We all love giving our feathered friends a treat now and then: but one has to wonder exactly where all those commercial treats that you buy at the pet store come from -- as well as what quality of ingredients are used in them, how fresh they are, and more. Another concern is cost. Buying all these treats for your feathered friends can get quite expensive! The best and easiest way to combat all these concerns is to spend a little bit of time and effort making treats for your bird at home. Not only will you be able to reward your feathered friend with treats that are fresh, delicious, and healthier for them, but you'll save money on buying commercially packaged treats and you'll gain peace of mind knowing that your bird is eating healthy and wholesome treats created with ingredients from your own kitchen. Try out some of these popular bird treat recipes below and see how your own bird likes them!

•Banana Strips

Banana Strips are a great treat to try for beginners in the kitchen that might be a little shy about cooking up their first batch of bird treats. In fact, they are so easy to make, that they are a great project to include children in, so that your little ones can also have a hand in helping to make something healthy and tasty for your pet bird. Using just a few ingredients that can be found in virtually any pantry and a microwave, you'll be able to create a tasty concoction that your bird will go gaga for!More »

•Fruity Parrot Pops

Another fun and easy bird treat recipe to try (especially on a warm spring or summer day) is this great recipe for Fruity Banana Pops. Another recipe that's great for beginners in the kitchen and kids alike, these can be customized to suit your bird's individual tastes as you can use whatever types of fresh fruits that tend to be your pet's favorite. Simply blend, freeze, and serve. It might take a few tries to get your bird used to having a frozen treat, but most parrots catch on pretty quickly once they try a taste!More »

•Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds can be a fun treat to make for your birds, because depending on how you adjust the recipe, you can make it as a snack that you can actually share with your feathered friend! Pumpkin seeds are packed with protein, so they are a great source of nutrition for your bird, plus they taste great and are fun for both birds and people to eat. Just remember to never include salt in seeds that you are toasting for your bird -- doing so can lead to health problems that no one wants to deal with!More »

•Cornbread Bird Treats

Recipes for Cornbread Bird Treats abound both on the internet and in the personal cookbooks of bird lovers all over the world -- and it's because birds absolutely love them! Not only can the recipes be customized to fit a bird's individual tastes and pack plenty of extra nutritious vegetables in them, they are fairly easy to make, and even easier to make in large batches and then freeze to use as needed. Give cornbread bird treats a try if you feel you are at an intermediate level in the kitchen and are comfortable using an oven to bake.More »

•Peanut Butter Mango Bites

A favorite treat of my own birds is this neat little recipe for Peanut Butter Mango Bites. Combining the rich protein of the peanut butter with the fresh deliciousness of ripe mango seems to be a combination that my feathered friends go wild for, and I bet that yours will too! No oven is required for this simple and easy recipe -- so have a great time whipping up this fun and fresh treat for your own birds and watch their reactions to the burst of flavor packed into these nifty little snacks!More »