Whenever someone wants to adopt a pet, they tend to wonder how long they’ll be with the pet.
Considering pets tend to leave this planet a lot quicker than we hope for, it makes for an interesting discussion as to why some pets live longer than others.
Since you’re on a parrot website, you more than likely want to know what parrots have to do with this.
For those who don’t know, parrots typically have an exceptionally long lifespan, thus begging the question, why do parrots live so long?
To answer this question…parrots tend to live such a long time compared to most other pets because of their higher metabolic rate, body temperature, high resting glucose level, and ability to fly. Most mammals are much worst off in these factors, leading most to believe they have a significantly shorter lifespan than parrots. It comes as a surprise to a certain degree as parrots have a lot of health issues.
One of the most significant aspects of adopting a parrot is knowing they’re going to be by your side for the extent of your life.
It’s always a massive benefit to raise a pet knowing they’ll be with you for a long time.
Still, keep in mind there are hundreds of different kinds of parrot species, meaning some species have a much longer lifespan than others.
Nevertheless, if you’re interested in learning more about why parrots live so long, look no further!
We’re going to discuss if all parrots live long, why some parrots don’t live as long, if they live longer in the wild, and much more.
By the end of it, we’ll highlight several ways for you to ensure your parrot lives as long as they possibly can.
Let’s take a look!
Do all parrots live long?
Asking if all parrots live longer is the equivalent of wondering if all humans can live until their 80s.
Although it’s technically possible for most parrot species to live a long time, there are plenty of connected factors to their longevity.
We’ll discuss what that means soon, but let’s look at it more broadly between parrot species.
The shortest lifespan of a parrot species is a Budgerigar, regardless of how healthy they’re raised and if predators never attack them.
Budgerigars only have an average lifespan 5 to 10 years, making them significantly shorter longevity-wise than cats and dogs.
Budgerigars are fairly small parrots, thus being the main culprit of why their lifespan is so short.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Sulphur Crested Cockatoos can live way longer than 60 years on the shorter end.
Of course, there are varying factors that attribute to their lifespan. However, still, it’s vital to understand the differences in lifespans for parrots.
In short, the larger the species of parrot is, the more likely it is for them to live.
This has to do with various factors regarding their organs, immune system, and ability to avoid predators.
Not every parrot might fall under this broad assertion, but it’s true for the most part.
Why do some parrots not live as long?
As you can imagine with parrots, predators, diseases, and injuries are all possibilities for why some don’t live as long as others.
More specifically, with smaller parrots, their smaller size makes it more challenging for them to heal from injury.
Similar to humans, a severely underweight person is more likely to break a bone than a person who is in shape.
Obviously, overweight parrots are more susceptible to injury as well, but when it comes to smaller parrots like Budgerigars compared to larger parrots, larger parrots almost always have a longer lifespan.
Besides injury, larger parrots tend to not have as many health issues as smaller parrots.
Smaller parrots typically have organ failures and other factors that can affect them profoundly since their immunity is overall not as good.
Regardless of this, parrots being in the wild or not affects their longevity as well.
Do parrots live longer in the wild?
For whatever reason, some people look at parrots and other animals and feel they shouldn’t be kept in captivity.
Although they mean well by thinking every animal should be left alone in their natural environment, the reality is some parrots can have a much happier life in captivity than in the wild.
In the wild, some parrots have to deal with predators, food shortages, environmental disasters, injuries, while not having access to professional care like an avian vet.
Thus, every parrot has a much shorter lifespan than they would in captivity.
Obviously, some parrot owners aren’t going to be as caring as others.
Some parrots indeed have it much better than others, all dependent on who adopts them.
Regardless, the stats back-up that parrots live a much shorter life in the wild than they would in captivity.
Why do parrots live longer in captivity?
As you can assume, the primary reason parrots live longer in captivity is because they have someone looking over for them.
Whereas, when they’re in the wild, they have to get their own food, avoid predators, and most importantly, have no way of treating themselves after an injury.
When a person is looking after them, if they happen to get an injury in any way, a responsible and caring parrot owner will ensure they get help right away.
Plus, it’s way less likely for a parrot to get injured in captivity since they don’t have to search for their food or doing anything demanding in that way.
Do accidents happen? Of course, but it’s nothing while looking at the danger a parrot has to experience while trying to survive in the wild.
Thus, every parrot species has a significantly longer lifespan once they’re safely in captivity instead of being in the wild.
How do I make my parrot live longer?
If you’re someone who wants to raise a parrot or currently is, you more than likely are looking for ways to ensure your parrot lives as long as they possibly can.
Considering every person hopes to achieve this with any pet they raise, there’s plenty of information out there for you to do.
Keep in mind, even if you raise your parrot as healthily as you can, there’s still plenty that can go wrong and hinder their lifespan.
As a result, try not to beat yourself up too badly if something goes wrong.
Just do everything you can to ensure they have a happy and full life, as that’s all you can do.
Feed Them A Healthy Diet
By now, you more than likely are aware of how essential it is to feed your parrot a healthy diet.
As great as it is to ensure your parrot is active and not lounging around every day, none of that matters unless what they’re eating is okay.
Now, what is a healthy diet for a parrot, you might ask?
Parrots have many food allergies, so make sure whatever you end up feeding them isn’t allergic.
Besides allergies, make sure you don’t feed them oily, high fat, or high sodium food.
Fruit and vegetables with parrot pellets will go a long way to having a healthy diet.
Double-check with their vet about what’s best to feed your specific parrot.
Make Sure They Get Exercise
As we’ve briefly mentioned, feeding your parrot healthy food should go hand in hand with exercise.
Obviously, you can’t bring your parrot to the gym to get them a brutal workout.
You can play with them and bring them outside on a leash frequently to get them moving.
Parrots don’t require a lot to work out.
Just make sure you don’t let them sit around while doing nothing every single day.
If they get in the habit of doing nothing, they run the risk of living an unhealthy lifestyle, which is something that should be avoided while raising them.
Give Them Plenty of Attention
As great as exercise and a healthy diet is for their physical health, their mental health is just as important.
Giving them plenty of attention will ensure they’re happy and not neglected.
Their specific attention requirements vary parrot to parrot but be mindful of spending time with them.
Get Them Toys
When you’re not around them, make sure your parrot has plenty of toys to keep them occupied.
Although toys might not seem like a huge deal, parrots will play with them frequently, meaning they’ll do a great of exercise throughout each day with their toys.
Make Sure They’re Not in Danger
You never know when your parrot might be sick, injured, or something is simply wrong.
As a result, always check on them to ensure their safety.
Even if you think there’s nothing near them that could harm them, you never know what might happen health-wise.
Get Them an Avian Vet
Similar to how every human should have their own doctor, the same can be said for parrots.
Always do what you can to make sure your parrot has an avian vet.
That way, if something does go wrong, you’ll have someone who can treat your parrot immediately.