A friend of mine has been asking for advice on new parrots to adopt.
He’s had parrots in the past, but hasn’t for a while, and is thinking he wants to welcome a feathered friend into his home again.
We were talking about different species, and their relative advantages and disadvantages, and one that came was the Senegal parrot.
I wasn’t familiar with the species, as I had never owned one myself, so I decided to look into whether it is a good pet.
Here’s what I found.
So, are Senegal parrots good pets?
Yes, Senegal parrots are great pets! They are calm, friendly, and as parrots go, fairly easy to manage. If you’ve never owned a parrot before, then with some research and preparation, they can even make a great first parrot. They are also remarkably quiet.
So, the short answer is yes, but when it comes to parrots there are always important caveats to keep in mind.
Owning parrots is very different from other common pets, so you need to be sure you know what you’re getting into before you go ahead with anything.
Read on to find out more.
Are Senegal parrots cuddly?
Generally speaking, yes, but it will depend on how well trained and socialized the parrot is.
Well-trained, well socialized Senegal parrots will be really affectionate and will form deep bonds with their owners.
Birds, and parrots specifically, tend to form complex relationships with their humans.
That said, it’s important to realize just how individual parrots are.
Senegal parrots are, by and large, affectionate and cuddly when they’ve been properly trained.
But there’s a great deal of variation between individuals. Some are going to be more affectionate than others, for sure.
It’s always worth preparing yourself for how different and individual their personalities can be, so there’s a small chance that you’ll end up with a parrot that is just a bit less affectionate.
For the most part, though, they are always going to desire affection from at least one person.
That will normally translate to cuddliness and desire for physical interaction.
If you’ve never owned a parrot before, there are a lot of important things to take into account about Senegal parrots, though.
Are Senegal parrots good for beginners?
Yes, generally speaking, they are.
They are quite easy to train, not particularly high maintenance, and not as noisy as other species.
That said, pretty much all parrots can be a bit of a handful for new owners.
Owning parrots is like no other pet.
They are very intelligent and have a lot of specific needs to be happy.
Before you own any parrot, you need to spend a lot of time doing research and preparing.
Know what you’re getting yourself into.
For instance, they are generally expected to live for around 30 years.
This isn’t as long as other parrots, but it is still a very long time.
They’re also not really ideal for children.
When they don’t get their own way, they can become nippy, biting and getting a bit more aggressive.
Any child who is looking after a Senegal parrot should be carefully supervised.
One reason many buy parrots is for their incredible ability to talk—how do Senegal parrots do in this arena?
Are Senegal parrots good talkers?
Again, the answer will unfortunately depend on the individual.
They certainly can talk, as virtually all parrots possess the ability to do so.
Not all are inclined to speak, though, and Senegal parrots are generally not considered the chattiest of parrots.
They can certainly learn words and phrases and have as many as a dozen words in their vocabulary.
But this is less likely than with other species.
They will mimic noises they hear, and usually will settle on a few favorite noises or words to mimic and do so for a long time.
So, they’re really not the best talkers.
They will learn a few words, but there are other parrots that are far more impressive talkers.
That said, those are mostly for the more experienced parrot owners.
Are they noisy in general, then?
Are Senegal parrots noisy?
First thing to say is that all parrots make a good amount of noise.
They are birds, and chirping, tweeting or otherwise vocalizing is a huge part of how they communicate.
Senegal parrots, too, make noise to a degree, more than most household pets.
As parrots go, though, as I’ve said, they are much quieter than other species.
If you are looking for a quiet parrot, then Senegal parrots are certainly a good option.
The noise is often a thing which drives new parrot owners to regret buying their parrot.
So, though the Senegal parrot is quieter than other parrots, it’s still noisy.
You should be prepared for that before you get into owning a Senegal parrot.
So, if the profile we’ve laid about above sounds like it would fit with your lifestyle, then a Senegal parrot could make a great pet for you.
They are quite affectionate, not as loud as other parrots, and can learn a couple of words and phrases with some training.
Again, though, it’s important that you understand what you’re undertaking with getting any parrot, though.
It’s a lot like having an animal with the intelligence of a young child that can fly around your house.
Even though they’re smaller animals, they can be more of a handful than you might guess!