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What Is Poisonous to Birds? 56 Foods, Fumes, Metals and Plants

By Bird Cage ReviewPublished 5 min readHow we research

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Seven hazards in a bird's home can kill quickly: avocado, fumes from overheated nonstick (PTFE) coatings, carbon monoxide, lead, rhubarb leaves, eaten tobacco and mouse or rat poison. The database below lists 56 hazards in all, from chocolate and moldy food to zinc in galvanized wire, scented candles and 31 plants, each with where birds meet it, the signs to watch for and the veterinary sources it comes from: the Merck Veterinary Manual, Pet Poison Helpline, VCA Animal Hospitals and the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. Search a name, or filter by foods, fumes, metals, household products or plants.

What is poisonous to pet birds: foods, fumes, metals and plants

56

Hazards listed

7

Can kill quickly

Avocado, nonstick fumes, lead and more

17

Vet emergency

31

Plants

11 reported harmful in birds

Can kill quickly: a small exposure can be fatal. Vet emergency: needs treatment now. Harmful: irritant or damaging; avoid it. Listed as poisonous: on a veterinary list for birds, but harm in birds has not been specifically reported. If you think your bird was exposed, call your avian vet or an animal poison line: Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661 (a per-incident fee applies) or ASPCA Poison Control 888-426-4435.

Showing 56 of 56 hazards

Compiled from the Merck Veterinary Manual, Pet Poison Helpline, VCA Animal Hospitals and the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, each linked on its card, checked Oct 12, 2026. A plant or product missing here is not proof that it is safe.

The seven that can kill quickly

HazardWhySource
AvocadoPersin, in every part of the fruit and tree; 3.5 g can kill a 35 g budgerigarPet Poison Helpline; Illinois
Overheated nonstick (PTFE)Toxic particles and gases above 280 °C (536 °F); often sudden deathMerck; Pet Poison Helpline; VCA
Carbon monoxideBirds take in more of an inhaled gas with each breath than mammalsPet Poison Helpline; VCA
LeadOld paint, curtain weights, solder, stained glass, some imported toysMerck; VCA
Rhubarb leavesLow blood calcium and kidney damage; small amounts can killVCA
Tobacco, eatenNicotine; a tiny amount causes serious poisoningPet Poison Helpline; Merck
Mouse and rat poisonColorful pellets look like bird foodPet Poison Helpline

Why birds are so sensitive

Thanks to their air sacs, birds move more oxygen into the blood with each breath than mammals do, and more of anything else in the air, which makes fumes especially dangerous; Pet Poison Helpline points out that this is why canaries were taken into coal mines. Birds are small, so a dose that would not trouble a dog can poison a budgerigar, and they explore everything with their beaks, including metal, paint and plants.

Nonstick pans: what the sources agree on, and where they differ

Every source agrees that polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), the coating sold as Teflon, releases gases that can kill a bird when it is overheated, and that the classic case is a pan that boils dry or is heated empty. PTFE is also on drip pans, irons and ironing board covers, some self-cleaning ovens, heat lamps, heating elements and hair dryers. They differ on ordinary cooking. Pet Poison Helpline says poisoning is not expected during routine cooking; VCA says cases have been reported at recommended temperatures, and the University of Illinois's 2026 column says the gas is produced at normal temperatures. The practical answer is the same either way: keep the bird out of the kitchen, which our cage placement guide ranks as the one room never to use. The University of Illinois notes that some bird households replace PTFE pans with ceramic-coated ones.

Metal in cages and toys

Zinc is the most common metal poisoning in caged birds, according to Pet Poison Helpline. It comes from galvanized wire, mesh, staples, chains, bells, keys, some toys, zipper pulls and pennies minted after 1982, and birds are far more sensitive to it than people. Lead is rarer than it was but more dangerous, and it is still found in old paint, curtain and fishing weights, solder, stained glass and some imported toys. This is why cage material matters: our powder-coated versus stainless steel comparison and cage safety checklist cover what to look for.

Foods to keep off the plate

Beyond avocado, the University of Illinois names chocolate and caffeine (stimulants that cause tremors and seizures) and onions with the rest of their family, including garlic, leeks and chives, which damage red blood cells. Pet Poison Helpline adds two easy mistakes: moldy food, whose mycotoxins can cause seizures within hours, and fruit seeds and pits, which birds crack open to reach the cyanide-forming compounds inside. Fruit is a good treat once the pits and seeds are out.

Plants: reported in birds versus listed

VCA's list of plants that may be poisonous to birds is long, but VCA is clear that studies in birds are limited and that for many plants the risk is inferred from other species. The database separates the two. Eleven plants are reported harmful in birds or have described effects: oleander, foxglove, lily of the valley, rhododendron and yew can disturb the heart's rhythm; dieffenbachia and philodendron cause mouth pain and digestive upset; poinsettia, black locust, clematis and Virginia creeper are marked as harmful to birds. Twenty more common plants, from pothos and peace lily to lilies, sago palm and tulips, are listed as possibly poisonous without bird-specific reports. Either way, keep houseplants out of reach unless you know they are safe.

If your bird is exposed

Call your avian veterinarian or an animal poison line straight away: Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661, which charges a per-incident fee, or ASPCA Poison Control at 888-426-4435. Have the product or plant name ready. With fumes, get the bird into fresh air, but do not wait for signs; with PTFE the first sign is often death. There is no antidote for avocado or PTFE poisoning, so vets give supportive care, which is why prevention matters more here than in almost any other part of bird keeping.

How we built this

Each entry comes from at least one of eight veterinary sources, listed on its card, read on October 12, 2026: the Merck Veterinary Manual's Toxicoses of Pet Birds, two Pet Poison Helpline articles, three VCA Animal Hospitals articles and two University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine columns. Where sources disagree, the card says so. Severity is our grouping of what the sources describe, not a dose-response rating, and a hazard missing from the list is not proof that something is safe.

Frequently asked questions

Is Teflon really dangerous for birds?

Yes. Overheated PTFE (Teflon) releases gases that often kill birds suddenly. Sources differ on whether normal cooking is a risk, so keep birds out of the kitchen and never let a nonstick pan boil dry or heat empty.

Can birds eat avocado?

No. Every part of the avocado contains persin, which can cause breathing difficulty, heart damage and sudden death in birds. Pet Poison Helpline puts the lethal dose for a budgerigar at 3.5 grams, and there is no antidote.

What metals are toxic to birds?

Zinc and lead. Zinc, from galvanized wire, chains, bells, some toys and post-1982 pennies, is the most common metal poisoning in caged birds. Lead comes from old paint, weights, solder, stained glass and some imported toys.

Are scented candles safe around birds?

No. Pet Poison Helpline, VCA and the Merck Veterinary Manual all warn that scented and votive candles, air fresheners and aerosol sprays can cause breathing problems or death in birds. Ventilate well or keep the bird in another room.

Which houseplants are toxic to birds?

Dieffenbachia and philodendron cause mouth pain and digestive upset, and oleander, foxglove, lily of the valley, rhododendron and yew can affect the heart. Pothos, peace lily, lilies and sago palm are on VCA's list of plants that may be poisonous to birds.

What should I do if my bird ate something toxic?

Call your avian vet or an animal poison line, such as Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661, fee applies) or ASPCA Poison Control (888-426-4435), and have the product or plant name ready. Do not wait for signs to appear.

Sources

  1. Toxicoses of Pet Birds, Merck Veterinary Manual
  2. Top 5 Toxins in Companion Birds, Pet Poison Helpline
  3. What's Poisonous to Birds and Pocket Pets?, Pet Poison Helpline
  4. Household Hazards and Dangers to Birds, VCA Animal Hospitals
  5. Plants Toxic for Birds, VCA Animal Hospitals
  6. Lead Poisoning in Birds, VCA Canada
  7. Keep Teflon, Avocado, Lead, and Zinc Away From Pet Birds, University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine
  8. Bad for Birds: Prevent Poisoning in Avian Pets, University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine

Cover photo: 28 Parrot checking out the Pomegranates by jeans_Photos, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr. Cropped.

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Health & SafetyBird SafetyToxinsTeflonHeavy MetalsToxic Plants

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