Seeds and nuts really have no place in the aver-age pet bird's diet, except for use as a reward during training. Clean, fresh, uncontaminated water should be available at all times. Food and water bowls should be cleaned twice daily. Food and water containers should be placed so that droppings do not easily fall into them. Lories require a specialized diet that includes soft gruels, nectars, and special powders.
Habituation is a function of time and familiarity.
Imported birds might spend weeks in Quarantine Stations. Similarly, a bird may spend upwards of year in a pet shop before purchase. Feeding a seed mix is easy and cheap for the humans. Under such circumstances, birds, like humans, can easily become habituated in their feeding behaviors and dietary preferences. Birds must gain a substantial familiarity with a given food item before they will experiment with it or attempt to eat it.