Senegal Parrot

People usually land on Senegal Parrot pages for one of two reasons: they’re weighing up whether this small West African parrot is the right fit for their home, or they’ve already got one and want to check day-to-day care—diet, housing, noise, handling, and the health problems that can quietly build if routines slip.

Senegal Parrots can be steady, observant companions, but they do best with structure: a safe set-up, predictable handling, and enough mental work to keep their sharp minds occupied. The notes below focus on what’s reliably known about the species in the wild, then translates that into practical care you can use at home.¹

• Scientific name: Poicephalus senegalus²
• Adult size: about 23 cm long (varies by individual)²
• Typical adult weight: often around 120–170 g (varies with sex and condition)³
• Potential lifespan (captive): commonly 20–30+ years; some sources report longer with excellent care^{3, 4}
• Noise level: can be loud in bursts (contact calls, excitement, alarm), especially at dawn/dusk³
• Trainability: generally high with gentle, consistent reinforcement³

Physical characteristics

The Senegal Parrot is compact and solidly built, with a short tail and a strong, tidy beak made for cracking and stripping plant matter. Most birds show a green back and wings with a grey head; the chest and belly carry a yellow-to-orange “vest” that can look brighter in good light. In still moments they can seem almost sculpted, but they move with quick, deliberate climbing steps when something catches their attention.^{2, 3}

Like many parrots, they use the beak as a third hand. You’ll see it hook onto bars or branches as the feet shuffle forward, testing each grip before committing weight. It’s normal, and it’s one reason secure latches and safe household surfaces matter.³

Habitat and distribution

In the wild, Senegal Parrots occur across parts of West Africa. They’re associated with open woodland and savanna landscapes where trees provide food and nesting hollows, but the canopy stays broken enough for easy flight between feeding sites.³

In captivity, they’re widespread. In Australia, availability and legal status can depend on your state or territory and on how the bird was sourced. If you’re considering import (even of a long-term pet), Australia has strict federal rules: pet birds are generally limited to selected cases from New Zealand, and environmental and biosecurity requirements apply.^{5, 6, 7}

Diet and feeding

A Senegal Parrot’s diet is easiest to get right when you aim for variety and steady nutrition rather than a single “main” food. Many avian vets and welfare organisations recommend a quality formulated pellet as the base diet, with vegetables and some fruit added daily, and seeds used more sparingly (often as training rewards) rather than as the staple.⁸

What to offer most days

• Pellets: a high-quality formulated diet appropriate for small/medium parrots (check brand guidance for amounts).⁸
• Vegetables: leafy greens, carrot, capsicum, broccoli, beans, peas, corn—rotated through the week.
• Fruit: offered in smaller amounts than vegetables (useful for variety and enrichment).
• Water: fresh daily, with bowls cleaned regularly.

Uneaten fresh food should be removed before it spoils, especially in warm weather. The goal is quiet consistency: steady energy, stable weight, and droppings that look normal for your bird. If weight drifts up or down, adjust portions and speak with an avian vet before making big diet changes.⁸

Housing and daily care

A Senegal Parrot may be small, but it still needs room to climb, stretch, and move between perches without squeezing past bowls and toys. Choose the largest cage you can sensibly fit, prioritising width and internal layout (multiple perch heights, clear flight/climb lanes). Bar spacing should be appropriate for a small parrot, and doors should have secure latches—these birds learn mechanisms quickly.³

Inside the cage, rotate safe chewable items and foraging toys to keep the bird busy. Outside the cage, supervised time is where much of the exercise and social learning happens. A quiet routine—wake, feed, out time, rest—often reduces screaming and helps a bird settle into the household rhythm.³

Vocalisations and communication

Senegal Parrots communicate with posture, eye pinning, feather position, and a wide range of calls. They can learn words and household sounds, but the more reliable “language” is body signal: a stiff posture, flared feathers, or sudden stillness can mean “give me space”, while relaxed feathers and steady footing usually mean the bird is comfortable.³

Noise tends to come in short, bright bursts—contact calls when you leave the room, alarm calls at sudden movement, or excited chatter when routines shift. If noise is a deal-breaker in your living situation, it’s worth hearing the species in person before committing.³

Breeding and nesting behaviour

In the wild, Senegal Parrots typically nest in tree cavities. A clutch is commonly around 2–4 eggs, incubated by the female for roughly 25–28 days. After hatching, chicks remain in the nest for weeks; fledging is often around nine weeks, with independence later again.^{1, 3, 4}

If you’re keeping pet birds, breeding should be deliberate, not accidental. Nest boxes and hormonal triggers (long daylight hours, rich foods, dark “nesty” spaces) can change behaviour quickly, sometimes bringing territorial biting or chronic egg-laying risks. If breeding is not the goal, avoid providing nest-like hideouts and talk with an avian vet if egg-laying starts.⁸

Common health issues and when to get help

Many Senegal Parrot problems start as small shifts: a bird that eats but drops weight, a bird that sits fluffed for longer than usual, or a bird that chews feathers when routines change. Obesity can develop when seeds and fatty treats become the default, while stress and boredom can fuel feather damage and behavioural issues.⁸

A few high-priority red flags

• Breathing with an open beak at rest, tail bobbing, or audible wheeze
• Sudden fluffed posture, sleepiness, or sitting low on the perch
• Marked drop in appetite or water intake
• Persistent vomiting/regurgitation not linked to normal bonding behaviour
• Blood in droppings, or droppings that change dramatically for more than a day

If any of these appear, treat it as a same-day avian vet problem. Birds hide illness; by the time signs are obvious, they may be unwell.⁸

Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD)

PBFD is a serious viral disease caused by a circovirus and is recognised across many parrot species. It can cause abnormal feather growth and immune suppression, and it spreads through feather dust and other secretions; testing and quarantine for new birds are key controls in multi-bird homes.⁹

Training and socialisation

Senegal Parrots often learn quickly when training is quiet and consistent. Short sessions, clear cues, and rewards that matter to the bird (a favourite seed, a small nut sliver, a toy) tend to work better than long sessions that push tolerance. Step-up training, stationing on a perch, and calm crate travel are practical skills that reduce stress over a lifetime.⁸

Socialisation is less about constant handling and more about safe exposure: different people, household sounds, gentle changes in routine, and the confidence that “new” doesn’t mean “danger”. The best progress looks almost uneventful—steady, quiet acceptance rather than dramatic breakthroughs.⁸

Conservation status and threats

The Senegal Parrot is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Even so, local pressures can still matter, especially habitat change and capture for trade in parts of its range—threats that don’t always show up clearly in a single global status label.³

Final thoughts

A Senegal Parrot suits people who like a watchful, active companion and can offer a stable routine: good food, a roomy set-up, daily time out of the cage, and training that keeps hands and beaks communicating safely. Done well, care becomes simple. The bird’s world stays predictable, and its curiosity has somewhere to go.⁸

References

1. Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) – Senegal parrot (Poicephalus senegalus) articles
2. Animal Diversity Web – Poicephalus senegalus (Senegal parrot)
3. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species – Senegal parrot (Poicephalus senegalus)
4. Animal Diversity Web – Longevity and reproduction notes for Poicephalus senegalus
5. Australian Border Force – Live animals and pets (what you can and can’t bring in)
6. Australian Government (DAFF) – Importing your pet bird
7. Australian Government (DCCEEW) – Live Import List (updated 27 January 2026)
8. Association of Avian Veterinarians – Avian welfare and care resources
9. Merck Veterinary Manual – Viral diseases of pet birds (PBFD overview)