Senegalese parrots: features, rules of keeping and breeding

The Senegalese Long-winged Parrot is a beautiful, bright, friendly and quick-witted bird. As a rule, you quickly get used to any pet, and every owner wants his friend to live as long as possible. The Senegalese parrot can live at home for several decades. In order to prolong the life of the bird as much as possible, its owner must follow some rules of keeping.

This parrot is an exotic pet native to the western part of the African continent. The length of its body reaches 25 cm, and its weight is 170 g. The body of the parrot is strong, and the tail is short and wide. Most often, green individuals are found, only the lower abdomen may have yellowish or orange plumage. The head is usually large, dark gray in color.

Chicks are faded in color. Males are larger than females, they have a wide flat head and brighter brow ridges.

The advantage of this pet is quick adaptation to changing surroundings and getting used to the owner. The breed belongs to the speaking species, but the Senegalese parrot cannot boast of a large vocabulary. However, it is easy to train and can perform some circus tricks. On average, these parrots live 20-30 years, but there are real centenarians who have lived up to 40 years.

Bird watchers classify the Senegalese breed into three subspecies.

• Senegalus. Nominal subspecies. Individuals are distinguished by a yellow belly.
• Mesotypus. It is characterized by a more delicate color, orange feathers in the abdomen are more pronounced.
• Versteri. These birds are darker in color, with a red-orange belly.

To make the acquired bird feel comfortable, the owner is required to familiarize himself with the basic rules of content.

• Parrots should sleep for about 10 hours a day, so the optimal daylight hours for a feathered pet should be 14 hours. In the summer there is enough natural light, and in the winter you should definitely use artificial lamps. In this case, even a regular desk lamp will do.
• In the room where the parrot is kept, the temperature should always be between 18 and 30 degrees Celsius. For the animal, sudden changes in temperature, drafts and low humidity are dangerous.
• The minimum cell size is 80x90x80 cm. Experts recommend buying rectangular cells. It is worth paying attention to how securely the cage is locked. Senegalese parrots are very intelligent birds and can easily open the door with their beak if it is locked with simple hooks and latches.
• Usually, feeders are already equipped in a purchased cage, so there is no need to purchase them separately. However, you need to adapt a small container for small pebbles, with which the bird will grind food. When choosing a drinker, it is better to give preference to metal or wooden products, since plastic options quickly deteriorate.

It is also recommended to additionally secure the drinker with wire so that the parrot cannot disconnect and drop it.

Senegalese love to take a bath, so a metal container of warm water should be placed in the cage. It is necessary to install the bath in such a way that the feathered resident cannot overturn it.

When choosing paraphernalia for the cage, special attention should be paid to perches and toys. The perches should have a diameter that is comfortable for the parrot. It is better to refuse thin products and perches made of soft wood. There is no need to set up too many poles, as the bird will have nowhere to turn around in the cage.

The most essential toys are a swing, a mirror, rattles and bells. It is necessary to select such products that will be convenient for the parrot by weight.

Don't forget about rigging your cage mineral stone, which is necessary for grinding the claws and beak. Also, instead of a stone, twigs and tree bark are suitable.

When choosing a feathered pet home, you should give preference to young individuals up to 6 months old, since they are easier to tame. Senegals easily distinguish people and quickly become attached to their owner. In addition, these are jealous animals, so it is better not to settle Senegal along with other breeds of birds. Despite the small vocabulary, the Senegalese parrot pronounces phrases quite clearly and clearly, it conveys the emotions and intonation of the speaker well.

When keeping a parrot, special attention is paid to its feeding. These birds should not eat protein foods, so you should not offer your pet eggs, bread, cheese. Also, do not overuse nuts - from them the parrot can gain weight, which will lead to serious health problems. You need to buy specialized food for medium-sized parrots - usually all the substances necessary for the full development of birds are balanced in them. Often feeds include millet, oats, canary seed, vitamins A, D, E, and group B.

You also need to add vegetables, fruits, berries to the parrot's menu, systematically offer grass and twigs, birch sap. In nature, individuals love to feast on flowers, but at home you should beware of such feeding, since many indoor flowers are poisonous to animals. At least once a day, it is necessary to change the water for the parrot, and it is better to pour fresh water every time pieces of food get into the drinker. The water temperature should be about 20 degrees Celsius. In hot weather, do not water your feathered friend with cold water, so as not to provoke a cold in the parrot.

Parrots need vitamins - they can also be purchased at the pet store, but it is better to consult a veterinarian beforehand. Vitamins are added to food or water. Also, to maintain health, it is required to purchase special ultraviolet lamps. Heating equipment is of particular importance among artificial lamps.

If it was not possible to find a special lamp for birds, then you can warm Senegal under a regular incandescent lamp, but you should not place the lamp closer than 50 cm. It is especially important to warm up the parrot during periods of illness and stress, for example, when moving.

To protect furniture from bird droppings, you can place your pet's favorite toys and a roost in the corner of the room - then cleaning will only be required in one corner. There is no need to let out a parrot that has just been brought into the house until he gets used to the new owner and the change of scenery.

Reproduction of individuals is possible when they reach the age of two. In order for the female to lay eggs, it is required to hang a 45x20x25 cm nest box in the cage.The entrance to the nest should be approximately 2.5 cm in size.

During the mating season in nature, the male dances a dance in front of his lady of the heart, demonstrates his singing skills, spreads his wings behind his back and shows feathers on the back of his head. The female cannot resist such a persistent partner. Usually a female parrot lays 3-5 eggs, which incubate for 22-24 days. At this time, the future father protects his family, brings food to his beloved.

If it so happens that the chicks are left without parents, then the owner takes them for artificial feeding. Before the plumage of babies, the temperature of the nesting site should be 33 degrees Celsius, and the temperature of the forage mass - 39 degrees. To achieve warmth in the nest, you can put it on a heating pad, but it is important to periodically control the temperature - a few minutes of overheating can lead to the death of the chicks. Sometimes it is worth sprinkling the nesting area with clean water to maintain moisture in the bird's dwelling.

In the first week of life, little Senegals are fed baby food (without milk), which is diluted to a liquid puree. You can supplement the substance with apple and carrot juice or grind a piece of boiled yolk. Chicks start eating on their own at about 3-3.5 months.

Senegalese parrot owners speak well of their pets. With proper care and a trusting relationship with the owner, parrots are able to perform acrobatic acts, for example, ride a miniature bicycle. Few owners decide to breed, and those who tried to feed the chick on their own are disappointed with the complexity of this process. Unfortunately, artificial feeding at home with inexperienced owners rarely ends with success.

All about Senegalese parrots, see the next video.