Safe & toxic wood / trees - birds, perches and toys
Copyright 2004 - 2008 by M. D. Vaden
For cockatoos, parrots, parakeets, cockatiels, conures, quakers, finches, budgies, African grey parrots, macaws, canaries, etc.
Safe and toxic woods lists are below, for trees or woody plants for toys and perches in bird cages or flight cages. This is a well-known avian page for pet birds: finches and budgies to parrots and cockatoos - last update May 6, 2008. Also, check the page Making Bird Perches.
The lists below indicate wood to use for perches, or avoid using. This is a perch wood list that assumes the perches are stripped clean of fruit and leaves, and dried. Most information refers to wood in it's natural state with bark still attached. I compiled information from toxicologists, avian vets and reliable resources, then refined that with my arborist and pesticide background.
The unsafe list is comprised of plants considered dangerous or POTENTIALLY dangerous to birds. Any pesticide residue renders all safe wood as dangerous wood. Never use wood with pesticide residue, even if bark was removed. Pesticides can penetrate into wood through bark. Pesticides include herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, dormant spray and miticides.
We won't use fruits and vegetables for perches, but an extra bit of information is that many states have a department of agriculture, which may be able to provide information about pesticide residue regulations pertaining to produce.
Beware of chemical RESIDUE on stems. Residue that may be overlooked includes moss control products that splash off roofs, anti-desiccant sprays on new plants or holiday season foliage, deck treatment over-spray and mist from painting.
A poor perch selection area is by the side of a highway or railroad since many right-of-ways are treated with herbicides.
The lists below are substantial, but not a complete list of trees available. Also, wood that we see wild birds on should not all be considered safe for pet birds. And, wood that is toxic to just a few birds may well be considered toxic for all birds. Retain the phrase “All for One, and One for All”.
Some difference of opinion was found: Apple for example. Sources like toxicologist Gillian Willis, say apple is safe: others say it may be toxic part of the year. I put it in the safe list due to Gillian Willis' expertise and my professional opinion that pesiticide residue is causing confusion.
People may experience associated problems other than wood toxicity, like a new fungal problem associated with wood. Fungi or bacteria can produce toxins. Peanut shells have been known to harbor fungal residue.
Elm is on safe wood lists. But in many cities, elms are susceptible to dutch elm disease and are sprayed or injected for control. Maybe refrain from selecting elm, because there is an abundance of other tree wood that can be pesticide free.
Call your city's urban forestry department to find out if street trees are sprayed or injected. If your yard is maintained by a company, ask if anything is sprayed, or if systemic products are being used.
No tender plants are listed, but some shrubs and vines capable of producing firm stems or trunks that could be improvised as perches are included.
Stone fruit trees like cherry, apricot or plum, belong to the Prunus genus and contain cyanogenic glycosides which release cyanide if ingested. These are included.
Pine in the safe list refers to tree limbs, not lumber. Please read paragraphs below about lumber.
Toxic wood - left column:ALDER - red alder - |
Safe wood - right column:ACACIAAPPLE - (Pesticide residue likely reason for periodic issues) AILANTHUS - Tree of Heaven ALDER - white alder - (See paragraph about Alder / Buckthorn) ALMOND ARALIA - Fatsia japonica ASH - Fraxinus ASPEN - Populus BAMBOO BARBERRY- Berberis BIRCH - see paragraph BEECH - Fagus BOIS D'ARC - horse apple tree BOTTLE BRUSH BUTTERFLY BUSH CAMELLIA CITRUS - (lime, kumquat, grapefruit, orange) CORK - (not wood from cork oak, but cork) CORN PLANTS COTTONWOOD - Populus CRABAPPLE - Malus CRAPE MYRTLE - (not the same as myrtle) DATE DOGWOOD - Cornus DOUGLAS FIR - Pseudotsuga DRACAENA ELM - Ulmus ESCALLONIA EUCALYPTUS FIG FIR - genus Abies GINKGO GRAPE VINES GRAPE PALM GUAVA HACKBERRY HAWTHORN - Crataegus HIBISCUS HICKORY IRONWOOD - apparently toxic leaves JADE PLANT KALANCHOE LARCH - Larix LILAC - Syringa MADRONA / MADRONE - Arbutus MAGNOLIA MAPLE - Acer - see Maple Paragraph MANZANITA - Arctostaphylos MESQUITE - remove sharp parts MIMOSA MOCK ORANGE - Phladelphus MOUNTAIN ASH - Sorbus MULBERRY - Morus NANDINA -common name is heavenly bamboo NORFOLK ISLAND PINE - Araucaria NUT TREES - exclude chestnut ORANGE - several sources lean toward safe OREGON GRAPE - Mahonia PALM PAPAYA PEAR PECAN PINE - Pinus: see Pine paragraph below PHOTINIA POPLAR - Populus PUSSY WILLOW - Salix RAPHIOLEPSIS - Indian Hawthorn RIBBONWOOD ROSE - Rosa RUBBER PLANT - ( is Ficus elastica - note Weeping Fig Ficus in Toxic column) RUSSIAN OLIVE SASSAFRAS SILK TREE SPIRAEA SPRUCE - Picea STAGHORN SUMAC - (Rhus - not Toxicodendron - see Sumac paragraph) STRAWBERRY TREE - (Arbutus like Madrone) SWEET GUM - Liquidambar -- Image below is Sweet Gum  SYCAMORE THURLOW TREE FERN VIBURNUM VINE MAPLE - Acer WEEPING WILLOW - Salix WIEGELA YUCCA |
Lumber wood information
Pressure treated wood is dangerous to birds. Some are very dangerous. Possible old remnants may be encountered, even if chemicals become restricted. Don’t use it for birds: perches, toys or structures. Some had arsenic or other. Also, if you find lumber, do you know what contacted it? Its similar to maintaining an unbroken chain of possession for evidence.
If you left lumber in a shed that several people use and haven’t been there for a year, how do you know what may have spilled? What kind of dust settled? instead of treated or contaminated wood, most light, bright pine lumber sold in stores is not treated with anything. But ask anyway. It often comes in 4 foot to 12 foot lengths. Pre-cut stakes, such as those used for surveying, may be treated due to the need to remain in the ground.
We can’t be certain 100% of the time, but every piece of information brings us near 100% accuracy. Be on the lookout for wood treatment done to protect new buildings from moisture / mildew damage for short-term exposure to moisture. The treatment may be almost undetectable, or found by coating, aroma or stamp.
Many better grade woods including pine can be dipped or treated. These include molding, trim and boards prepared for aesthetics. Include high grade shelving to this. Some wood may not be treated down the length, but can have treated or dyed ends.
A square edge perch is not a good. You could remove square edges, and round wood is better. Natural branches are the best because the diameter differs from small to large, allowing birds feet to stretch and contract.
Aromatic Substances
Refer to other bird sites for aromatic info. But I'm leaving this comment about Teflon. Switch from Teflon pans to something like stainless steel or cast iron. Teflon pans over-heating, can emit substances deadly to birds. We try to keep perfume, aromatic scents and colognes to an absolute minimum at our home.
Sumac: Some sources list these as bad for birds - wouldn't you think !! Poison Hemlock, Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, Poison Sumac. Who would handle the sticks anyway?
Check plant names: For our lists, or others, check common names to know the genus, scientific name and common name. For example, Douglas fir is not a fir. Western cedar is not a cedar.
Poison Preparation: Contact a veterinarian about preparation for poisoning. Keep a list near the bird food or emergency numbers. Keep a small supply of supplies you may need if your bird accidentally ingests a toxic substance. Keep an emergency after-hours contact number. Contact your local poison control center for info.
Balsa Wood: This is our birds favorite to play with. Most sources indicate that balsa is safe for birds. I contacted avian veterinarians in Oregon and California, and got the same feedback - that balsa wood is fine. You won’t want balsa for a perch. A cockatiel can chew through balsa in minutes.
Cleaning Wood: One philosophy says clean bird perch wood before it’s used by soaking for an hour or two in tub of water with a cap of household bleach. Then rinse the wood in clean water. Another says Chlorine bleach may cause an occasional sickness or fatality. Maybe due to too strong of a solution. The second philosophy may use mild soap and water solution followed by rinsing with clean water. Both viewpoints agree about allowing wood to dry thoroughly, including exposed to direct sunlight. Oven drying needs to be hot enough to kill microorganisms, but cool enough to avoid combustion.
Coloring: Wood is colored for bird use with food color products that are sold for human consumption, like those found in grocery stores.
ALDER is not the same as ALDER BUCKTHORN and, there are at least 2 alders
This update was due to concern about a laxative that could be a potential toxin . The substance is Cascara sagrada. Cascara sagrada is made from bark of Cascara Buckthorn. Cascara Buckthorn has a common name Alder Buckthorn. But it is not an Alder. Alder is the genus Alnus, whereas Cascara Buckthorn is Rhamnus purshiana (also Frangula purshiana). There are many references to the Cascara Buckthorn having that compound: hence it's name. To my knowledge, real Alder has no Cascara sagrada in it. Again, Rhamnus purshiana is called "Alder Buckthorn" but is not Alder.
Blue and Gold Macaw: Pucana
Here's a note someone forwarded to me from an Avian Vet:
"The alder we have here technically is Red alder, Alnus rubra. To quote from the Univ BC book - Its bark is used to make a red or orange dye , especially valued for coloring inner redcedar bark......Variations in dye color are obtained from different ages and quantities of the bark......A solution of the bark was used against tuberculosis and other respiratory ailments......as a wash for skin infections and wounds, and is known to have strong antibiotic properties. From experience of having some pet birds chew the bark, their droppings got very, very watery and there was red coloration of urates and feces. They also seemed to have mouth/throat irritation, which may be expected as the astringent properties act like an expectorant......but I hesitate to use it that way for pet birds. I made a dilute solution to try as a skin astringent wash - just had slight red coloration and made me itch. So there you go. Don't have the poisonous plant book o hand, but I do remember that one of the chemicals contained within the bark of this alder tree is cascara"
Food for thought: The Vet said "seemed" to have irritation. For simplicity, ignore "seemed" and assume it "did" have. The wood source is unknown. Assume its a clean wood source. That leaves us with the statement that the alder bark she used apparently caused watery droppings with red colorations of urates.
This leaves 1 certain conclusion: That Vet with her alder, saw a problem. Now, on a USDA Forest Service Pacific NW lumber page, was a footnote which corresponds with the Vet's skin experiment. The USDA page noted "Toxicity: van cause dermatitis" The Vet's message leaves 2 uncertain issues. One, red alder is not "the" (only) alder that we have in Oregon.There is also Alnus rhombifolia called white alder.
A source about white alder for medicinal use by an Ohlone Indian nation, said they used white alder for treating diarrhea with teas made from it - the opposite effect of cascara sagrada that Indians used Cascara buckthorn for. So there are 2 alders here. The red alder can cause dermatitus, and white alder is not laxative.
The Vet said that red alder contains cascara. Apparently, that's not possible. Cascara sagrada is the bark or product of the Cascara purshiana (Cascara buckthorn). You could say that cascara sagrada = Cascara purshiana.
CONCLUSION: Pacific NW has 2 alders. Red alder bark can cause dermatitus and can't contain cascara sagrada, because cascara sagrada is the product of Cascara buckthorn, already on the toxic list. I concluded that RED ALDER should be avoided; due to the dermatitus factor, which is the only consistent piece of information.
For trivia sake...
The dried, aged bark of this Cascara buckthorn was used for at least 1,000 years by native and immigrant Americans as laxative, now commercially called Cascara Sagrada; old-timers call it "chitticum bark". The name chitticum means "shit-come" in Chinook; chittam comes from Chinook Jargon "chittam stick"; their equivilant of "laxative tree", borrowed from English "shit".
BIRCH COMMENTS - The following comments are a PARAPHRASE from Gillian Willis- toxicologist / author - with clarification:...
Birch is Betula species. LEAVES & BARK contain salicylates and a few substances with hemolytic properties (destroy red blood cells). The low concentration of salicylates in birch BARK "is unlikely" to cause toxicity in avians. Salicylates can be provided to avians (birds) as an analgesic. WOOD of birch (Betula) is used for ice cream and popsicle sticks and toys. Removing bark would eliminate any exposure to salicylates. Birch should be considered safe for natural wood perches. The seeds inside the cones are a special treat and are safe for the birds to eat. (end of paraphrase) Think about this: Automobile fumes can be toxic. We don't want to be enclosed where the fumes are trapped. But walking down the street where those fumes are in the air at low concentrations, we feel safe to breath. As noted, Birch should be considered safe and the risk of leaving bark is inconsequential.
CHERRY COMMENTS - Some sources debate about cherry wood being toxic to birds, with a lack of substantial confirmed cases - although confirmed cases of toxicity to a few dogs and horses is apparent. Some folks lean toward using cherry wood, but not the bark, under the premise that the toxins are primarily in the cambium - ONE layer under the bark. But suppose that the toxins were only in the cambium - do you know what that layer is? If you used cherry and took off the bark, did you take off the cambium with it? Did that cambium removal take the toxins away with it? Or should you have gone deeper? Do you see what I'm getting at here? When there are an abundance of sure safe woods, why use one that has bark with toxins, when you can use a tree free of toxins in both wood and bark?
Suppose there are no confirmed cases of dead birds from cherry. If cherry turns out to be a subtle problem, would you want your bird to be the first confirmed case? I suspect there are cases not documented. How many birds have you lost, or how many have you heard about, where the dead bird was not taken to a vet to determine the cause. There must be hundreds of birds dying each year due to real causes that we don't know about.
DRIFTWOOD - Driftwood is not recommended for a few reasons: 1. There is no certainty - for the average person - about what the tree genus is. 2. The ocean water and environment contains a few toxic organisms not to mention every kind of feces and animal waste in addition to residue from ships. It is an uncertain environment.3. Driftwood can have high salt content. It's in the water so long, salt can be embedded deep into the chunk of wood.Even river driftwood is from an uncertain environment.
LARCH or DAWN REDWOOD? - Larch is in the safe wood list. In case you did not know it, Larch is a deciduous conifer. It looses it's needles in winter. The needles are attached in little clusters on pegs like little tufts. There is another tree Dawn Redwood which is also a deciduous conifer. It's needles are attached to the twigs individually and somewhat two-ranked on either side of the twig. Initially, new spring growth looks like little tufts, but these elongate into tiny mini-twigs lined with ranks of individual needles. Dawn Redwood is not on the list above. It's genus is Metasequoia (sp. glyptostroboides). Avoid using Dawn Redwood - feel free to use limbs from Larch (Larix).
MAPLE - Originally, this page only listed two maple trees: vine maple as safe, and red maple as toxic. I've included "maple" in the safe list now, but with this condition: remove / scrape off the bark. It may not be absolutely neccessary, but its the only way that I'll suggest the bulk of that tree genus. From what I've read, the bark of many maple trees, like vine maple or Japanese maple, etc., is fine. Meaning, the bark "in itself" is not deemed toxic. But red maple (Acer rubrum) - at least - also known scarlet maple and swamp maple, can harbor a fungus which may grow on the bark. Inhalation of that fungus can cause maple bark disease (form of allergic alveolitis). Maple wood - most in general - should be safe to use for natural wood perches once the bark is removed.
One toxicologist wrote that "Maple seeds and sugar-rich young leaves are edible except to horses. Wilted and dry, not FRESH, maple leaves produce an oxidant which has caused hemolytic anemia, renal failure, pulmonary edema and death in horses." Many other sources and tree lists for horses, simply list "red maple" as toxic to horses, not really specifying why.
Currently, here's my feeling on this: I'd use almost any maple branch for a perch. The bark of most maples is probably not a hazard, but I'd remove the bark anyway just to remove the element of doubt.
PINE - We've read an article about Pine and Cedar containing compounds that can cause respiratory problems. But we noticed the article was primarily about BEDDING, like the mat of shavings put in bottoms of animal cages; more commonly done for hampsters and other pets.
When we listed pine above, that's meant as perch wood, which this page is geared for. Also be certain that the pine for perches - if you use it - is dry pine that has aged for as much as a year or two. Otherwise the pitch in the pine will be an awful thing for your birds feathers.
SUMAC / RHUS - One sumac on this page is Staghorn Sumac - a safe tree. It's fruit berries have been clean washed, and made into a good lemonade when sweetened. Native American Indians even mixed it's leaves and fruit with tobacco for smoking. A broad range of plants may be called sumac, some safe, some not. Poison oak, poison ivy and poison sumac also fit within the Rhus genus, or Toxicodendron. Maybe either genus.
Some species in the genus Rhus are highly toxic and can also cause severe skin irritation to some people. Other species like Rhus typhina are not poisonous. Most poisonous species have axillary panicles and smooth fruits. The non-poisonous species have upright, dense, conical drupe type fruits, covered with crimson hairs. The toxic species mentioned, may be found under their own genus, Toxicodendron.
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