I had a friend contact me the other day as they were worrying that they were overfeeding their cockatoo. I asked them to weigh their parrot and then contact me again, in the meantime I decided to do some research to find out how much healthy cockatoos should weigh.
After speaking to her I realized there must be other parrot owners wondering how much their birds should weigh, so I decided to do some homework.
| Parrot Breed | Weight Range (LB) |
| Budgerigars | 0.06 – 0.08 LB |
| Cockatiels | 0.16 – 0.18 LB |
| Amazon Parrots | 0.60 – 1.12 LB |
| Cockatoos | 0.66 – 2.65 LB |
| Caiques | 0.33 – 0.37 LB |
| Poicephalus | 0.26 – 0.88 LB |
| African Greys | 0.88 – 1.16 LB |
| Monk Parakeets | 0.22 – 0.26 LB |
| Fischer’s Lovebirds | 0.12 – 0.15 LB |
| Conures | 0.33 – 0.39 LB |
In this article, we will be talking about the top 10 most popular parrots and how much they should weigh. It’s important for your parrot’s health and wellbeing that they are the correct weight for their size and breed. An over or underweight parrot can have an increased chance of catching severe illnesses due to their immune system being lower than those birds which are the correct weight.
If you’re wanting to weigh your parrot and wondering what scales to use, I recommend you check out this article all about the best scales for parrots.
How Much Do Budgerigars Weigh?
Budgerigars parrots or commonly known as budgies or parakeets typically have a wonderful pattern of yellow and black feathers. The healthy weight for budgerigar parrots is between 0.06 and 0.08 Lbs and are some of the lightest parrots around.
They originate from Australia and have been around for 50,000 + years. These parrots are among some of the most popular to have as pets due to the easiness of looking after them. Budgies have a love span of around seven to nine years if kept in a healthy and at a stable weight, this should be pretty easy as their main source of food is grass seeds.
How Much Do Cockatiels Weigh?
Cockatiel parrots come from the cacatuidae family and can also be known as the weiro bird or the quarrion. They’re fairly small parrots and weighing around 0.16 and 0.18 LB when they are adults. The cockatiel parrot and is a highly popular household pet as they are one of the simpler breeds to take care of.
All cockatiels visually look like female parrots and have around 22 different color mutations that have been established worldwide. For the size and weight, they are they have a long life expectancy. Normally they live around 16 to 25 years and the oldest cockatiel to date was 36 years old. Which for a bird this size is extremely old!
How Much Do Amazon Parrots Weigh?
Moving onto one of the heavier parrots on the list, the Amazon parrot can weigh around 0.60 to 1.12 LB when an adult. They originate from the Psittacidae family and their diet primally exists of seeds, nuts, and fruits which can make it extremely easy to keep your parrot at the correct weight.
As you can tell by the name you can see they’re from the Amazon forest which is located in South America. There are 30 species of Amazona parrot and they are typically green with small strokes of yellow, blue, and orange. These colors can be found on their face, wings, and body. All amazon parrots are known for their ability to mimic human vocals and actions and live for around 50 years, depending on the species.
How Much Do Cockatoos Weigh?
Cockatoos are found in Australia and belong to the cacatuoidea and the cacatuidae family. There are 44 different parrots in the cockatoo family and range from as small as 0.66LB to as large as 2.65 LB. The largest and strongest parrot in the cockatoo family is the palm cockatoo and can weigh up-to 2.65LB and can stand as tall as 22-24 inches, which is huge for a bird.
They’re typically found in Australia, but they do migrate up to the Philippine and eastern Indonesian islands. Between the different cockatoo species, they can live around 10-60 years. The cockatiel is the shortest living cockatoo and lives between 10-14 years and the white cockatoo has the longest life span at around 40-60 years.
How Much Do Caiques Weigh?
The caiques are my favorite parrots as I love the texture and style of their feathers. They’re super light parrots weighing around 0.33 to 0.37 LB and are some of the brightest parrots around. Caiques can be found in the Amazon forest which is located from the east of Brazil and can be found in two different colors. These colors or “species” can be identified as one has a black head and the other has a white belly.
The uniqueness about the caiques parrots is that they have a hinged upper beak which very few birds have and are considered some of the happiest parrots worldwide. This is because they love to dance and hop around which can make them very entertaining parrots to have as household pets.
How Much Does A Poicephalus Parrot Weigh?
At last, the first African parrot on the list. The poicephalus can be found I the sub-Saharan which is geographically the south of the Sahara Desert and weighs around 0.26 – 0.88 LB. The poicephalus parrot is becoming endangered and becoming harder and harder to have as a household pet because of these conditions, but can be possible depending on your job.
There are 10 species of this parrot and they all stay within the Afrotropical realm south of the Sahara Desert. Being apart of the Afrotropical realm suggests they have a tropical diet. Their diets consist of foods that are rich in nectar and they eat a wide range of different fruits, seeds, and leaves. This gregarious species of parrot, on average lives around 25-30 years but some owners have recorded their poicephalus parrot to live upwards of 50 years.
How Much Do African Greys Weigh?
African grey parrots are probably the most commonly known parrot to people worldwide. There very unique and are one of the better parrots which can mimic human-like voices. They also have a life span of 50+ years if kept in a healthy state. The average weight of an African grey parrot is around 0.88 – 1.16 LB which makes them some of the more heavier parrots you can have as pets.
A fun fact about African grey parrots is that they have a defense mechanism that requires them to fluff their feathers to make themselves look bigger to try to scare a predator off. Because of their life span being 50+ years they generally live longer than most of their owners, which is pretty crazy.
How Much Do Monk Parakeets Weigh?
I love the name monk parakeets, it’s probably the coolest parrot name out there. They’re also known as the quaker parrot, but this isn’t as cool. They’re a brightly colored green parrot which normally has a greyish belly and a tint of yellow under their wings. The monk parakeet parrot weights around 0.22 to 0.26 LB when an adult, you can find these parrots in the subtropical areas of South America.
Monk parakeets are one of the only parrots that build their nest with sticks rather than using a hole in a tree. The big downside to this is that it attracts larger birds of prey to attack their nest and eggs. They’re very intelligent birds and are great household pets to have.
How Much Do Fischer’s Lovebirds Weigh?
The Fischer’s lovebird is one of the most beautiful parrots and originates from the east of Africa in Tanzania. They can be found in grassland, woodland, and scrub forests, they also live in farmland around the crops. They’re some of the lighter birds in the parrot world and weigh around 0.12 to 0.15 LB and have the most beautiful colors on them.
The mixture of green, yellow and orange is oddly satisfying to the eye and in my eyes are off the better-looking parrots that live. They have adapted well and there able to eat a variety of foods which include crops like maize and millet and also seeds or fruit. This is perfect for where they like to inhabit on farmland areas.
How Mich Do Conures Weigh?
Conures are fairly small parrots and can also be called a little macaw because of their bright and distinctive colors. They typically inhabit around central and south America and at the moment are considered an endangered species. Again, they are fairly small parrots weighing around 0.33 to 0.39 lbs.
They’re very intelligent birds and can also mimic human voices and actions. They are also very affectionate parrots and sometimes love to get close and personal to their owner and generally enjoy being patted or having cuddles. The main trait that all conures have with separates them from the other breeds of parrots is that they have white rings around the outside of their eyes. This is how you can tell the difference between a conure and most other parrots. Their diet consists of many types of seeds, nuts, and fruits which makes looking after them fairly easy as this isn’t a very fatty diet for parrots.