How many years does a parrot live at home?

02/07/2019 Drozd Nikolaevich Animals


The parrot is one of those birds that live quite a long time. Zoologists usually give a figure between twenty and forty years. However, among these birds there are also real long-livers. A parrot living at home and receiving a sufficient amount of vitamins and microelements naturally feels much better than its wild relatives.

Budgerigar

In the wild, this species lives at most eight years, but at home its life expectancy doubles. In addition, today there is a record of life expectancy for a long-lived budgerigar of twenty-one years.

This is a fairly sociable poultry that is very popular with young children. The compact size of budgerigars allows them to be kept in any city apartment. The future owner can choose any color he likes. After all, the variety of colors of these amazing birds is simply impressive.

Their distinctive feature is their fairly high intelligence. All parrots are usually very sociable, easily finding a common language both with other pets and with their own owners. As a rule, if there are two birds in a cage, they communicate with each other with pleasure. If the bird is alone, its companions automatically become a person, a cat, a dog or any other animal. While easily learning to talk, the budgerigar does not follow logic and cannot maintain a conversation.

Cockatoo parrot

Handsome cockatoos are considered the recognized leaders in life expectancy among their relatives. Today, the record of a long-lived parrot is known, having lived for one hundred and twenty years. It was a Great Yellow-crested Cockatoo from Sydney, Australia. According to other unconfirmed data, a bird of this species also reached its maximum life expectancy, but only from the London Zoo. According to sources, the feathered pet named Koki died at the age of one hundred and forty-two years.

At home, this long-lived parrot lives for at least fifty years. Moreover, this indicator very often depends on the size of the bird. For example, the yellow-eared cockatoo has a body length of sixty centimeters and is considered quite small. While the white-crested, Moluccan and pink ones reach sizes of seventy centimeters. Accordingly, their life expectancy ranges from seventy to eighty years.

These beautiful birds are extremely independent. Among parrots, long-livers are quite common. They can treat one family member positively, regularly showing their sympathy, and show causeless aggression towards others. In the wild, cockatoos live in groups of twenty individuals. Therefore, they need constant communication and cannot stand loneliness. Cockatoo owners often notice that their pets are touchy.

How long does a parrot live in captivity?

The child asks to buy a parrot. But you already had different pets and some of them have already died, causing a lot of grief to everyone in the household. If you are wondering “How long does a parrot live?”, our article is just for you: it will introduce you to the secrets of longevity of parrots. We hope you will find them useful, and your feathered friends will delight your family for a very long time.

Budgerigar

How long do small, restless, colorful birds - budgies - live? In the wild, their lifespan is short - about 5 years. Experts say that in captivity this species of parrot can live on average from 10 to 15 years. With more careful care and in the absence of diseases - up to 20 years. This difference in life expectancy is due to the care and protection that a person can provide.

What does the concept of “thorough care” include?

1. In addition to proper nutrition and timely treatment, budgies require attention to themselves, communication with humans and an active lifestyle. Budgies need to fly, so let them out of their cage for a while every day. Otherwise, the birds may get sick.

2. Never bathe your pet, especially with soap - this will harm him. It is better to place a small container of water in the cage - budgies sometimes like to splash around in the water.

3. Being around other animals in the house can be detrimental to budgerigars. The cat is enemy number 1 for them. Even if you are absolutely sure that the cat will not get to the bird, its presence makes the parrots so nervous that they can die from severe stress even at an early age. We can say with confidence: how long a parrot lives depends to a greater extent on the care and attention of the owner than on the average life expectancy of the bird.

4. Care for the parrot's cage should be weekly.

How long do African Gray parrots live?

These cute African gray parrots live, according to some zoologists, up to 50 years. Like other species of parrots, they are very sensitive to the quality of their care and living conditions. In addition, the owner needs to monitor certain aspects of their daily life to avoid poisoning. As long as a parrot lives with people, it has to be exposed to the danger that even accidental contact with substances potentially harmful to them poses to birds. Let's consider the main risk factors:

  • Nicotine is a harmful substance that causes coma and death in parrots. Hide cigarettes, ashtrays and cigarette butts - and the bird will live longer.
  • Alcohol: make sure that your Gray does not accidentally drink from your glass, because this is very harmful for him.
  • Spray and soap: Hexachlorophene in these products causes diarrhea and temporary blindness in birds.
  • Table salt: nuts, salted crackers, smoked sausage and other human delicacies that a parrot might accidentally try are strictly contraindicated for it. In case of poisoning, the nervous system is affected, the bird trembles and turns its head. A large amount of water is needed to neutralize the harm of the mentioned products.

The question of how long a parrot lives cannot be answered unambiguously, because the answer depends on how the owner looked after his pet, what he did to enjoy communication with his little friend for as long as possible.

Ara parrot

How many years do macaws live? At home, this parrot can live up to fifty years. The hyacinth macaw looks especially stunning. It is considered the largest parrot among all known today. Its length, including its tail, is at least one meter. And the weight of these magnificent birds usually exceeds one and a half kilograms. Its price ranges around twenty thousand dollars. Therefore, it is unlikely to see this long-lived parrot in a house or apartment. Due to the high price, hyacinth macaws are now on the verge of extinction. In the jungles of Bolivia and Brazil (in their natural habitats) there are catastrophically few of these birds.

How long do parrots live at home?

The lower and upper limits of the lifespan of a tame parrot range from 8 to 80 years, depending on the species. It is not often that sociable exotic birds are taken from nature for keeping in apartments. The vast majority of birds are bred artificially in nurseries and sold in the same area. This means that the natural instincts of such birds are dulled, and they will not be able to live in freedom. They simply do not know how to escape and survive in the wild.

It is impossible to know in advance exactly how long a domestic parrot lives, because it is unknown how the bird will adapt to a specific environment. In addition to genetic predisposition, the pet’s individual qualities and stress level, the lifespan is influenced by the attitude of the owner. Negligence, oversight, and human indifference create an unfavorable atmosphere and push the bird toward depression. If you want to get a faithful friend for many years, you should ask which types of parrots live the longest.

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How long do small parrots live?

Small birds are preferable to all others for keeping in an apartment. This is explained by the fact that they create less noise and debris and require little feed. They are friendly, love communication and almost do not bite. Small parrots live amicably with children, but they grow old quite quickly.

The budgerigar is the most popular for living and breeding at home. The increased interest in this bird is caused by its relatively small size - the body length is rarely more than 30 cm. These pets are very sociable and trainable, their cheerful chirping helps create an atmosphere of comfort in the house. A tame budgerigar lives on average 10 years, but under favorable circumstances its age can reach one and a half or even two decades.

Aratingas are positive and friendly birds, they are even called “sticky”, they become so attached to humans. In terms of the brightness of their iridescent plumage, they can compete with the spectacular macaws. Only their body weight is about 110 g, height from beak to tail tip is 16 - 35 cm. These indicators are often decisive when choosing a pet, because caring for a small bird is not difficult. Aratingas in captivity live from 15 to 20 years.

Lovebirds are interesting because the male and female create a strong pair, similar to a human union. Their loyalty to each other is so strong that after the death of one bird, the partner grieves for a long time and does not want to communicate with other representatives of the species. The lifespan of a domesticated lovebird is not that long - only 15 years with proper care from the owner. There are also long-livers who die of old age at 35 years old.

How long do average parrots live?

It has been noted that the size of a bird greatly affects its lifespan. Not the largest parrot can live more than a third of a human century. Information on how many years on average representatives of small species of parrots live can be considered using the example of Grays and Corellas.

Gray parrots have high intelligence and outstanding onomatopoeic abilities. Remembers and pronounces up to 1500 words. An intelligent bird is open to communication, easy to train, and can identify objects by their name. When accepting such a pet into your family, you need to be prepared to give maximum attention, otherwise the bird will lose interest in life. Grays live next to a person for 25 – 30 and even 50 years. Some record holders outlive their owners and are inherited.

Cockatiels are not that big: adult representatives reach a size of 30 – 33 cm with a wingspan of 30 cm. However, they are classified as medium-sized parrots. Beautiful crested cockatiels live 16 - 18 years in captivity. If all the rules of care are followed, the cheerful bird will delight its owner with its presence for 25–30 years.

How long do large parrots live?

It is very interesting in theory how many years large parrots live, because not everyone decides to keep a powerful bird at home. In addition to the fact that large individuals are incredibly noisy and aggressive, they require considerable maintenance costs. And the initial cost of the giants is too high. And you can only buy such a rare bird in a big city.

Keas are large birds of prey, similar to kites, native to New Zealand. The harsh conditions of the mountainous terrain force one to survive by all available means. When talking about kea parrots, an association appears with sheep hunting: in search of food, predators would watch for a lost animal and attack it. Angry farmers carried out a brutal extermination of parrots; now this species is listed in the Red Book. It is difficult to keep a bird measuring 40–46 cm in apartment conditions, so they are mainly bred for zoos. Kea can live up to 50 years.

The macaw is a beautiful, intelligent and expensive parrot. Its bright plumage makes it look like a fairy-tale firebird. The length of the body together with the tail reaches 95 cm, the wingspan is 80 cm. Most often, their habitats are zoos and circuses. These beauties live 30–40 years, but among them there are also old people half a century old. As a result, it is not known exactly how many decades a large parrot lives: the actual range is from three to five.

Factors influencing life expectancy

A pet needs comfortable living conditions. Only with proper care and care does the age of a parrot reach its limit for a particular species. Features of the environment and other factors that determine how long a bird will live:

  1. Home improvement. This includes a well-chosen cage, regular cleaning, and the necessary equipment. Placing the cage in the kitchen or near working household appliances can have a negative impact on the behavior and health of the bird;
  2. Air parameters. Humidity, temperature, gas pollution, illumination - all these indicators must be brought to acceptable standards. It is necessary to take care of the absence of drafts and adherence to the day and night regime;
  3. Complete nutrition. The bird needs balanced food consisting of a grain mixture, fruits and vegetables, and animal protein. It is unacceptable to offer birds food from a common table, it is harmful and dangerous;
  4. Physical activity. The parrot needs to play a lot and fly often. Walking around the apartment is a prerequisite for the prevention of obesity and depression. Just don’t leave the bird unattended while it’s walking;
  5. Hereditary predisposition to diseases. Inbreeding weakens the offspring; such chicks often get sick, are sad and do not live long. The bird's changed behavior should be a reason to visit a veterinarian or ornithologist.
  6. One of the main conditions for the longevity of chatty birds is communication. The owner’s friendly attitude determines how many years his parrot lives happily. A busy owner or simply a taciturn owner unintentionally shortens the life of his pet.

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Causes of early death

The lifespan allotted to a parrot by nature is sometimes reduced due to illiterate human behavior. How long a parrot lives in captivity, and how to help it reach old age, is decided by the owner. Why does a feathered baby die in the prime of life? There are many explanations for this:

  • poisoning with household chemicals or suffocation from an ingested object;
  • drowning in an aquarium, a pot of soup, a basin of water;
  • electric shock through a damaged electrical wire;
  • inhalation of toxic fumes;
  • cold or overheating;
  • attack by a cat or dog;
  • hitting a mirror or double-glazed window;
  • injury caused by a small child;
  • disease;
  • great fear.

After the above, the conclusion suggests itself: if you want your parrot to live happily ever after, don’t kill it.

Corella parrot

Unlike most species of similar birds, the cockatiel is quite difficult to learn words. However, this is a rather cheerful and loud parrot, which will undoubtedly bring a lot of joy to both adults and children. Its lifespan is quite short and is only twenty years. Therefore, cockatiels cannot be called long-lived parrots.

Australia is the homeland of these amazing birds. They are quite hardy and love to fly long distances. The color of the male is much brighter and more beautiful than the females. Among cockatiels there are also long-livers. To date, a parrot has been known to live for twenty-five years.

It is recommended to raise and train birds from a very early age. In this case, the parrot will be able to complete about a hundred words, and also become quite trained.

Lovebirds

They got their name because of their fairly strong attachment to each other. There is an opinion that, having lost its partner, the second parrot dies. However, this is not quite true. Lovebirds are excellent at switching to other birds of their breed. In their natural habitat, they can even separate by mutual consent and choose new mates. Among all parrots, they have the shortest lifespan, which is no more than fifteen years. Lovebirds are extremely attractive and easy to both care for and breed. There are orange, grey-headed, pink-cheeked, black-winged, green-headed and Nyasa lovebirds.

How long do parrots live in the wild?

To increase life expectancy in nature, a parrot needs a large amount of luck. The natural habitat, although familiar to flocking birds, is full of dangers. Predators lie in wait for bright birds at every step, widespread diseases significantly reduce the number of flocks, lean years and dry periods lead to death from hunger and thirst. Forest fires do not give birds a single chance to escape; entire populations disappear.

It is impossible to accurately calculate how long free parrots live. The selective catching carried out by ornithologists allows us to speak only about the approximate age of individual species.

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Gray parrot

These rather large, long-lived parrots usually live about fifty years. However, today there is a known case of the maximum life expectancy of such a bird being ninety-three years. Like any other parrots, grays do not tolerate lack of communication very well and may even begin to pluck their feathers. Its intelligence is so high that the vocabulary of this bird sometimes reaches one thousand words. According to experts, Gray Gray not only remembers words, he is even able to carry on a simple conversation.

The bird's natural habitat is the forests of the African continent. These parrots feed mainly on herbs, fruits and seeds, occasionally preying on snails. Their cage should contain a variety of toys, including a mirror and beak bars.

Rating of long-lived parrots

Thus, we can rank the most famous species of domestic parrots according to their life expectancy:

  • In first place, undoubtedly, will be the handsome cockatoo with a record of one hundred and twenty years.
  • The gray and macaw share second and third place. These birds, under favorable conditions, live from fifty to sixty years.
  • A magnificent cockatiel in captivity can last up to twenty years,
  • Budgerigars, together with lovebirds, delight their owners for at most fifteen years.

Parrot health

Every owner of these amazing birds dreams of his pet living as long as possible, so the question is not surprising: how long do long-lived parrots live? If you follow simple rules for caring for birds, it will last long enough. First of all, you should take care of your pet’s mental state. Due to lack of communication, your parrot may develop depression. If a bird plucks its feathers, then most likely it is in a depressed state.

In addition, a pet needs vitamin and mineral supplements, which also determine the life expectancy of parrots. The fact is that the natural food (fruits, vegetables and grains) that the owner offers him in the spring contains extremely few useful substances. For example, in those countries where parrots come from, as a rule, fruits ripen throughout the year, and therefore there is no shortage of vitamins. Poultry desperately needs various supplements that can be purchased at pet stores.

Manufacturers of such products offer their customers various mineral stones made from a mixture of sand, cuttlefish shell, chalk, and so on. You can also prepare them yourself. To do this, take various grains, dry herbs and crushed egg shells. In addition, it is advisable to add a special mineral mixture “Rio” to the composition.

The fact that a parrot lacks mineral supplements can be determined by the appearance of the bird. Her development slows down, and her beak becomes fragile. In addition, the thyroid gland is also affected. Among the most essential elements are vitamin D, iodine, magnesium and chlorine.

What determines the lifespan of a parrot?

You need to understand that the life expectancy of a parrot depends on two factors:

  1. From belonging to a specific species. Each of them has its own life span, measured by nature, which, unfortunately, cannot be changed.
  2. From living conditions and the surrounding world. After all, birds within the same species can have different life expectancies, which will depend on nutrition, temperature conditions and other things.

You should not hope that if you have settled a luxurious, handsome Cockatoo in your apartment, then seventy years of a happy life with a parrot will be guaranteed to you, no matter what happens around you.

It's not like that at all. First of all, his health, and therefore longevity, will depend on what conditions you create in his life.

In natural conditions, a parrot faces many dangers: lack of food, various weather conditions, as well as fierce competition from other individuals.

All these factors greatly reduce the overall life expectancy, however, at home, a parrot can live quite a long time.

What should a novice bird breeder do to ensure that his pet lives a long and happy life? We must start, of course, with nutrition.

A properly balanced diet of vitamins and minerals will allow the parrot to be strong and healthy, and will also maintain its immunity at the right level.

And this, in turn, will make it possible to successfully fight various diseases that will lie in wait for birds even in the most greenhouse conditions.

But even the healthiest and strongest bird will still need your help sooner or later, and you must be prepared for this.

First of all, carefully monitor your pet’s condition, and take action at the slightest deviation from the norm (drowsiness, lack of appetite, bowel movements, vomiting, etc.).

Remember that delay here is like death, since metabolic processes in the parrot’s body proceed very quickly, which means the development of diseases occurs in the same way.

Therefore, you should immediately seek help from a specialist, even if you are sure that you can carry out independent treatment. Due to inexperience, you may not help, but harm, and then the consequences will be irreversible.

Let's say you managed to establish proper nutrition, always monitor the condition of your pet, and therefore he is always cheerful and healthy.

It would seem that his life is not in danger, right? But do not forget that even at home, a parrot faces many dangers.

Firstly, birds love to fly and in their attempts they often encounter various obstacles without calculating their speed. This leads to various injuries and fractures, which also need to be immediately shown to a veterinarian.

In addition, very often, in addition to the parrot, there may be other animals living in the house, such as cats or dogs, who will not share the joy of having a new tenant.

Of course, there are a lot of videos on the Internet that show touching relationships between birds and other pets, but these are ideal cases.

In reality, everything is somewhat different, and only your vigilant observation can prevent possible troubles.

Well, in the end, the parrot can simply fly away and find itself in conditions that are not suitable for its life.

All of this can also be classified as household hazards that can seriously shorten the lifespan of a bird.

Content requirements

Parrots need to keep their cage clean. You should promptly remove food debris and regularly wash the cage itself with a rag and brush. The parrot must rest for a sufficient amount of time. Zoologists give numbers from nine to eleven o'clock. During this period, the bird should be at rest, preferably in semi-darkness. A variety of toys and perches of various sizes will decorate his leisure time. It should be taken into account that these birds prefer to move horizontally, which means that it is advisable to place the perches at different levels.

Interesting Facts

There are quite a lot of interesting facts about parrots that people often simply don’t realize:

  • These birds do not have vocal cords. Oddly enough, they make all their sounds using their beak and tongue.
  • Parrots like alcohol. In the natural environment, they extract it from spoiled fruits.
  • Thirty percent of the world's parrots are at risk of extinction due to poaching. Today, fewer of these birds live in the wild than at home.
  • In some countries (such as Australia) there are special courses where parrots are taught to talk.
  • These are quite musical birds that love to dance to music. Moreover, you cannot deny them a sense of rhythm.
  • They usually live in groups of up to twenty individuals. However, to date, zoologists have discovered the largest flock of birds, numbering seventy birds.
  • Not all parrots are cute and harmless. There are real predators among them. For example, the kea parrot feeds on small animals. People often get it from him. Kea are extremely thieving and do not disdain literally anything. Often local residents discover their missing items in the nests of these birds. Unlike their heat-loving relatives, kea prefer to live in cool mountains.
  • These birds were highly valued in Ancient Rome. Often more money was given for one parrot than for a slave.
  • Their bite is not as harmless as it seems at first glance. A large cockatoo can easily bite a person's finger.

Source: fb.ru

How many years do budgies live?

For keeping in apartments, a budgie is most often bought. Graceful birds with a friendly character and bright plumage get along well with people and do not require additional care, which earns them the deep affection of their owners. But still, if you decide to get a parrot, then you need to familiarize yourself with their lifestyle and behavioral characteristics in order to ensure complete mutual understanding with your pets.

How long do budgies live at home?

One of the most important questions that worries people before purchasing a bird is how many years do budgies live. The lifespan of these exotic birds depends on their subspecies. Small budgerigars live for about 10-15 years. However, among them there are record holders who live up to 20. Some wonder: how long do male budgerigars and female budgerigars live? Experts note that the lifespan of a bird does not depend on gender, so both boys and girls will live an equal length of life unless someone gets sick.

Medium-sized birds have a lifespan of 20-30 years. The exact lifespan of large species has not been determined: some claim a period of 50-120 years, others indicate a figure of 60 years.

Interesting fact: in the wild, budgerigars live quite a short time, only 4-6 years. Very rarely, some birds live up to 8 years. Life expectancy is significantly reduced due to frequent attacks by predators, possible starvation and adverse weather conditions. As a result, only luck affects how long parrots live on average. This is why domesticated birds live 2-3 times longer than wild ones.

What affects the lifespan of a parrot?

First of all, for comfortable living conditions for the bird, you need to purchase a spacious, comfortable cage. If it is not possible to have a full-fledged cage, then you need to often let the parrot fly around the room. Lack of physical activity is very dangerous for poultry, as it does not correspond to its lifestyle in the wild.

The cage must be in a suitable place. For this purpose, the bird is not allowed:

  • draft;
  • direct sunlight;
  • location in the kitchen and rooms with high humidity;
  • close location of the TV and household appliances;
  • smoking, incense, strong odors.

In nature, birds rise at sunrise and go to sleep at sunset. If you do not sleep at night, then cover the cage with a thick cloth that will protect it from the light of the lamp. Otherwise, the parrot may experience sleep deprivation. This will subsequently affect the life expectancy of the pet. It is important that the fabric allows air to pass through and does not change the microclimate in the cage. Experts also advise monitoring the following indicators:

  1. Purity . Don't forget to keep the cage tidy. Do not neglect the thorough cleaning of your pet’s home, make sure the drinking bowls are clean. Place toys, perches and feeders so that feces do not fall into the water and food. It is also important to ensure the sterility of the feathers and give the parrots a light shower.
  2. Nutrition . How long small parrots live depends on the balance of the diet and the quality of food. Remember that birds do not have the right to choose their food. Even if your parrot likes cookies, bread and other human delicacies, you can give them in limited quantities. It is better to feed him carrots or apples.
  3. Communication . Budgerigars are very lively and sociable creatures, so they need a living neighbor. Male parrots live together. The female often drives the male into a corner. Carefully study your pet's habits. Chat with him in your free time.
  4. Remember that when you buy a budgie, you commit yourself to caring for it every day. Therefore, be prepared to devote part of your time to it every day.
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