How long do pionus parrots live? Parrots are lifetime partners; like some species, Pionus can keep you company for a quarter of a century. Sure, they can be easily out-talked by the Amazon parrots, but did you know that they make great pets? They’re considered one of the best-kept secrets in the bird pet industry.
They’re easy to maintain, and many parrot lovers can do anything to keep them alive for years. But have you ever asked yourself what I can do to improve our Pionus parrot’s lifespan? Can my parrot live for over three decades? For answers to these questions, please read on.
Key Takeaways
Pionus are unique creatures that make great pets. Their ability to learn to talk while mimicking a wide range of voices makes it a well-kept secret. They are exceptional parrots that can live for over a quarter of a century if you take care of them. And to elongate their lifespan, you should do the following:
- Feed it a proper diet with low cholesterol levels. Their meal should be 20% grains and pellets and 80% fruits and veggies.
- Please take it to the vet for its annual checkup and when sick, make sure you take it to the vet and get the proper medication for the problem.
- Socialize with your pet. The pionus may not be as vocal as their amazon counterparts, but they can learn how to mimic your voice and talk.
But most importantly, get your pet a companion. Remember, you can’t spend an entire day with your pionus. So by getting it a companion, you will help lower its stress levels and ensure that it has someone to talk and play with instead of being in solitary confinement. So if you want it to outlive you, you should try the above tips.
Pionus parrots are known for living for up to 25 years in captivity, but some have even reached over 40 years. You can improve its lifespan by feeding it a balanced diet, which includes mimicking what they feed in the wild. Remember, vet visits can help you stay on top of your health.
Are you a first-time parrot owner and want to adopt a pionus as your starter bird? Well, in this article, you’re in luck; we’ll show you how long Pionus parrots live. We’ll also show you what you must do to guarantee that your Pionus parrot will live for over 25 years. Remember, these birds make great life companions. So let’s dive right in.
How Long Do Pionus Parrots Live?
Generally, parrots can live for an average of 20 years, but Pionus parrots are known for living longer, especially in captivity. People need to find out how long Pionus parrots live in the wild. After all, several factors can determine their lifespan in the wild.
Some of the critical factors that play a crucial role in the lifespan of these birds in the wild include diet, predation, and destruction of their environment. Lack of food has forced most of them to migrate, and in the process, some have ended up not living for over a decade.
Therefore, determining the exact lifespan of these parrots in the wild can be quite challenging. But in captivity, they are believed to live for up to 35 years. Some have been known for attaining a maximum of 60 years.
Therefore, pet owners do everything humanly possible to increase the lifespan of their pets. And in captivity, they can avoid all the dangers in the wild while consuming a balanced diet that resembles what they consume in the wild. Proper maintenance, diet, and regular vet visits can play a crucial role in how long your pet will live.
So now that you know how long Pionus parrots live, you need to find out what you can do to guarantee that your pet will live for over 25 years.
How to Improve Pionus Lifespan
Most pionus parrots, including the Blue-headed pionus, are quiet and popular pets known for being affectionate. Unfortunately, they are not known for their talking capabilities. If you want a parrot that can talk when bonding, you should stay away from pionus parrots.
Instead, there are several ways you can bond with a pionus; you can teach it to sound some words while whistling. Remember, bonding can give your pet the need to live longer. To improve the lifespan of your Pionus parrot, you should do the following:
Proper Diet for Pionus Parrot
A balanced diet can improve your pet’s immunity, making it possible for its body to deal with several illnesses that could have shortened its lifespan. For instance, in captivity, these birds are susceptible to aspergillosis, vitamin A deficiency, and obesity.
Therefore, knowing some of these common illnesses can help you prepare a diet plan and protect your pet from these illnesses. Your pet’s diet is the key reason some parrots in captivity only live for over 20 years.
You should also avoid feeding them high–fat foods. Unfortunately, pet stores tend to sell banana chips fried in oil with high-fat levels that can leave your pet with high cholesterol issues.
Generally, your pet’s diet should feature 80% fresh veggies, fruits, and seeds. 20% of their diet should include pellets and grains. But most importantly, you should feed it clean and fresh foods sliced into small and manageable pieces. Washing these veggies can help you eliminate bacteria and germs that may have harmed your pet.
For instance, instead of pre-packaged seed mixes, you can feed your pet sprouting seeds with lower fat levels and more nutrients, including chlorophyll, enzymes, proteins, minerals, and vitamins. Safflower and sunflower seeds have high-fat levels, so you should avoid them at all costs. A balanced diet guarantees your pet has everything it needs to fend off any illness.
Exercise
It’s so easy for us to get stuck in our day-to-day life and forget that our parrots need to work out too. After all, they need some time outside their cages; remember, when in the wild, they’re free to roam around, so you should give them more time at the exercise gym. Getting little to no exercise can hurt your parrot’s overall health.
Therefore, if you want your feathered pal to live long, you should ensure that it gets the needed workout every day. Exercise can also help improve mood while helping burn extra calories. So make sure the cage has a perch, swing, and a separate workout gym. Several toys can give your pet the needed workout.
Some unique toys, like the ten-piece bird training toys, can give your pet the needed workout. They can also help you train your pet in a few tricks. Remember, wing flapping is also a great workout. So you can teach your parrot to flap its wings on command.
Socialize With Your Pionus Parrot
Pionus parrots are intelligent, friendly, and loving creatures that may not bond with you quickly. But once they do, you have a friend for a better part of your life. Socializing with them can help reduce stress. Sure they don’t talk like the Amazon parrots, but they can quickly learn to speak. So you can use the training sessions to socialize with your parrot.
They love playing with their toys and learning new tricks; therefore, they crave your attention. It would be best if you took some time to play with your parrot and talk to it every evening after work and before leaving the house. Quality social time can give your pet the desire to live a very long time.
Vet Visits
Regular vet visits are mandatory for our pets; you should take them for checkups as soon as you adopt them. The first checkup will help you determine if they have any underlying medical issues. It will also help you create your medical history; if it has any underlying health issue, the vet can advise you on how to handle it.
Don’t get me wrong, if the breeder didn’t disclose an underlying illness when you adopted your bird; then you have a right to return it to them. Fortunately, some conditions are manageable, and if well maintained, your pet can live very long.
Other than that, you should take your pet for a checkup at an exotic animal vet and have him examine your pet once a year. When you notice that it Is unwell, you should be the first person to take it to the vet and have it treated. Remember, your main goal is to create a lifetime companion, so you should be ready to take care of it, especially when it is unwell.
Get Your Pionus Parrots in Pairs.
Even though they don’t require too much attention, adopting a single parrot can be pretty lonely, especially if you’re away for the entire day. Parrots can get stressed, so they can express it in several ways. Some can pluck their feathers, while others can remain silent or become aggressive.
Therefore, you need a way for your pet to lower its stress levels, and one of the best solutions is always to adopt them in pairs. Opposite-sex parrots can bond quickly and keep each other company when you’re not around.
Suppose you already have other birds in your aviary. In that case, you can gradually adopt your pionus and introduce it to the other birds. Remember, when living in a group, they are less likely to become stressed and can live longer.
Small Things Can Have a Huge Impact on Your Parrot’s Life.
When it comes to improving the life of your pet, you need to understand that it’s about more than just spending a considerable amount of money. Feeding them high-quality food can play a vital role in the longevity of their life, but a simple thing like socializing with them for a few minutes. Ensuring it works out daily when you’re at home can hugely impact its life.
So don’t let your pet stay in a small cage all day long; give it more time outside and let it have fun. Plus, the size of the cage matters a lot; remember, a vast cage can leave him feeling lonely, and a small one will leave it crowded. You should get the right size of cage with everything our pet needs.
A simple thing like changing its snacks can motivate it to eat healthier foods can also help a lot. You should try and rotate its snacks with season and availability.
How Long Does White-Capped Pionus Live?
The white-capped pionus are intelligent, curious, and beautiful creatures that make great pets, but not for everyone. And that’s because there is a lifetime commitment. These birds have been known to live for over three decades, so if you need more time to be ready for a lifetime commitment, you should stay away from these parrots.
Fortunately, they can develop a vocabulary if well-taught, so you should use these tips to improve your pet’s lifespan.
Conclusion
How long do pionus parrots live? The straight answer is that they can live for over 25 years. But some species have been known to live for over 40 years, especially when well-taken care of and provided with a healthy diet. Remember, they don’t have to deal with all the challenges found in the wild. And if you mimic what they naturally consume in the wild, they should live for a very long time.
It would be best if you also eliminated any stressor factor around it, which means socializing with it and even giving it a companion. Some unique toys can help kill boredom; they’re intelligent creatures that can learn to speak. Another crucial factor is always remembering regular vet visits. These visits can help the vet detect an illness early on and deal with it before it becomes a problem. But with proper preparations and determination, your parrot may outlive you.
You may also be interested in
- Wikipedia contributors, Pionus, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pionus/ accessed January 3, 2023.
- Rus Shade, The practical pionus: pet pionus parrots, https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=D3AvCXi0zMIC&pg=PA86&dq=pionus+parrots+lifespan&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi0lrO2j6b8AhU-UKQEHVUbCWkQ6wF6BAgJEAE#v=onepage&q=pionus%20parrots%20lifespan&f=false/ accessed January 3, 2023.
- Pippa Elliott, How to Feed a Pionus Parrot, https://www.wikihow.pet/Feed-a-Pionus-Parrot/ accessed January 3, 2023.
- Amazon Contributor, 10 Pieces Bird Training Toys, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093336T52?tag=misscatfood-20/ accessed January 3, 2023.
- Rob Marshall, A guide to Eclectus parrots as pet and aviary birds, https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=iABRDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA109&dq=parrots+and+stress&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi9j5L9jbP8AhW0U6QEHXhQCLIQ6AF6BAgIEAI#v=onepage&q=parrots%20and%20stress&f=false/ accessed January 3, 2023.