The Pionus Parrot has lots of incredible qualities that make it an excellent overall pet.
If you are interested in keeping a bird, this one is a wonderful choice.
Appearance
This bird measures anywhere from 10 to 12 inches and weighs up to 10 ounces. It is mostly green, sometimes with a blue head and some red feathers. These birds are fairly large but do not have an intimidating look to them at all.
Pionus Parrot Lifespan
This parrot has a total lifespan of around 25 years if it is properly taken care of.
Types of Pionus Parrots
There are a couple of different types of Pinous Parrots that you’ll want to know about before making a decision on one in particular.
- Scaly-headed parrot: The Scaly-Headed parrot can grow up to 10 ounces and is mostly green with some red feathers under its tail. This bird is part of a decreasing population throughout Argetina, Bolivia, and Paraguay.
- Blue headed parrot: The Blue-Headed Parrot has a green body and a blue head, exactly as the name suggests. It is slightly smaller than the scaly-headed parrot, growing up to only 8.9 ounces.
The Pionus Parrots Personality
This type of parrot does not particularly enjoy being handled by its owners. This is definitely the kind of bird that is best enjoyed from a distance. It makes for an excellent pet if you have small children, as long as you don’t let them handle it at all.
These birds can be quite standoffish, especially when they are introduced to a new environment for the first time. You might have to be a bit patient while the bird adjusts to all of the new people around it.
If you have any other birds that make a lot of noise, you should not put them near this parrot, at least for a while. It needs to be eased into its new situation as smoothly as possible. Putting a lot of stress on your bird all at once can cause it to self-harm, which is never a good thing.
It is definitely going to take some time for you to build up trust with this bird, but in the end it will be well worth it.
Natural Habitat
These parrots can be found throughout regions of South and Central America. They favor mountainous, savannah, and forested areas. Their populations have been steadily declining over the years due to the encroachment of humans.
Pionus Parrot Care Guide
1. Pionus Parrot Diet
These parrots eat a combination of berries, fruits, seeds, and blossoms. You can go with a seed-only diet, but you will have to supplement it with calcium and vitamin A.
A formulated diet that consists of all of the above foods is best for your bird, as it will meet all of their nutritional requirements. You also need to make sure that your bird gets plenty of grains on a daily basis.
Another reason that only feeding your bird seeds is a bad idea is because it can get bored of eating the same thing over and over again. Giving it a variety of foods will keep it healthy and encourage it to keep eating.
Some of the best foods to supplement your bird’s diet include cherries, grapes, bananas, oranges, blueberries, and strawberries. These fruits are packed with vitamins that your bird needs to stay healthy.
2. Environment
If you are going to keep a Pionus Parrot in your home, you should have a cage with a cage that measures at least 24 by 24 by 32. The bars on the cage should be no more than ¾” apart from each other.
Once your Pionus becomes acclimated to its new environment, a walk-in aviary outside is ideal. You will, however, need to keep the aviary at the right temperature. These birds cannot tolerate temperatures below 41 degrees Fahrenheit.
Make sure that the parrot’s enclosure has various toys, perches, chains, bells, and ropes that will keep it occupied. These are fairly social birds, which means that they require a good amount of mental stimulation.
3. Common Health Problems
These birds are prone to developing fungal infections, which can be quite serious if they are not treated properly and right away. Aspergillosis is another type of infection that this bird can get.
One of the reasons that diet is so crucial for these birds is because they tend to be vitamin A deficient. This can cause major health problems over time, so you’ll need to supplement with the right foods. Foods like carrots, sweet potatoes and broccoli will all provide your bird with the vitamin A it needs to remain healthy over time.
4. Grooming
You should keep this bird’s wings trimmed to discourage flight. This will significantly decrease the chances of your bird flying out an open window when it gets out of its enclosure.
There is a chance that the bird’s beak will also have to be trimmed. If you start to notice it growing too long or in a strange way, you’ll need to take your bird to the vet right away.
Pionus Parrot Price
A Pionus Parrot will cost you anywhere from $200 to $900, depending on which kind you want.
Conclusion
- The Pionus Parrot can easily live up to 25 years in captivity if it is taken care of properly in all the right ways.
- There are a couple of different parrots in this family that look fairly similar to each other.
- This bird has a fairly standoffish personality and can be quite shy, especially when it is enters into a new environment.
- You will need to be patient while your bird adapts to its new surroundings.
- An outdoor aviary is really the best place for one of these birds, but you can also keep it in a large indoor cage.
- Make certain that your bird has all sorts of toys, ladders, perches, whistles and other things to stimulate it throughout each day.
- Keep a close eye on your bird’s nails and beak to make sure that they aren’t growing too long or in a strange way.
