| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Psittaciformes |
| Family: | Psittacidae |
| Genus: | Poicephalus |
| Species: | P. senegalus |
The Senegal parrot (Poicephalus senegalus) is a type of parrot that lives and breeds in a large part of west Africa. It moves around west Africa based on where it can find fruit, seeds, and flowers to eat. Moreover, it is seen as a pest in Africa because it eats crops like maize and millet.
Senegal Parrot Origin
The Senegal parrot comes from the woods in the middle of western Africa. The 10 species of parrots in the Poicephalus genus all live in central Africa. They can be told apart by their stocky bodies, short tails, and big heads and beaks.
It is against the law to sell Senegals that people catch in the wild, but they do well in captivity. People looking for pets someone raises in captivity usually have no trouble finding them.
Senegal Parrot Temperament
Feeding Senegals with hand makes them great pets. So, this makes them funnier and fun to watch.
Most well-socialized Senagal parrot have friendly personalities, but potential owners should know that Senegals tend to become “one person” birds and may not want to interact with other family members. This doesn’t always happen, but it sometimes does. If everyone in your family interacts with your Senegal bird, this one-person bonding is less likely to happen.
These little parrots are cute and easy to train, and they have a knack for making their owners laugh and have a lot of fun. Even though they aren’t as common as African greys or cockatiels, they are known to be friendly and fun to have around.
Senegal Parrot Sounds
Senegals can talk and copy sounds, but they are usually much quieter than most other parrots. Unlike other parrots, they are not known for being able to talk but can learn to do so. They can learn about two dozen words.
All birds make noise. Senegals don’t stay quiet all the time; they just make less noise than other parrots. Most of the sounds they make are whistling and clucking. If you live in an apartment or your space can’t handle a loud bird, you might want to get a Senegal parrot.
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Habitat
Senegal parrots live in open forests and savannas. Most of the time, they do this in countries in West Africa. It is a social species that is always making different whistling and squawking sounds. On average, Senegal parrots live about 25–30 years in the wild, but some live up to 50 years when they are kept as pets.
In southeastern Senegal, researchers from Texas State University found that parrots ate about 77% fruit. The most common fruits they ate were figs (Ficus sp. ), African grapes (Lannea macrocarpa), and shea fruits (Vitellaria paradoxa). About 22% of their food came from seeds, and the remaining 1% came from flowers.
How Do Senegal Parrots Look Like
The dark head of these cute little birds really stands out. Their heads are grey, and their wings and chests are green when they are adults. Depending on the subspecies, they have a V-shaped patch of color on their bellies that can be yellow, orange, or red.
There are two subspecies: P. s. senegalus senegalus, which is the most common and has a yellow chest vest, and P. s. versteri, which has a deep orange chest vest.
They are a monomorphic species, which means that both male and female Senegals have the same color. Your bird would need surgery or a DNA test to determine what gender it is.
How To Care For Your Senegal Parrot
A Senegal parrot does not need a big cage because it is not very big. At the very least, it needs a cage that is 20 inches by 20 inches and 28 inches tall, but bigger is always better. If you have two birds, the cage should be bigger and stronger. About 3/4 inch should be left between each bar.
Set up the cage with a few horizontal bars that can be used as places to sit. Prospective owners should also plan to buy their birds a wide range of toys and other accessories. Senegals can be strong chewers, so it’s good to give them toys to keep their beaks in shape.
“Sennies,” as many owners affectionately call them, form strong bonds with their owners and thrive when they spend time with them every day. If you want to own a Sengal parrot, you should be ready to spend time with the bird every day and get to know it. Most of the time, these birds are happy to just sit on your shoulder and talk to you.
Senegal Parrot Lifespan
So, what is the lifespan of a Senegal parrot? It is a social species that is always making different whistling and squawking sounds. The lifespan of Senegal parrot is about 25–30 years on average in the wild, but some can live up to 50 years when you keep them as pets. So, now you know how long do Senegal parrots live or how long does a Senegal parrot live? Now, you know it’s about 25-30 years.
Diet: What Do Senegal Parrots Eat
The Senegal parrot eats mostly fruit, seeds, and flowers in the wild. Senegals that are kept as pets should eat a diverse diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy seeds like flax, hemp, and chia seed, tree nuts, and a high-quality pellet diet. Moreover, most Senegalese parrot eat about 1/4 cup of food every day. Every morning, give them a mix of seeds and pellets. Give the bird as much as it will eat. Add fruits and vegetables to the pellet food.
You could learn to make a chop, which is a meal that you can cook fresh and then frozen. It’s a simple and easy way to give your Senegal a wide range of vegetables, grains, and plant proteins.
As with any pet bird, fresh water should always be in a clean bowl. Don’t feed your pet only seeds. This is very unhealthy and can cause illness or even death from a lack of nutrients.
Is A Senegal Parrot A Good Pet?
The Senegal parrot is in a family of birds that are great pets because they are quiet and have very calm personalities.
Can Senegal Parrots Speak?
Senegals can talk and copy sounds, but they are usually much quieter than most other parrots. Unlike other parrots, they are not able to talk but can learn to do so. They can learn about two dozen words. All birds make noise.
Are Senegal Parrots Loud?
So, are Senegal parrots loud? Senegal parrots aren’t too loud, on the whole. They don’t make as much noise as some other parrots.
What Fruits Can Senegal Parrots Eat?
A parrot should eat some fruits and vegetables every day. This includes apples, grapes, and many garden vegetables like field lettuce, poppy, spinach, watercress, chickweed, carrots, corn on the cob, peas, dandelions, endives, and sweet potatoes.
Parvaiz Yousuf is a senior SEO writer and editor with an experience of over 6 years, who also doubles up as a researcher. With an MSc zoology degree under his belt and possessing complete Search Engine Optimization (SEO) knowledge, he works as a science journalist for a US-based website and Asian Scientist (A Singapore-based magazine). He also works as Director of Wetland Research Centre, Wildlife Conservation Fund YPJK since 2018. Besides, he has several publications to his name on cancer biology and biochemistry in some reputed journals such as Nature & International Journal of Molecular Sciences, & magazines such as Science Reporter, BUCEROS BNHS, and has an abiding interest in ornithology. He also worked as a Research Associate for JK Policy Institute.
