Their natural diet consists of fruit (especially banana and berries), nuts and seed. They are also seen feeding in cornfields, where they can cause considerable damage to the crops.

In captivity, they should be provided with various fruits (especially banana, grapes, apple, cactus figs, elder and rowan berries), lory food, safflower seed mixes, paddy rice, wheat, hemp, canary grass, various millets and sunflower seed (also sprouted); cooked rice; half-ripened maize; rose hips; and twice weekly egg food and hard-boiled egg, which is especially important during breeding season.