Parrots are known for their powerful beaks and their love of chewing on things.
Chewing is important for the birds both for their physical and mental health.
The problem for bird owners can be finding materials for their bird perches and other accessories that will resist their chewing while still being functional and non toxic.
Parrots can be very sensitive to chemicals that are in many of the products we use in our lives.
Many materials can be toxic to them if they chew on them and some materials can give off toxic fumes that can harm the birds.
This limits the types of materials that are available for making bird accessories.
For bird perches, metal will hold up to a parrot's chewing but many metals are toxic to them and slick cold metal is a poor perching surface.
Wood is an ideal surface for perching, but most wood is no match for a parrots beak.
Porous wood is also more difficult to clean and can be a breading ground for bacteria and parasites.
The exception to this is manzanita wood.
Manzanita is a small slow growing tree that grows branches that make excellent bird perches.
This wood is claimed by some to be the world's 8th hardest wood and some claim it's the 6th hardest wood.
Either way the point is the same, it is hard enough to resist a bird's chewing and is also non toxic.
Manzanita trees grow into heavily branched shapes that resemble shrubs more than trees.
The branches grow into twisted irregular shapes that are ideal for bird perches.
Unlike a straight wooden dowel, a manzanita branch has varied shapes and diameters that are better for the birds feet and legs.
This provides them with better exercise than a uniform diameter perch.
Not only is manzanita an ideal material for birds, it's also an attractive wood.
It is used both with it's smooth reddish bark attached, and with the bark removed, exposing a whitish wood.
Both surfaces are good for the birds to grip and are easy to clean.