scientifically proven. Thanks a lot!
the branches are perfectly fine for them as neem has anti-bacterial properties.
Hi, thank you so much for putting this together.
What about red sandalwood? What compounds in a wood make them toxic to budgies? (Asking so I can do some research when I come across something instead of relying only on a list. I’m from India, there’s abundance of different types of woods available here.)
Thank you
Is neem tree perches good for budgies?
Is diamond willow ok for perches and play structure?
Is Lily Pilly trees from my garden okay? What do you do to them for natural wood?
This is an excellent resource. Thank you so much!
Is moringa branch safe for budgies?
how do we tell which wood is which?
You guys should really add the botanical names because common names can be misleading. Two completely different plants/trees can have the same common name.
Are mirabelle trees safe?
In my garden, I have a Custard Apple tree and a Tulsi tree, Both seem to have branches of decent size, but both seem to be absent from the list. Are either of these wood types safe for Budgies?
Please forgive me if there are equivalent plants already on the list, that I overlooked.
Thanks for the extensive list of safe versus toxic woods for perches. Very helpful.
Super helpful list! Thanks so much.😊
thanks this is very helpful
Excellent knowledge base on this page.
Thank you for this extremely helpful list!
Do you know if Tulip Tree branches are safe?