Senegalese parrots: features, rules of keeping and breeding

Senegalese long-winged parrot is a beautiful, bright, friendly and quick-witted representative of birds. As a rule, you quickly get used to any pet, and every owner wants his friend to live as long as possible. Senegalese parrot can live at home for several decades. In order to maximize the life of a bird, its owner must comply with certain rules of maintenance.

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

Nestlings differ in faded coloring. Males are larger than females, they have a wide flat head and brighter superciliary arches.

The advantage of this pet is a quick adaptation to the change of environment and getting used to the owner. The breed belongs to the speaking species, but the Senegalese parrot cannot boast with a large supply of words. However, he is easily trained and can perform some circus tricks. On average, these parrots live for 20-30 years, but there are real long-livers, who have lived up to 40 years.

Ornithologists classify the Senegalese breed into three subspecies.

• Senegalus. The nominal subspecies. Individuals have a yellow belly.
• Mesotypus. It is characterized by a more delicate color, orange feathers in the abdomen are more pronounced.
• Versteri. These birds have a darker shade, their belly is red-orange in color.

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

• Sleeping parrots should last about 10 hours a day, so the optimal light day for a feathered pet should be 14 hours. In the summer there is enough natural light, and in the winter it is necessary to use artificial lamps. In this case, even the usual desk lamp will do.
• In the room where the parrot is kept, there should always be a temperature ranging from 18 to 30 degrees Celsius. Sharp temperature drops, drafts and low humidity are dangerous for the animal.
• The minimum cell size is 80x90x80 cm. Experts recommend buying rectangular cells. It is worth paying attention to how securely the cell 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 the feeders are already equipped in the purchase 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 watering device, it is better to give preference to metal or wooden products, as the plastic options deteriorate quickly.

It is also recommended to additionally fix the trough with wire so that the parrot cannot detach it and drop it.

Senegalese like to take a bath, so you must put in a metal cage with warm water.It is necessary to install the bath in such a way that the feathered tenant could not overturn it.

Choosing paraphernalia for the cage, special attention should be paid to perches and toys. Perches should have a diameter convenient for a parrot. It is better to abandon the thin products and poles made of soft wood. You do not need to install too many poles, as the bird will have nowhere to turn in a cage.

Of the toys most needed are a swing, a pocket mirror, rattles and bells. It is necessary to select such products that will be convenient for the parrot in weight.

Do not forget to snap the cells mineral stonewhich is necessary for grinding claws and beak. Also, instead of a stone fit twigs and bark of trees.

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

Particular attention when keeping a parrot is given to its feeding. These birds should not eat protein food, so you should not offer your pet eggs, bread, cheese. Also, do not abuse the nuts - from them the parrot can grow fat, which will lead to serious health problems. You need to buy specialized feed for medium parrots - usually all the substances necessary for the full development of the birds are balanced in them. Often feed includes millet, oats, canary seed, vitamins A, D, E and group B.

You also need to add vegetables, fruits, berries to the parrot menu, systematically offer weed and twigs, birch sap. In nature, individuals like to feast on flowers, but at home they should beware of such feeding, as many indoor flowers are poisonous to animals. At least once a day, it is necessary to change the water to a parrot, and it is better to pour fresh water every time, as pieces of food hit the drinker. Water temperature should be about 20 degrees Celsius. In hot weather, you should not give the feathered friend drink 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 with a veterinarian in advance. Vitamins are added to food or water. Also, to maintain health is required to purchase special UV lamps. Among artificial lamps, heating equipment is of particular importance.

If a special bird lamp could not be found, then you can warm Senegal under an ordinary incandescent lamp, but do not place the lamp closer than 50 cm. It is especially important to warm the parrot during the period of illness and stress, for example, when moving.

To protect the furniture from bird droppings, you can arrange favorite pet toys and roost in the corner of the room - then cleaning will be required only in one corner. You do not need to release a parrot just brought into the house until it 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 necessary to hang a nesting box in the cage, measuring 45x20x25 cm. 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 singing skills, spreads wings behind his back and shows feathers on the back of his head. The female can not resist such an insistent partner. Usually a parrot-girl lays 3-5 eggs, which incubates for 22-24 days.At this time, the future father protects his family, brings food to his beloved.

If it turned out that the chicks were left without parents, the owner takes them to artificial feeding. Before the plumage of babies, the nesting temperature should be 33 degrees Celsius, and the temperature of the forage mass should be 39 degrees. To achieve heat in the nest, you can put it on a heating pad, but it is important to periodically monitor the temperature - a few minutes of overheating can lead to the death of the chicks. Sometimes it is worth sprinkling the nesting place with clean water to maintain the humidity in the bird's dwelling.

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

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

All about Senegalese parrots, see the following video.