Toxic Materials:
This isn't a complete list by any means. Be aware of anything with a strong smell and just don't use it if in doubt. Another thing to be aware of is things going on in your neighborhood. Please make sure your windows are closed if your neighbors are grilling out or having their yard sprayed with pesticides.
Please read all labels of cleaning items that you use in your house most are toxic to birds.
ALDER - red alder
ANDROMEDA -Pieris, Lily of the Valley shrub
APRICOT
ARROWHEAD VINE
AUSTRALIAN FLAME TREE
AUSTRALIAN UMBRELLA TREE
AVACADO
AZALEA - Related to Rhododendron
BANEBERRY - Actaea
BEANS -castor, horse, fava, broad, glory, scarlet runner
BLACK LOCUST - Robinia
BOX ELDER
BOXWOOD - Buxus
BUCKTHORN
BRACKEN FERN
BURDOCK
CACAO
CAMEL BUSH - Trichodesma
CANARY BIRD BUSH - Crotalaria
CANNABIS
CASTOR BEAN
CEDAR - Thuja, Chamaecyparis, Cupressus
CHALICE - trumpet vine
CHERRY - Some sources debate about cherry wood being bad to pet birds, for a lack of substantial confirmed cases - although confirmed cases of problems for a few dogs and horses is apparent. Some folks lean toward using cherry wood, but not the bark, under the premise that the chemicals are primarily in the cambium - layer under the bark. Do you know what that layer is? 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 potential bad stuff in it?
CHINA BERRY TREE - Melia / Texas umbrella tree
CHINESE MAGNOLIA - uncertain for safety
CHINESE POPCORN / TALLOW
CHINESE SNAKE TREE - Laquer plant
COMMON SAGE
CORIANDER - Cilantro
DATURA
DAPHNE - it's the berries
DATURA STRAMONIUM - Brugmansia - angel's trumpet
DIEFFENBACHIA
ELDERBERRY
EUONYMUS - Includes burning bush and more
EUPHORBIA
FELT PLANT - Kalancho baharensis
FLAME TREE
FIRETHORN - Pyracantha
FLAME TREE - Brachychiton / Sterculia
FOXGLOVE - Digitalis (pharmaceutical source)
GOLDEN CHAIN TREE - Laburnum
GROUND CHERRY
CROWN OF THORNS
HEATHS
HEMLOCK - Tsuga
HOLLY - Ilex
HONEY LOCUST - Gleditsia
HORSE CHESTNUT - Aesculus
HUCKLEBERRY - leaves bad: evergreen & deciduous
HYDRANGEA
JASMINE
JUNIPER - Juniperus
KALMIA: also called Mountain Laurel
KENTUCKY COFFEE TREE
LANTANA - red sage
LAUREL - Prunus
LEUCOTHOE
LUPINE
MANGO - (fruit okay: not wood or leaves)
MEXICAN BREADFRUIT
MOCK ORANGE
MONSTERA - big hunker of a house plant
MOUNTAIN LAUREL - Kalmia latifolia
MYRTLE - broadleaf evergreen, not crape myrtle
NECTARINE
NUTMEG
OAK - Quercus - all parts / tannins
MISTLETOE
OLEANDER
PEACH
PEAR - some sources lean toward safe
PENCILTREE
PITCH PINE
PLUM
PRARIE OAK - safety uncertain
PRIVET
RAIN TREE
RED SAGE - Lantana
REDWOOD - Sequiadendron, Metasequoia, Sequoia
RHODODENDRON
RHUBARB
SAND BOX TREE - sap was used to poison fish
SOLANUM - Jerusalem cherry or pepino
SOPHORA - includes Japanese pagoda tree
SUMAC - not all sumacs are bad: A broad range of plants may be called sumac, some safe, some not. I would just avoid anything called Sumac
TOBACCO
TANSY
TOMATO
UMBRELLA TREE
WALNUT
WEEPING FIG - Ficus benjamina > Ficus elastica safe
WHITE CEDAR - China
WITCH HAZEL - Hamamelis
WISTERIA
YEW - Taxus
Maple is safe IF you remove the bark!
Safe Materials:
ACACIA - Silk Tree would be in this group
APPLE - (Insecticide residue likely cause for periodic issues)
AILANTHUS - Tree of Heaven
ALDER - white alder
ALMOND
ARALIA - Fatsia japonica
ASH - Fraxinus
ASPEN - Populus
BAMBOO
BARBERRY- Berberis
BIRCH
BEECH - Fagus
BOIS D'ARC - horse apple tree
BOTTLE BRUSH
BUTTERFLY BUSH
CAMELLIA
CITRUS -(lime, kumquat, grapefruit, orange, lemon)
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 - remove Bark
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: Be certain that the pine for bird perches is dry pine that aged for as much as a year or two. Otherwise the pitch in the pine will be an awful thing for bird feathers. DO NOT USE PINE BEDDING OR SHAVINGS!
PHOTINIA
POPLAR - Populus
PUSSY WILLOW - Salix
RAPHIOLEPSIS - Indian Hawthorn
RIBBONWOOD
ROSE - Rosa
RUBBER PLANT - Ficus elastica - Weeping Fig in bad column
RUSSIAN OLIVE
SASSAFRAS
SILK TREE
SPIRAEA
SPRUCE - Picea
STRAWBERRY TREE - Arbutus like Madrone
SWEET GUM
SYCAMORE
THURLOW
TREE FERN
VIBURNUM
VINE MAPLE - Acer
WEEPING WILLOW - Salix
WIEGELA
YUCCA
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