The Senegal Parrot: A Perfect Companion for Your Home
- VIParrot
- February 9, 2023
- 11:43 pm
Species Overview
Also Known As: Sennies
Scientific Name: Poicephalus senegalus
Adult Size: 9-10 inches
Life Expectancy: 50 years
Is The Senegal Parrot a good pet?
- Social and affectionate
- Fun loving
- Intelligent – Can learn a number of words
- A quieter parrot, so could be suitable for apartment living
- Demand a lot of attention
- They will likely attach to one person
General Information
Senegal Parrots give you the best of all worlds in a companion bird. They are independent, a tad persnickety at times, but; not big biters, they talk and whistle well, with training, even though they have a raspier voice than most parrots. They love, love, love to chew, so make sure they have plenty of wooden toys to destroy.
Their life span in a home is averaged to be about 50 years, so make sure you have an agreed upon designated home for them, should they outlive you. (Necessary for all pets, no matter the average life span). The only definitive way to tell male from female is DNA sexing, contrary to other forms of identification like head shape, size, etc. that are only accurate 50% of the time. They are not particularly noisy birds, and when they do squawk, it is raspy sounding thus keeping the decibel level down.
What food do they eat?
The Senegal Parrot should have a good pelleted diet supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables and fresh distilled or filtered water everyday.
Price
They can be rescued, adopted, or purchased at verified organizations or adoption websites like Petfinder. Pricing ranges from $600 to $800 from breeders.
If you want to choose a breeder, make sure that the breeder is reputable by asking them how long they’ve been breeding and working with Senegal Parrots. Ask for a tour, but don’t be alarmed if you are unable to tour the facilities in which they keep the birds. Many reputable breeders opt to work under closed aviaries, which prevents diseases from infecting the flock.
How big is the Senegal Parrot?
Temperament
Hand-raised and well-socialized Senegal Parrots are generally really pleasant birds, and will bond well with their owners. Although wild-caught or Senegal Parrots that haven’t been socialized correctly will be skittish and frightened of humans. Senegal’s can be fun little parrots with diverse and quirky personalities.
Common Diseases
The only diseases that they are prone to are Fatty Liver which many birds are and Iron Retention Disease which can be fatal if their diet is not closely monitored.