10 Fun Toys Your African Grey Parrot Will Love!

Looking for the best toys to keep your African grey parrot happy and mentally stimulated?
African grey parrots are highly intelligent birds, and providing them with quality toys is essential to their physical and mental well-being. But with so many available options, it can be overwhelming to choose the best toys for your feathered friend.
That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 best toys for African grey parrots!
This article will also dive into why toys are important for African greys and factors to consider before buying a toy.
Let’s jump in!
Affiliate links are present throughout this article, which means I earn a small commission for qualified purchases made through those links. It helps keeps the lights on💡
Quick Navigation:
- Top 10 Best Toys For African Grey Parrots
- What Types Of Toys Do African Grey Parrots Like?
- Factors To Consider When Choosing Parrot Toys
Top 10 Best Toys For African Grey Parrots
1. Super Bird Creations Peacock Senior Bird Toy – #1 Best Shredding Toy

Facts About This Toy:
Size: 14 Inches long
Materials used: Pinewood, hardwood beads, cotton.
Brand: Super Bird Creations
Pros:
- Ideal for shredding – Mainly comprised of pine blocks, this toy is the ideal shredder for African grey parrots and birds of similar sizes. If your parrot loves to break wood, this toy will keep them entertained for hours!
- Easy cage installation – The peacock senior parrot toy comes with a quick link connector, making it easy to install on your parrot’s cage.
- Visually stimulating – Young African greys are attracted to colourful objects, so this toy is great for overall visual stimulation. Even if you have an older bird, they’ll love the look of this epic shredding toy.
Cons:
- Not very durable – For smaller-sized birds, this toy would last ages, maybe even a few weeks. But for an African grey parrot, you’d be lucky if it lasted more than a day. Although they’ll have fun ripping apart those wooden blocks, it won’t take long until they’re all gone.
2. Super Bird Creations Bagel Cascade Large Parrot Toy – #1 Best Foraging Toy

Facts About This Toy:
Size: 15 Inches high
Materials used: Paper, cardboard, plastic chain links, PVC
Brand: Super Bird Creations
Pros:
- Bagel pieces are tough – The bagel pieces that hang from the plastic chain links are quite durable. They’re made from compressed paper and cardboard, which makes them able to withstand the power of your African grey’s mighty beak.
- Can hide treats inside the bagels – While the bagels make great shredding toys for African grey parrots, they can also be used to encourage foraging. Simply add a few of your bird’s favourite treats between the bagel folds and it’ll greatly increase your bird’s playtime with this toy.
- Easy to refill – Once the bagels are destroyed, you can use the plastic chain links to hang other toys or shredding materials for your parrot. You can also buy more bagels to hang on the plastic chain links, making the toy as good as new!
Cons:
- There is a weak spot – Near the top of the toy, where everything is connected, includes a weak spot made from plastic. If your African grey decides to destroy that, as many others have, the whole toy could be rendered useless as it can no longer hang from the cage. Hopefully, your bird will focus on the bagels instead.
3. Kewkont Natural Corn Cob Toy For African Grey Parrots
Facts About This Toy:
Size: 15.7 Inches high
Materials used: Rattan, natural corn cob, bird-safe food colouring, hardwood.
Brand: Kewkont
Pros:
- Ideal size for African grey parrots – This toy measures 15.7 inches high, which is slightly taller than your African grey parrot. This makes it the perfect size for shredding, foraging, and interacting.
- Lots of material variety – Featured on this toy are rattan balls, corn cobs, hardwood, and other natural materials for your African grey to play with. With all these items, it’ll be impossible for your bird to get bored of this toy too quickly.
- Good price – For just $14, you really can’t go wrong purchasing this toy for your African grey. A toy of this size and with this much material variety would normally sell for a lot more, so that’s a big win for those on a tight budget.
Cons:
- Wood blocks can’t be chewed – The coloured wooden blocks cannot be broken or shredded. They look breakable in the image, but they’re only included for visual stimulation.
4. KINTOR Chewing Toy For Medium-Sized Parrots
Facts About This Toy:
Size: Most options measure 22 inches high, but other toy options measure slightly smaller or larger
Materials used: Wood, cotton rope, stainless steel, plastic.
Brand: KINTOR
Pros:
- Variety of options – This single toy is available in 6 options. Some of the toy types are blocks with cotton ropes, other options have plastic shredding balls, and some are simply a large stack of blocks. No matter which option you choose, your African grey will love it!
- Wooden blocks for shredding – All 6 variations of this toy have wooden blocks attached to them, which are ideal shredding materials for African grey parrots.
- Durable – No matter which of the 6 options you choose, the toy will last a long time with your parrot. These toys are built tough and they’ll keep your feathered friend busy for days!
Cons:
- Some options include metal bells – The worst part about these toys is that some options have metal bells at the bottom. These can pose a hazard, so it’s best to remove them before offering the toy to your bird.
- Price varies – There are 6 different types of this same toy and most of them have different prices. One option sells for $20 while others sell for $40. So, the price you pay depends on which option you prefer.
5. Super Bird Creations Paper Party Parrot Toy, Large Size

Facts About This Toy:
Size: 7.5 Inches long
Materials used: Pinewood, paper, metal.
Brand: Super Bird Creations
Pros:
- Can be bolted to the cage – Unlike traditional bird toys that hang vertically from the cage with a connector, this toy must be bolted to the cage, just like a perch. This means it can be attached both vertically and horizontally to the cage, giving you more placement options.
- Peelable paper sticks – The main interactive part of this toy is the paper sticks poking out from the wooden block. These paper sticks can be chewed and peeled, providing tons of fun for your African grey parrot!
- Chewing block – The other fun component of this toy is the large pinewood block that attaches to the cage. While your parrot is working on those paper sticks, they can shift their destructive desires to the wooden block. The block is tough but not unbreakable, which provides a good shredding challenge for your bird.
Cons:
- No cons found – Overall, I couldn’t find anything wrong with this toy that would affect your bird’s playtime. It’s a tough shredder, attaches to the cage easily, is durable for African greys, is visually stimulating, and is sold for a good price. Would highly recommend this toy for medium-sized parrots like African greys!
6. Planet Pleasures Pineapple Foraging Parrot Toy, X-Large Size

Facts About This Toy:
Size: 11 Inches high
Materials used: Palm leaves, abaca fibres, bamboo, and plant materials.
Brand: Planet Pleasures
Pros:
- Can encourage foraging – As well as being a great chew toy, it can also be used to encourage foraging. Those spikes poking out from the toy are perfect hiding spots for your parrot’s favourite treats. While they’re destroying the toy, they’ll be even more engaged after they find some hidden goodies!
- Bamboo interior – Beneath the colourful exterior features a bamboo backbone, which works as the frame for this toy. Once your African grey parrot destroys the exterior, they’ll have even more fun shredding the bamboo spine.
- Abaca fibres for preening – Small abaca fibres poke out of the pineapple toy that can encourage your bird to preen. Preening is a natural parrot behaviour that this toy encourages with the abaca fibres.
- Highly durable – The extra large size is highly durable and will last a long time with your African grey. However, if you buy any of the smaller sizes, the toy won’t last as long because they’re made for smaller birds.
Cons:
- No quick link connector – The only downside to this toy is that there is no quick link connector for easy cage installation. There is only a loop that you can use to hook your own connector. It’s a bit annoying, but a very popular occurrence with Planet Pleasures toys.
7. EBaokuup 2 Pack Of Wooden Shredding Balls

Facts About This Toy:
Size: 9 Inches high
Materials used: Rattan, wood, coloured crinkle paper, metal bell
Brand: EBaokuup
Pros:
- Ideal for foraging & shredding – The shredding balls are perfect for both chewing and foraging. Your African grey will love chewing apart the wooden frame while also searching throughout the coloured paper for delicious treats. Definitely one of the best overall bird toys on the market.
- 2 For the price of 1 – For a relatively low price, you get not just 1 but 2 of these super shredding balls. For just $14, I’d say that’s a bargain!
Cons:
- Includes metal bell – Beneath the ball features a metal bell. Before giving this toy to your parrot, it’s best to remove the bell for safety reasons.
- Bit small for African grey parrots – Normally, I would recommend the heck out of this toy as my cockatiel spent hours on it every time I bought it. However, it’s a bit small for African grey parrots, so it won’t last as long. Still an excellent toy, just don’t expect it to last very long.
8. Bonka Bird Toys 2117 Sola Ball 6 Pack Chew Toys
Facts About This Toy:
Size: Each ball is roughly 2.25 inches in diameter
Materials used: Sola (plant material)
Brand: Bonka Bird Toys
Pros:
- Ultimate chew toy – I truly believe these sola balls are the ultimate shredding toy for African grey parrots. They’re made of natural materials and are very easy to chew through and break, which is good entertainment for parrots. If your bird LOVES to shred things, definitely get them a pack of these sola balls.
- Good foot toy – The sola balls are small and light enough for your African grey parrot to pick up with their feet. Grabbing the ball with the foot is the most common way large parrots play with these toys. It’s quite fun to watch birds play like this!
- 6 Pack – 6 of these sola balls are included in the package. Just 15 dollars for these super fun chewing balls is good value for money in my eyes.
Cons:
- Cannot be attached to the cage – There are no ways to attach the sola balls to the cage. Instead, you’ll need to place them on a flat play area for your parrot to interact with them. Perhaps the kitchen table or on top of the cage.
9. Super Bird Creations 4 Way Play Large Parrot Toy

Facts About This Toy:
Size: 15 Inches high
Materials used: PVC, pine wood slats, hardwood, metal.
Brand: Super Bird Creations
Pros:
- 4 Playing sections – Connected to the PVC pipe centre are 4 pinewood slat towers that are great for shredding. Having 4 play sections instead of just 1 increases the overall use for this toy and keeps your African grey busier for much longer. If your grey is known to go through new toys quickly, this toy will surely change that.
- Good size for African grey parrots – This 4-way play toy is 15 inches tall, which is slightly taller than a 13-inch tall African grey parrot. Toys that are as big or slightly bigger than your bird are perfect as they’re more durable and normally better suited to their beak strength.
- Pinewood slats for shredding – The best part of this toy are the pinewood slats. These slats have the perfect thickness and strength to pose a fun challenge for your African grey parrot. Be warned, the bottom of the cage will get messy with all the broken wood pieces, but it’s all worth it when your parrot is having fun!
Cons:
- Rope parts can fray – In the image above, you can see rope material beneath the toy. While the rope is safe when brand new, it can fray once your parrot starts chewing on it. Frayed rope can pose a hazard to your bird, so it’s best to cut them off when they start getting damaged.
- Metal bell – In the centre of the toy features a metal bell. While the outer layer of the bell is probably bird-safe, the interior could be toxic, so it’s best to remove the bell altogether.
10. KAYTEE EZ Care Parrot Training T-Stand

Facts About This Toy:
Size: Overall stand height = 54 Inches | Perch length = 19.5 Inches | Bottom dish diameter = 22 Inches
Materials used: Natural wood, stainless steel, coated metal.
Brand: KAYTEE
Pros:
- Perfect training perch – While it’s not a toy, this stand can be used for training your African grey to do some fun tricks. Parrots love training just as much as they love toys, so if your bird is big on training, they NEED a designated training stand. Training your parrot on a proper stand as opposed to the cage makes it easier, more efficient, and produces better training results.
- Mobile perch – You’d have noticed the wheels at the bottom of the training perch in the image above. The wheels make transporting your bird around the house super easy, so you can train them in any room that works best. You can also place the stand near a door or window to let your bird hang out while they eat.
- Bowl holders – Both sides of the perch feature a bowl holder designed to hold the 2 stainless steel feeding cups that come with the stand. Not only can the stand be used for more effective training, but it works well as a mobile feeding station for your African grey.
Cons:
- Can’t hold toys – Many training stands on the market can be used to hold toys, but not this one. This is perfectly fine as it’s supposed to be used as a training perch. This con was a bit of a nitpick.
What Types Of Toys Do African Grey Parrots Like?
The best types of toys you can get for African grey parrots are the ones that encourage their natural behaviours. These birds would naturally spend a lot of their time foraging for food and destroying various things in their environment.
It’s also good to nurture their high intelligence by offering toys that require problem-solving.
Therefore, the best types of toys you can offer to African grey parrots are:
- Foraging toys
- Shredding/chewing toys
- Puzzle toys
Foraging Toys
Anything that encourages your African grey to search through materials to find food is considered a foraging toy. Wild parrots spend around 70% of their time foraging, so it’s important to offer plenty of outlets for this behaviour.
It’s much better to make your bird work for their food than it is to give it to them in a bowl.
Their brains are so much more active when foraging compared to eating conveniently from a bowl.

Shredding Toys
Shredding toys are perfect for keeping your African grey’s beak nice and trim.
African grey parrots naturally shred tree branches, nuts, seed husks, and lots of other breakable materials in their habitat. Providing destructive outlets is essential to their overall beak health as well as keeping them mentally and physically stimulated.
If you don’t provide tough shredding toys, your parrot will gladly make a toy out of your furniture!
And nobody wants that.
Puzzle Toys
Puzzle toys help nurture your African grey parrot’s high intelligence.
One of the most popular types of puzzle toys encourages your bird to do a complete action in order to reach stashed treats. A few examples of complex actions include opening a lid, spinning a wheel, or pulling a lever.
Any activity that requires problem-solving to get food will boost your bird’s overall mental health.
After all, an active brain is a healthy brain.

Homemade Toys For African Grey Parrots
Purchasing toys isn’t the only way to keep your parrot entertained.
If you have the right materials and a bit of creativity, you can make homemade toys for your African grey that are just as good as bought toys. Here is a short list of some bird-safe materials you can use for your DIY toys:
- Bird-safe wood (Check safe & toxic wood list)
- Paper
- Cardboard
- Natural seagrass
- Vegetable tanned leather
- Stainless steel
See the full list of 23 safe materials for DIY bird toys
Homemade toys are a great and inexpensive way to keep an African grey parrot entertained!
Factors To Consider When Choosing Parrot Toys
Before picking out a toy for your grey parrot, you must consider these 3 factors:
- Age & personality of your African grey parrot
- Toy safety
- Durability & overall toy quality
Age & Personality Of Your African Grey
Would you believe that the age of your parrot has an influence on which toys they like?
Younger parrots, being relatively new to the world, are very interested in new things and may prefer toys that are visually stimulating. Toys with bright vibrant colours seem to do well at capturing the attention of younger parrots.
Older parrots on the other hand have a lot more experience with different types of toys.
Because of this, they may prefer challenging/puzzle toys that require problem-solving to nurture their mature brains. Older African greys might be less interested in the typical foraging and shredding toys and need something more complicated to spark their curiosity.

Different Personalities = Different Play Styles
Additionally, different parrots will prefer different toys and have their own unique play styles.
For example, my cockatiel loves to destroy popsicle sticks and bamboo cutlery, so I buy toys that are similar. Your African grey parrot might like ripping apart cardboard and paper, but not wood or tough toys.
You know your bird best, so provide the toys that fit their personality.
Take a look at that top 10 list above to see if there’s a toy that matches YOUR parrot’s play styles!
Toy Safety
The toys you buy for your bird must not include any toxic materials.
Overall, you must ensure that all toys you offer are made from bird-safe materials and not treated with any toxic substances. For example, furry or fuzzy toys are considered dangerous as your bird can rip up and digest the fibres.
Toys with loose rope parts can fray and also end up in your bird’s system.
Many bird toys on the market also have toxic metal parts.
Please make sure you research any toys you want to buy to ensure they’re bird-safe.
Luckily for you, all the toys in the top 10 list above are 100% bird-safe 😉

Durability & Overall Toy Quality
If the toy isn’t durable enough to last at least a few days with your parrot, it’s not worth it.
Purchasing a bunch of toys can quickly get expensive, so it’s important that you get long-lasting toys whenever you’re buying them. If you buy fragile toys not meant for African greys, they probably won’t even last a few hours with that powerful beak.
You would essentially just be throwing money away.
Get toys that are built tough, have lots of strong material variety, and are as big as your African grey.
Normally, these are the toys that last the longest.
Once again, all the toys in that top 10 list are high quality and will keep an African grey occupied for many days.
Thank you for reading!
0 Comments