Many parrots love seeds, which makes these treats ideal in small amounts for training. Q: My double-yellow Amazon, Gomez, is crazy for sunflower seeds. I feed him a pellet food sold by our veterinarian, plus lots of fruits and veggies. But he’d kill for sunflower seeds! I’ve read that they have an addictive substance. Is that true? It isn’t hard to believe, knowing how nuts my bird is for them. — G.K., via e-mail

A: The rumor that sunflower seeds are addictive to parrots has been floating around forever. I guess the answer depends on how you define “addictive.” If you mean is there a substance in the seeds that alters the body’s chemistry (like nicotine or morphine), then the answer is no. There’s just no evidence that sunflower seeds can exert that kind of hold on a bird.

But if you mean addiction in the more casual sense — like my “addiction” to chocolate — then you’re probably on to something. Many birds find sunflower seeds to be the yummiest of treats, but not all do. My late Senegal parrot, Patrick, wasn’t at all interested in sunflower seeds — but you’d better get out of his way when almonds or safflower seeds are available!

Seeds are fine as a treat, by the way, but should never be the sole diet for a parrot. You’ve got the right idea: a base diet of high-quality commercial food complemented by a wide array of fruits, vegetables, and healthy “people food” such as pasta, breads, cooked eggs and so on. Use seeds as treats in training, since they’re “high value” to a working bird. — Gina Spadafori

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Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by “Good Morning America” veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are also the authors of several best-selling pet-care books.

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