What It Is and Key Specs
ZuPreem Smart Selects is a blended daily bird food formulated specifically for medium birds — cockatiels, quakers, lovebirds, and small conures, according to the product listing. The 2.5-lb bag combines ZuPreem pellets with seeds, dried vegetables, and dried fruit in a variety of shapes and textures intended to stimulate a bird's senses during feeding.
Per the manufacturer, ZuPreem pellets should make up
at least 60 percent of the bird's daily diet, with Smart Selects serving as the nutritional foundation rather than a standalone treat. The listing also notes the blend is formulated to support cardiovascular health, liver function, feather condition, and general wellbeing through included vitamins and essential nutrients. The manufacturer's own product page confirms Smart Selects is designed with "smart levels of fat" and notably
excludes sunflower seeds — a common filler seed that is calorie-dense and often selectively overeaten by birds (
zupreem.com/smart-selects/).
Build Quality and Ingredient Transparency
The absence of sunflower seeds is a meaningful formulation choice and one that bird nutritionists and experienced owners frequently cite as a positive. However, forum discussion on Parrot Forums raises a specific ingredient concern: Smart Selects includes ZuPreem's FruityBlend pellets, which contain
artificial dyes and added sugar (
parrotforums.com). The same thread notes that the dried fruit component is high in sugar, which may be a consideration for owners managing a bird's weight or overall sugar intake.
Community members on the same forum generally suggest that ZuPreem Naturals — a separate product in the ZuPreem lineup — is preferable for owners who want to avoid dyes and added sugar, as it uses natural coloring from fruit and vegetable ingredients rather than artificial additives.
Conversion and Daily Feeding
One practical strength of Smart Selects, reflected in the manufacturer's feature bullets, is its
conversion-friendly design. Birds transitioning from an all-seed diet can be resistant to new foods; the variety of shapes, textures, and familiar seed inclusions is intended to ease that shift. The listing explicitly frames this as a worry-free process. Independent forum discussion supports the idea that a pellet-inclusive diet generally benefits birds long-term, though some community members caution that pellets should not be the
exclusive food source and that a varied diet — including fresh foods — remains important (
parrotforums.com).
The manufacturer recommends pairing Smart Selects with ZuPreem Enriching Variety or Rewarding Treats products, which aligns with the broader avian nutrition guidance that no single commercial food covers all dietary needs.
Real-World Fit: Who It Suits, Who Should Skip
Good fit for: Owners of cockatiels, lovebirds, quakers, or small conures who want a convenient, pellet-anchored daily blend and are transitioning birds away from seed-only diets. The no-sunflower-seeds formulation makes it a more nutritionally balanced option than many seed mixes.
Consider alternatives if: You prefer to avoid artificial dyes and added sugar in your bird's diet. Forum consensus points toward ZuPreem Naturals as a cleaner option within the same brand family (
parrotforums.com). Owners of larger parrots should also note this blend is sized and formulated for medium birds only.
Honest Limitations
- The FruityBlend pellets within the mix contain artificial coloring and added sugar — a real concern for owners prioritizing minimal additives.
- Dried fruit, while palatable and stimulating, contributes to the overall sugar load of the diet.
- As with most commercial blends, selective eating (birds picking preferred pieces and ignoring pellets) is a behavioral risk that the varied format cannot fully eliminate.
- Community discussions on Parrot Forums note occasional quality-control concerns with ZuPreem products generally, including past reports of pest issues with pellet and seed products, though these appear to be infrequent (parrotforums.com).
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This review synthesizes the product listing, manufacturer information from zupreem.com, and published community discussion on Parrot Forums. No hands-on feeding was conducted by this editorial team.