Senegal Parrot

The Senegal Parrot

The Senegal parrot is the most commonly kept of the Poicephalus species of birds. These birds have been imported to the United States in great numbers and their popularity shows no signs of abating. The Senegal parrot has three sub-species which can be easily identified based on their coloring.

The first sub-species of Senegal parrot is the Sengalus species which has a yellow belly and occurs in southern Mauritania, southern Mali to Guinea and on the Island of Los. The second is the Versteri sub-species which has a red belly and is native to the Ivory Coast Ghana, and Nigeria. The third sub-species is the Mesotypus. These birds have an orange belly and are found in northern Nigeria, northern Cameroon, and southwestern Chad.

But do Senegals make good pets? A Senegal parrot makes a great pet due to its moderate size and somewhat quieter disposition (for a parrot that is!). They are small enough to be easily handled and don't need very big cages. Senegal parrots are able to talk and imitate sounds, but they are not as accurate as the African Grey Parrot.

Like many other species of parrot, the Senegal parrot is prone to attach to and bond with one person, but unlike the African Grey, they are known to be a bit more 'flexible'. Some owners have observed that the bird initially showed its affection to one family member but later switched over to the spouse or child. So these birds may not be as loyal as some other parrots.

What should you feed your Senegal parrot? Your bird should be eating a good mix of sunflower, safflower, pine nuts, oats, hemp, millet, and canary seed. They should also be fed a bean and pea mixture such as soya bean, chick peas, green split peas, yellow split peas, aduki, mung, black eye, haricot and butter beans. You can also include lean chicken, cat or dog biscuits and apples, pears and oranges in their diet.

You may also want to add some vegetables like cooked and raw carrot, cabbage, sprouts or broccoli as well as a vitamin and mineral supplements to the diet of your Senegal parrot. This should be perfectly balanced so no imbalance occurs in your bird.

One thing to be aware of if you are considering a Senegal parrot as a pet is their tendency to bite. They may do this when they are excited or when being put back into their cage before they are ready. So if you are new to this bird please proceed with caution when handling it.

The Senegal parrot can be kept indoors or outside in temperate regions. They will need plenty of time out of their cage and lots of one-to-one contact with their owners. However, if you want a loyal, bosom buddy, choose an African Grey instead!