Appearance and features of the Senegal Parrot

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The Senegal parrot is a funny bird that attracts attention at first sight. A small bird with a fairly developed intelligence and unpretentiousness in keeping. This is exactly how breeders, who have already become happy owners of colorful pets, speak about this species. And the parrots received their name in honor of the country of Senegal, in which they were first discovered and described by biologists.

Appearance and features

Credit: Wikimedia

Life in the wild

The lifestyle is gregarious (up to 1000 individuals in one flock). For living, they choose damp, wooded areas of the savannah, where they settle in the hollows and crowns of tropical trees. Bird populations can be found up to an altitude of 1 km above sea level. In the morning, after a short roll call, the flock flies out in search of water and food. During the midday heat, birds hide in the treetops.

The natural diet consists of fruits, seeds, nuts, flowers, and rarely small larvae.

Farmers consider Senegalese pests as they often raid farmland containing crops.

Senegalese couples mate for life. But after puberty (at about 2 years old), the newlyweds do not leave their parents but remain to live next door to them. During the mating season, the male seduces his chosen one with an incredible mating dance. He tries to dance, swinging around the female while making unusual sounds, raising his occipital feathers, and spreading his wings.

The clutch contains up to 5 eggs, which the female incubates for up to 24 days. The responsibilities of the male during incubation are guarding the nest with clutches, feeding the female, and after the birth of the offspring, feeding the chicks together with the female. The chicks make their first attempts to fly from the parent’s nest at 60–75 days.

Lifespan

Wild Senegal parrot live up to 30 years. The life of birds is shortened by predators, shooting, bad weather conditions, nutritional deficiency, and infectious diseases (they can very quickly affect the entire flock). When kept at home in comfortable conditions, birds lived up to 50 years.

How to keep it at home

Senegal parrot are very popular to keep at home. Among the reasons are ease of care, small size and good intellectual abilities.

Credit: Wikimedia

Arrangement of the cage

Senegalese birds in nature lead an active lifestyle, including flights over long distances. Therefore, in captivity, it is recommended to let birds fly around the house. But if the parrots are locked up for a long time, then they will need a large home where they can flap their wings without touching the walls of the cage.

The optimal dimensions of the cage are from 0.8×0.9×0.8 m.

The inventory should include:

• fruit tree poles;
• toys (cubes, pyramids, balls, rings);
• drinking bowls;
• feeders;
• bath for bathing.

The cage should have tree bark on the floor. It prevents the paws from slipping and is an excellent treat for a feathered lover of nibbling on something tasty.

What to feed

The Senegalese home diet should contain:

• fruits;
• vegetables;
• nuts;
• seeds;
• grain mixtures (you can buy balanced store-bought mixtures – Versele-Laga, Fiory, Padovan, JR Farm, CUNIPIC, and RIO);
• porridge;
• boiled eggs;
• low-fat cottage cheese.

Swimming and walking

Water treatments and constant walking will ensure the parrots have a good mood and well-being. It is recommended to let the birds fly around the apartment every day. If they are not given this opportunity, they may develop health problems (muscle wasting).

And the presence of a bath in the cage will satisfy the desire to splash around in the water. Parrots will also not mind taking a shower under the tap.

Credit: Flickr

Character and what can be taught

The main thing when raising a Senegal parrot is to establish contact with humans. A pet can play with toys on its own, but without human control, it will not be possible to raise a balanced bird without displays of aggression. If you keep a Senegal parrot alone, it will definitely not suffer. The main thing is to communicate with him often.

These cute parrots quickly get used to people and willingly spend time in their company. But the bird does not treat all family members equally. She chooses her favorite and can simply ignore the rest.

A developed mind and quick wit are the main features of the Senegalese. If you constantly work with birds, they perform various tricks, pronounce up to 20 words and phrases, distinguish colors, and sing songs. Their voice is not loud, but everything said by the parrots sounds very clearly, with intonation. Birds are good at imitating short sounds like whistling, clicking, and knocking. Interestingly, the parrot performs tricks not only for treats but also simply for its own entertainment.

When training, it is worth remembering these recommendations:

• Immediately make it clear who is boss in the house (do not allow the parrot to dominate).
• For good behavior, give a treat, and for bad behavior, ignore and “punish” with the words “no.”
• Try to involve the whole family in the upbringing so that the bird gets used to everyone.
• Do not allow the bird to bite or land on your head.

How to determine the and age of a Senegal parrot

Sex differences:

• When comparing, one can note that the male has a denser physique and a larger beak than the female. Also, males usually have slightly brighter plumage and are more aggressive in character. Only a DNA test can accurately determine the sex of a parrot.

Age Determination:

• Age can be determined by the color of the iris, but only up to 6 months of age. For the first six months, the eyes of the chicks are black. Then the color becomes orange (as in adults), and age is determined solely by DNA analysis.

Breeding

Breeding Senegalese is considered a labor-intensive activity that requires a lot of knowledge and skills. In captivity, birds almost never reproduce. The main problem is that it is very difficult to choose a pair for your pet. If you succeed in forming a pair, then it is advisable to install a nest for the birds and disturb them as little as possible during the mating season. The optimal dimensions of the nest box are 0.2 x 0.3 x 0.4 m. Feeding the offspring is carried out by feathered parents. Young animals that have grown and become stronger are removed from the cage at 2 months of age.

Credit: Flickr

Rules for choosing when purchasing, cost

The price of Senegal parrot ranges from 250 to 500 US dollars per individual.

Before purchasing, you should pay attention to the following factors:

• Age (older people are less amenable to education and training).
• Health of the parrot (active, with bright plumage and sparkle in the eyes).
• Origin (a caught wild parrot is difficult to tame, but a chick from a nursery quickly makes contact, can be trained, and does not show aggression).

Based on the recommendations, it is better to choose a chick from 6 months to a year from a nursery where the health and origin of the bird is documented. It is not recommended to repurchase birds from old owners, since it will be difficult for Senegal to re-establish his previous lifestyle, and all changes can cause stress and deterioration in health.

Senegalese parakeets quickly get used to people and live in captivity without problems. Ease of care, behavior, sociability, intellectual abilities will not leave anyone indifferent. And the low cost and maintenance costs of birds make them accessible to everyone.

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