There is no exact answer to how long parrots can live, but with proper care, your bird can live an average age shown in the table below.
| Parrot Species | Lifespan in Captivity | Lifespan in the Wild |
| 1. Lovebirds | These types usually live up to around 20 years as a pet | In the wild, they can live up to 10 years or even 15 |
| 2. White Cockatoo | White cockatoo, though small in size, can live up to 40 to 60 years as a pet. | These species can live up to 30 years in the wild |
| 3. Lorikeets | Bright in color, lorikeets can live for up to 30 years in a cage | In the woods, they can live for around 15 years due to the small stature that makes them easy preys. |
| 4. Parakeets | These little birds can live up to 20 years in captivity if taken care of properly. | Parakeets can only live an average of 7 to 14 years in the wild |
| 5. Parrotlets | Parrotlets can stay with you for 20 years or even more if you take care of it properly. | Due to its small size, parrotlets can only survive 15 years in the wild as, couple with their colorful appearance, they are susceptible to predators |
| 6. Senegal Parrot | With proper care, Senegal Parrot can live up to 50 years | In the wild, these species can only live up to 30 years, which is still quite impressive. |
| 7. Caique | Colorful in appearance, these birds can live between 20 to 30 years as pets | But their brightly colored appearance doesn’t help in the wild as they can only live for 15 years. |
| 8. Green-Cheek Conure | Unfortunately, parrots belonging to this species are susceptible to certain illnesses such as Conure bleeding syndrome resulting from lack of vitamin K. However, they can still manage to squeeze 25 years out of life in captivity. | In the wild, things are harder and can only live up to 10 years. |
| 9. Sun Conure | Sun Conure is usually bright with yellow and orange in its feathers. They can live for 30 years as pets. | In the wild, Sun Conure can live for around 15 to 20 years. |
| 10. Cockatiel | These parrot species can live for 20 years in captivity | They can only manage 10 to 14 years in the wild. |
| 11. Meyer’s Parrot | One of the rarest parrot breeds, Meyer’s Parrot can live up to 35 years as pets | In the woods, they can live between 10 and 15 years. |
| 12. Quaker | Sometimes this parrot is also called Monk. It can live more than 30 years when taken care of properly in captivity | Out in the wild, this species can only live for 15 years. |
| 13. Cockatoos | Cockatoos are one of the most common types of parrots. They can live up to 60 years as a pet | They can live up to 30 years in the woods, which is still a long life. |
| 14. Eclectus Parrot | These parrots can live an average of 30 years and even more as pets if you take good care of them | Eclectus Parrots can only live up to 15 years in the wilderness |
| 15. Green-Winged Macaw | Green Winged Macaw is also one of the most common types of pet parrots. It can live well over 70 years at home. | In the woods, Green Winged Macaw can live for up to 30 years |
| 16. African Greys | Another common type of parrot is African Greys. They are known for living a long, satisfying life, which can be up to 80 years. They are also very rare | They can live up to 50 years in the wild, which is still long compared to other parrot species. |
| 17. Hyacinth Macaw | These types are usually smart and very social and can live up to 60 years or even more as pets | In the woods, Hyacinth Macaw can live up to 50 years. There is not much difference between lifespan in the woods and the captivity. |
| 18. White-Crested Macaw | White-Crested Macaw is incredibility large, and the oldest ever a bird was 112 years old. The parrot can live an average of 50 years in captivity | It seems White-Crested Macaw lives longer in the wild than in captivity, as they have been found to live up to 60 years in the woods. |
| 19. Blue and Yellow Macaws | This is also a big bird and the most common pet parrot. As per, Blue and Yellow Macaws can live up to 60 years | Because of predators and loss of their natural habitats in the woods, these parrots can live only up to 30 years. |
| 20. Kakapo Parrot | Up to now, Kakapo Parrot is the long-living parrot, living more than 100 years as pets. | In the wild, this parrot can still outlive all other parrot species as they can live up to 90 years |
If you have been living with your parrot for quite some time now, or you just got one recently but you have already realized how important it is in your life and can’t live without it.
You are most likely thinking how long am I going to enjoy the company of my beloved pet?
Well, bar terminal disease, accidents, predators, and other factors, your parrot can live for several generations.
Of course, the lifespan will depend on many factors, which we are going to discuss in this article today.
In this article, we are going to look at the different species of parrots and their lifespan, both when they are kept as pets and when they are out in the wild.
There are about 400 species of parrots but not all of them can be captivated.
In this guide, we will only cover the lifespan of the most common species of parrots.
Additionally, we will also talk about factors that affect the lifespan of the parrots and how you can help them have a long and healthy life.
In the wild
While most of you only think of parrots as pets, all species originate from tropical and subtropical regions of the world and the majority of them live in the wilderness.
Life in the wild is difficult compared to life in cages, and so parrot lifespan in the wilderness is not as long as caged parrots.
In fact, many wild parrots don’t even make to the reproduction stage and some of them live for only up to fifteen years.
The reason for this is obvious – life is tougher in the wild compared to life in captivity.
While parrots are fed in cages when they are kept as pets, in the wild they have to look for food, which is not easy.
Also while searching for food; they must do so without drawing the attention of the predators.
Humans are also the biggest threats to parrots.
The bird you are currently keeping was probably hunted from the wild.
Factors that affect the lifespan of parrots
Several things affect the lifespan of a parrot.
Below are some of them.
Diet
One of the things that make it harder for parrots to live a long life in the wild is the availability of adequate food.
Parrots require a wide range of foods to be healthy, and so a diet comprising seeds alone is not enough to increase its lifespan.
A well-balanced diet for parrots must include seeds and fruits and vegetables.
The more the variety the more healthily your parrot will get, which will translate to long life.
Size
You may think that the smaller the size of the parrot the longer it lives, but you will be wrong.
Unfortunately, parrots are not like dogs.
The bigger-sized parrots tend to live longer than small-sized ones.
For instance, a parakeet may live for only up to fifteen years while an Amazon parrot can live to almost a hundred years!
Origin
When buying a parrot, make sure you ask about its origin, where it lived before, and so on.
This is important as you will get to know if the bird was bred in a good environment.
Socialization
Parrots are social birds and like living in large groups in the wild.
For this reason, they can also get bored easily if left alone for long.
This can result in them getting ill and even die.
This is why they must-have toys in their cages to keep them entertained and think.
Cage
Yes, the cage of your parrot can also contribute to its health.
Small cages tend to make birds feel sad and get sick.
So make sure you buy a large cage for your parrot if you want it to live a long life.
A big cage allows the parrot to climb and hang in the bars upside down, which is a natural posture they do in the woods.
A dirty cage also can accumulate bacteria and thus can affect the quality of life of your parrot.
Illness
This is inevitable.
Thankfully, most parrot illnesses are not that serious and everything will get back to normal once you have taken your bird to the vet.
That being said, you should regularly take your parrot for checkups.
Also, parrots can catch human illnesses like flu and cold, so it is important to stay away from when you are feeling under the weather.
Proper care of your parrot, which includes the correct diet, clean cage, regular checkups, and plenty of attention, can help your parrot live a long healthy life.
The bottom line is ensuring your parrot is happy all the time, and this covers pretty much everything from good food, entertainment, and health.
Why do parrots live this long?
As you can see from the table above, parrots are probably the pets that can outlive you.
But what is the secret?
One of the reasons is flying.
When they fly, they stretch and exercise their bodies, leading to them living long lives.
Another reason is that parrots have relatively fewer predators compared to other animals in the wild because they can fly.
And they have nearly no predator when they are in captivity.
Because they live long, parrots tend to reach sexual maturity later in life, and breeding at this stage enables them to avoid passing on any genetic deficiencies to their offspring that will curtail their life expectancy.
Last but not least, birds tend to have lower levels of oxidative damage, which combat corruption to their DNA.
This also reduces the number of illnesses in their lifetime.
How do you tell the age of your parrot?
Knowing the age of the parrot you want to buy is important.
You don’t want to buy a parrot that is already at the end of its life.
The best way to know the age is to ask the previous owner or breeder, as they tend to have a record of the bird’s age.
Alternatively, you can check for the band on the feet of the parrot to find out how old he or she is.
Another trick to tell the age of a parrot is looking in its eyes.
Completely black eyes mean the bird is still pretty young.
On the other hand, adult parrots usually have eye pupils surrounded by a yellow line, which is their iris.
Also, young parrots normally have a shorter tail as well as a black beak.
However, it will be difficult to tell the age if your parrot is albino using the eyes since their iris color doesn’t change with age.
Physical activity levels can also tell if the parrot is quite young or older.
Younger parrots will be much more active and aggressive compared to older parrots.
Older birds also tend to lose their feather vibrancy and color compared to younger parrots.
What is the link between the size and lifespan of a parrot?
There are different sizes of parrots depending on species.
There are small and pretty large parrots that can grow up to 3.3 feet.
There is no clear answer as to why larger parrots live longer compared to smaller ones.
You can also tell if the parrot is old from its health issues.
Though they live longer, these birds usually develop a number of illnesses as they age.
The most common health issues in older parrots include:
Cataracts
This can be checked by your avian vet.
It usually reduces the visibility of birds gradually over the years.
If you see your parrot bumping into objects around your house of its cage, its sight is worsening.
Tumors and lumps
You will need to regularly check for any unusual lumps to identify the presence of any possible cancers.
Arthritis
This condition is also common on older parrots and usually causes their feet to become weak to the extent that it is unable to grip on its perches strongly.
What can I do to increase the lifespan of a parrot?
Thankfully, there are a lot of things you can do to increase the lifespan of your parrot.
Below are several things you can do to ensure you stay with your pet for a long time.
Diet and Nutrition
It all starts with a good diet and nutrition.
If you limit your parrot to only a seed-based diet, it will develop deficiencies in vitamin A, D, as well as calcium.
You should provide your bird with a well-balanced diet including vegetables and fruits.
Companionship and interaction
We all know that parrots are highly social birds and like to interact with other birds or people.
Because of this, they can also get bored easily if they are alone without things to play with.
Luckily, this is easy to address.
Just buy a range of toys and place them in the cage and make sure you occasionally stop by to play with your parrot.
You should also consider keeping two birds.
Proper cage
The size of a cage can affect the health both physical and psychological, of your parrot.
So make sure you get the right cage size.
| Related Articles |
|---|
Exercise
One of the reasons why parrots live for a long time is because they fly a lot, which is a form of exercise. So if you are keeping a parrot as a pet, make sure the cage has right bars and perches inside so your bird can jump and climb around in the cage. Also, make sure you occasionally take your parrot out of the cage so it can fly around.
Regular checkups
Make sure your parrot receives checkups at least once a year to catch any disease early before getting serious.
Full-spectrum lighting
The quality of light indoors is not the same as the natural light in the wild. Without a full spectrum lighting, your parrot may be subject to a number of health conditions over time, reducing its lifespan.
Special Considerations
When you decide to get a parrot as a pet, it is like you are adding another family member. It will likely live as long as you or even outlive you. So make sure you make some contingency plans for the future in case of any eventuality. It is wise to get your parrot insurance or even put a provision on your will to ensure your bird is taken care of in the future. Remember we are talking about a pet that can live up to 90 years.