Fun Red-bellied Parrot Facts For Kids

Oluniyi Akande
Oct 20, 2022 By Oluniyi Akande
Originally Published on Aug 06, 2021
Edited by Luca Demetriou
Fact-checked by Pradhanya Rao
Red-bellied parrot facts about the parrot species with a bright orange or red belly in males and green belly in females.
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 6.4 Min

It is fun to have parrots as pets, isn’t it? One common species among parrots is the red-bellied parrot.

The red-bellied parrot or orange-bellied parrot is a small bird that belongs to the Psittacidae family. Red-bellied parrots are great talkative birds and are able to produce many sounds and noises and imitate the sound and words of humans. They are fun and energetic birds that will charm everyone with their looks and skills.

Red-bellied parrots are widely spread across their range of habitat in eastern Africa and in parts of modern Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. These birds exhibit incredible learning behavior and pick simple words right from a young age.

There are some special characteristics of red-bellied parrots that will intrigue you. Keen to know about this parrot? Don’t worry, here are some awesome and fun facts on red-bellied parrots that will make you keener about them. Afterwards, do have a look at our other articles on vulturine parrot facts and kea parrot facts.

Red-Bellied Parrot Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a red-bellied parrot?

A red-bellied parrot (Poicephalus rufiventris) is a small bird that belongs to the Psittacidae family. This pet bird species is amongst the best talkers of the African parrot family and a very energetic and intelligent bird.

This pet bird species is regarded to be lively and social in nature. These breeding birds are widely spread across the regions of eastern Africa and have the ability to imitate human voices.

What class of animal does a red-bellied parrot belong to?

A red-bellied parrot is a pet bird species that belong to the Aves class. Red-bellied parrots come under the Psittaciformes order of the Psittacidae family.  They are of the Poicephalus genus and its scientific name is Poicephalus rufiventris. Poicephalus parrots contain ten species which include Senegal parrots, Niam-Niam parrots, Cape parrots, and so on.

How many red-bellied parrots are there in the world?

There is no accurate and rough estimate of the total number of red-bellied parrots in the world as it is a popular African pet bird species. But they have significant populations in captivity as well as in the wild, so their survival is under no danger as of now.

Where does a red-bellied parrot live?

Red-bellied parrot lives in the semi-arid, dry savannah regions of eastern Africa. This pet bird species of Africa can also be found in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and parts of modern Kenya. They are sometimes seen in Australia and America as well.

What is a red-bellied parrot's habitat?

Red-bellied parrots prefer dry savannah, acacia woodlands, dry bush areas in the wild. These gray-colored birds are naturally adaptable bright-colored birds and are kept as common pets all over the world.

They are non-migratory birds. Parrots love to cuddle and are very playful and crave attention. These birds hang upside down with their feet in the wild as well as in the cage.

Who do red-bellied parrots live with?

A red-bellied parrot is a social bird and prefers to live in pairs or in small groups of around family members.

How long does a red-bellied parrot live?

A red-bellied parrot has an average lifespan of 20-25 years in the wild and captivity. This lifespan varies according to different surroundings.

How do they reproduce?

A red-bellied parrot is a sexually dimorphic species. The nests are usually built on nest cavities. Males and females become sexually mature at two years of age. Female lays around three to four eggs and incubates the eggs for about 28 days during the breeding season.

After the young chicks are born, their food requirements are taken care of by the parents. Young chicks leave the nest within 63 days. These parrots do not have a particular breeding season.

What is their conservation status?

A red-bellied parrot is classified as the Least Concern species by the IUCN Red List. They have a stable population and are found abundantly in captivity and the wild.

Red-Bellied Parrot Fun Facts

What do red-bellied parrots look like?

A red-bellied parrot is a small to medium bird. A male red-bellied parrot has gray color on its back and a shade of olive on its wings along with a reddish-orange belly.

There are brownish or orange markings on its cheeks and breast with gray-black bills with lime green stockings on its legs. Females have a forest green belly and are usually gray in color. They have red irises and dark gray beaks.

Red-bellied parrots have large heads and broad tail feathers.

How cute are they?

A red-bellied parrot is very beautiful in appearance with red irises. These African birds are very lively and playful birds who love to cuddle and play. These gray-colored birds are energetic and fun and mischievous too.

How do they communicate?

A red-bellied parrot uses different sounds to communicate with each other. These African birds are the best talkers, whistlers and great at making noises.

They can even imitate the sound of humans and are very fast in learning sounds if proper training is provided. These birds exhibit an incredible learning behavior and pick simple words right from a young age and are able to create a small vocabulary.

How big is a red-bellied parrot?

A red-bellied parrot is a small to medium-sized parrot and has a length of 8.6-9 in (21.8-23 cm).

How fast can a red-bellied parrot fly?

A red-bellied parrot flies like a swift bullet. Red-bellied parrots have a good flying speed that tops at around 50 mph (80 kph).

How much does a red-bellied parrot weigh?

On an average scale, red-bellied parrots weigh around 4-5 oz (113-141.7 gms). It may vary according to the food habits, exercise, and surroundings.

What are the male and female names of the species?

As a red-bellied parrot is a bird, its species is P. rufiventris. A male red-bellied parrot is called a cock and a female red-bellied parrot is called a hen.

What would you call a baby red-bellied parrot?

A baby red-bellied parrot is called a chick.

What do they eat?

Red-bellied parrots are herbivores in terms of their diet. Their primary diet includes seeds, grains, and acacia fruits in the wild. In captivity, they feed on fruits and vegetables including corn, spinach, peas, apples, and so on.

The main predators of a red-bellied parrot will include birds of prey like eagles, hawks, and falcons.

Are they dangerous?

A red-bellied parrot is not dangerous and does not pose any threat to others. They are mostly jovial and fun-loving birds that keep you tension-free even when kept in a cage.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, red-bellied parrots are common pets throughout the world. They are social, fun, and energetic animals who easily become their favorite. They are mischievous and attention seekers.

They are very intelligent and best talkers and have the ability to learn things faster. These parrots are excellent pets as they are not loud like other parrot species. Rather they are amongst the quietest parrot species out there.

Did you know...

Do not keep a red-bellied parrot in a cage for a long time. They need some exercise and require a lot of space and toys in order to be entertained and happy in captivity. Spending time outside the cage also helps them to stretch their wings in a free manner.

Parrots tend to dance every now and then. There are various reasons behind the dancing of the birds. The primary reason is to attract a mate for the purpose of breeding. The secondary reason being the connection between the auditory and movement-related parts of the brain which makes them dance.

What are other common names for red-bellied parrots?

A red-bellied parrot (Poicephalus rufiventris) is also called orange-bellied parrot, red-bellied conures, African orange-bellied parrot, red-breasted parrot, and Abyssinian parrot.

Do red-bellied parrot talk?

Red-bellied parrots are the best talkers. They have a natural ability to quickly learn vocalizations. They are very intelligent and lively birds. They can make noise and imitate the sound of humans.

Their mimicking skills are excellent and can imitate any word. They can even learn a song and sing it if given proper training. They also like to whistle.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these night parrot facts and Arizona woodpecker facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our Red Bellied Lemur coloring pages.

Red-Bellied Parrot Facts

What Did They Prey On?

N/A

What Type of Animal were they?

Herbivores

Average Litter Size?

3-4 eggs

How Much Did They Weigh?

4-5 oz (113-141.7 g)

What habitat Do they Live In?

semi-arid, dry savannahs, local brushlands, woodlands

Where Do They Live?

eastern africa, ethiopia, tanzania, and kenya

How Long Were They?

8.6-9 in (21.8-23 cm)

How Tall Were They?

N/A

Class

Aves

Genus

Poicephalus

Family

Psittacidae

Scientific Name

Poicephalus rufiventris

What Do They Look Like?

Greenish and gray body with a bright orange or red belly in males and greenish belly in females, dark gray beaks

Skin Type

Feathers

What Are Their Main Threats?

eagles, hawks, falcons

What is their Conservation Status?

Least Concern
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Written by Oluniyi Akande

Doctorate specializing in Veterinary Medicine

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Oluniyi AkandeDoctorate specializing in Veterinary Medicine

With an accomplished background as a Veterinarian, SEO content writer, and public speaker, Oluniyi brings a wealth of skills and experience to his work. Holding a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Ibadan, he provides exceptional consulting services to pet owners, animal farms, and agricultural establishments. Oluniyi's impressive writing career spans over five years, during which he has produced over 5000 high-quality short- and long-form pieces of content. His versatility shines through as he tackles a diverse array of topics, including pets, real estate, sports, games, technology, landscaping, healthcare, cosmetics, personal loans, debt management, construction, and agriculture.

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Fact-checked by Pradhanya Rao

Bachelor of Commerce specializing in Marketing and HR

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Pradhanya RaoBachelor of Commerce specializing in Marketing and HR

With a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Christ University, Bangalore, Pradhanya's passion for the English language and literature led her to explore the field of content writing, where she has gained extensive experience in writing, reviewing, editing, and fact-checking. She has also earned certifications in Google Ads Search, Google Ads Display, and Social Media Marketing, showcasing her proficiency in digital marketing.

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