Fun Senegal Parrot Facts For Kids

Senegal parrots (Poicephalus senegalus) are small, colorful birds belonging to the Psittaciformes family. These birds are comparatively smaller than most parrots and are also unique in terms of appearance and characteristics. They have a unique color mix on their body. Starting with a grey charcoal head and beak, green-colored feathers on the back, and a bright yellow-colored v-shape abdomen. Poicephalus senegalus also makes a great pet, if you buy it from a pet store instead of getting a wild one. The pet store parrots are very easy to tame. It is easy to take care of these birds, all they need is a huge cage and a proper diet. The food in the Senegal parrot's diet is very common and can be easily found. A Senegal parrot's cage should be large so that it gives them their space and helps them not having a nippy nature. In the wild, the Senegal parrot life expectancy is around 25-30 years, whereas when one keeps a Senegal parrot as pets in good care, their lifespan can extend up to 50 years.

Although they are adored by many and are a popular pet choice, farmers do not look at them in the same light. The birds are believed to destroy crops, and thus farmers call them farmland pests.

So, keep reading to learn more interesting Senegal parrot information.

Are you interested to learn more about such interesting animals? Check out the myna bird and the yellow warbler.
 

What type of animal is a Senegal parrot?

Belonging to the Psittaciformes family, Senegal parrots (Poicephalus senegalus), just as the name suggests, are a type of parrot. Although this parrot species looks quite intimidating, in reality, they are very friendly and playful.

What class of animal does a Senegal parrot belong to?

Senegal parrots belong to the Aves class of animal. Compared to their small size, the little birds are quite mature and thus are very easy to train.

How many Senegal parrots are there in the world?

It is difficult to say the exact number of Senegal parrots (Poicephalus senegalus) in the world. They are very common in Central and North Africa. But in the last three decades, bird trading has taken a rise. Statistics suggest that almost 3 million Senegal parrots have been removed from the wild, making it the most traded bird in the world.

Where does a Senegal parrot live?

These parrots are very common in all parts of Africa, but mostly in North and Central Africa. More precisely, they are found in open forests and Savanna woodlands. They make nests in the tree cavities. However, they do not stay inside the forest only, sometimes they fly to the nearest farmland and are notorious crop destroyers. Thus, the local farmers consider these birds as pests.

What is a Senegal parrot's habitat?

As mentioned previously, Senegal parrots can be found all across the African land, mostly in the North and Central area. These birds also migrate within the country in search of food.

Who do Senegal parrots live with?

The shy yet friendly birds are mostly found in pairs or in a group. However, these parrots can have adverse reactions towards a newly met member of the same species. It is recommended to slowly introduce two birds and keep them under observation until they grow comfortable in one another's presence. For keeping other bird species, Senegal parrot owners may also use the same method to get them habituated.

How long does a Senegal parrot live?

In its natural habitat, the Senegal parrot's lifespan falls somewhere around 25-30 years. Their lives can be expanded to 50 years if they are kept as pets and, of course, in good care.

How do they reproduce?

The female Senegal parrots mature at the age of two years, while the male birds mature at the age of three years old. However, they do not breed until the age of six or seven years old.

There is very little information available about the Senegal parrot breeding process of these wild birds. All that has been discovered to date is that a female Senegal parrot lays a single clutch of eggs after mating with the male bird in the month of September to November. Their average litter size is around two to four. It means that the female bird lay around between two and four eggs at one time. After this, the eggs go through an incubation period of 25-28 days. At the end of the incubation period, the eggs hatch, and young birds take birth.

What is their conservation status?

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) conservation status of these birds is Least Concerned. However, the African Senegal parrot, even though very commonly found, the growing trading trend is becoming a major threat to their existence. Alongside this, habitat destruction is also playing a major role in their decline.

What do Senegal parrots look like?

The small species of parrots are also popularly called the yellow-vented parrot (Poicephalus senegalus). The otherwise colorful parrot can come across as a very intimidating bird. However, this species of parrots are mostly shy. They have a charcoal grey head and beak, green-colored feathers in its back, and bright yellow-colored feathers in its v-shape belly. They also have yellow irises, which contributes to their assumably scary look.

How cute are they?

As far as their appearance is concerned, this species of parrot is very colorful and cute looking. But that's not only about it. A Senegal parrot's personality is bound to become a major factor that contributes to their initial cuteness. It has also been seen that Senegals love to cuddle, and this makes them even more heartwarming. This is an affectionate bird, friendly and great as pets too. Their continuous chatter can be very adorable as well.

How do they communicate?

The bird uses a range of whistling and squawking calls as their means of communication. Similar to any other species of parrot, the Senegal parrot can 'talk' as well. However, they are believed to be blessed with less talkative abilities than their other cousins. Even though to some people Senegal parrot talking can seem very exciting, it simply repeats the words that it hears. Similarly, you can also train it to say certain words.

How big is a Senegal parrot?

The Senegals are small birds. They are 9in (22.86cm) long, and weigh around 0.24-0.28 lb (0.11-0.13 kg). The bird is almost four times smaller than the largest parrot, the hyacinth macaw.

How fast can a Senegal parrot fly?

The exact speed of this bird is not known.

How much does a Senegal parrot weigh?

A Senegal parrot's size is not much. They are small birds weighing around 0.24-0.28 lb (0.11-0.13 kg).

What are their male and female names of the species?

The Senegals do not have different names for the male bird and the female bird. Thus, both are called Senegal parrots (Poicephalus senegalus), irrespective of sex.

What would you call a baby Senegal parrot?

There is no specific name for the young bird. Thus it goes by the name of the parent species. In this case, it is a parrot. A young bird is called a chick.

What do they eat?

Fruit seeds and blossoms, grains, fruits, figs, peanuts make a huge part of the diet of these herbivores. In search of food at times, they fly to the nearest farmlands and destroy the corps. This is why they are also considered pests. As we already know, Senegal parrot food can be easily found while keeping them as pets.

Are they friendly?

The Senegals are very friendly birds and make a great pet as well. But needy Senegals can be nippy Senegals. They are likely to bite you if they don't get their way.

Also, even though they are friendly towards human beings, the same cannot be said about their counterparts. They take some time to adjust to each other's presence and live together peacefully. If you decide to keep them as pets, it is imperative to take proper care of their health and diet.

Would they make a good pet?

Senegal parrots would make a good pet. It is not very hard to take care of them, which makes them the ideal pet for a slightly experienced bird owner. All it takes is a comparatively large-scale cage, where the bird can freely roam. Their diet also consists of things that are easily available. However, they do not come cheap. The Senegal parrot usually costs around $600-$800, with some Senegal parrot prices being even more.

Did you know...

Poicephalus parrots are among the most common and popular pet that comes under the Poicephalus species.

In 1975, many cities gave export permission for these birds. During the 1980s and the 1990s, trading reached its peak. Now with 3 million wild Senegals traded in a span of 3 decades, this has become the most traded animal in the world.

Can you tame a wild Senegal parrot?

While these birds are really friendly and cuddly, taming a wild one certainly is neither a good choice nor an easy job. However, the ones sold in pet stores can be easily tamed and made into great pets. It is also easy to take care of them, given that they would only need a large cage to live freely.

How does a Senegal parrot sound like?

Senegal parrot sounds quite good, although they are not among the best impersonating parrots. They mostly prefer to stay quiet but use whistles or make squawking sounds as a means of communication. Screaming is not a part of their character. Their mellow squawking sounds would not annoy any of your neighbors, for sure.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including Meyer's parrot and the blue and yellow macaw.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our Senegal parrot coloring pages.