In Minecraft, you can feed parrots seeds such as wheat seeds, melon seeds, pumpkin seeds, and beetroot seeds to tame and breed them.
Parrots bring vibrant life to Minecraft jungles, but keeping them healthy requires knowing exactly what to feed them. Unlike other pets, these colorful birds have specific dietary needs – and some dangerous pitfalls. From taming tricks to avoiding deadly mistakes, this guide reveals everything about parrot nutrition in Minecraft.
Safe Foods for Minecraft Parrots
Parrots thrive on various seeds found throughout your Minecraft world. These are the only foods that won’t harm them:
- Wheat seeds – Dropped when harvesting wheat
- Melon seeds – From breaking melon slices
- Pumpkin seeds – Obtained by carving pumpkins
- Beetroot seeds – Found in village farms
Seed Comparison Table
| Seed Type | Rarity | Taming Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|
| Wheat | Common | 33% success rate |
| Melon | Uncommon | 33% success rate |
| Pumpkin | Seasonal | 33% success rate |
| Beetroot | Village-exclusive | 33% success rate |
Deadly Foods to Avoid
One food item causes instant parrot death – chocolate chip cookies. This references real-world parrot safety, as chocolate is toxic to birds.
Why Cookies Kill Parrots
When fed a cookie:
- Green particles appear around the parrot
- The bird flies erratically
- After 5-10 seconds, it dies
This mechanic was added after real-world concerns about players mimicking this behavior with actual parrots.
Advanced Parrot Care Tips
Once tamed, parrots offer unique benefits:
- Shoulder perching – Walk into a tamed parrot to make it sit on your shoulder
- Mob detection – Mimic nearby hostile mob sounds within 20 blocks
- Jukebox dancing – They’ll boogie when music plays
Breeding Limitations
Unlike other pets, parrots can’t breed. You’ll need to find additional wild parrots in jungles or use spawn eggs.
Finding Parrots Efficiently
These rare mobs only spawn in jungle biomes with these characteristics:
- Y-level 70 or above
- On logs, leaves, or grass blocks
- 0.2% spawn chance per valid block
For more wildlife spotting tips, check our guide on optimal bird-watching equipment.
Parrot Behavior Explained
Understanding parrot AI helps manage your feathered friends:
- They naturally perch on nearby mobs (even hostile ones)
- Will dismount your shoulder when you enter water
- Teleport to you if more than 12 blocks away
For players interested in real parrot care, we recommend proper avian nutrition guides.
Historical Changes to Parrot Mechanics
Mojang has updated parrot feeding several times:
| Version | Change |
|---|---|
| 1.12 | Added parrots, originally tamed with cookies |
| 1.12.1 | Changed to seed-only diet after toxicity concerns |
| 1.14 | Added shoulder perching mechanics |
