Bird Guide

POICEPHALUS

Perhaps the most popular member of this genus is the Senegal. Members of this genus are from Africa. While they are not as loud as cockatoos or macaws they are louder than cockatiels. They are a good choice for those living in an apartment. They are extremely intelligent. Most Poicephalus enjoy being misted. They love to chew so make sure that you give the plenty of  toys they could destroy or fresh safe branches to chew on.

 

Senegals are very good pets. Intelligent, they also have a tendency to react strongly to change in either their routine or environment. They make excellent pets for the more experienced owner. If this is to be a family pet, make sure that every member of the family handles them because they tend to become one person birds otherwise. While they are capable of talking, they are better at mimicking sounds instead. When buying a baby it is important to make sure that they were removed from the nest before their eyes were open. Make sure that they were properly socialized otherwise you may have problems later. Some Senegals may go through a nippy period when they are young. They are around 8 inches in length and weigh around 110-140 grams. There are some very large Senegals as well that are as big as 10 inches in length.

Grey-headed Parrot or Uncapped Parrot are becoming rarer and rarer in the wild. In some areas they are already extinct. They are high energy bird who enjoy chewing. Friendly and gentle they are also very affectionate and love being cuddled. In 2001 DNA research proved tat Uncaps are separate species from the Caped parrot that they closely resemble. They are around 11-13 inches in length and weigh around 300-350 grams.

 Jardines are easy-going with great personalities. They are capable of talking and are great mimics of sounds. They are not really sexually dimorphic though sometimes the female has slightly brighter plumage and the iris is more brown. They are around 10-12 inches in length and weigh around 180-220 grams. They are sometimes called the African Amazons, but they are not moody like Amazons could be. They love to play on their backs and even play games under the newspaper.

Meyer's or Brown Parrot are extremely intelligent and curious. They are the elite of explorers needing to explore their entire environment. Their talking ability isn't as good as some of the other Poicephalus. They make a good choice for people living in an apartment. They are around 8-9 inches in length and weigh around 100-140 grams.

Red-bellies or African Orange-bellied parrot are excellent pets, good natured they also love showing off. They are not noisy and even when they talk they talk in soft voices. They love to play and they play hard. They love toys they could swing on or bat about. They are sexually dimorphic, the females have green bellies while the males have the red or orange bellies. It takes around 1 year before they reach their full adult coloration. They need a more experienced owner because sometimes they like to bully their owners. They also go through a nippy period when they are younger.

Interesting fact: 1) Jardines make a growling sound when they feel threatened or scared.