How long do parrots live: The name of the parrot is given to the loud birds of many colors that belong to the parrot family ( Psittacidae ), and the parrot is considered one of the pets that a person can raise at home because it is an entertaining and intelligent parrot.
it is also able to imitate human voices, and despite the multiplicity of its types And their forms, they share some characteristics, as all parrots have curved beaks, in addition to spaced opposite toes, that is, four toes on each foot; Two forward and two backward, and most species feed on grains, fruits, and some types of small insects.
The average age of a parrot varies according to its size and type, and the average age of parrots comes according to their sizes:
Large parrot
Large parrots usually live for many years, and among the most popular types of large parrots are; Amazons and Macaws, which live up to about 100 years if proper care is provided, and some other large-sized parrots such as African gray parrots live about 25 years. Cockatoos live for about 40 years or more.
Medium sized parrots
The average age of medium-sized parrots like cockatiels is between about 25 to 30 years; It is the longest-lived among its peers, while both Lories and lorikeets live between 15 and 20 years.
It is worth noting that male lorries and lorikeets live longer than females, Conures (a type of parrot as well) it is the shortest life; Where the average age is about 10 years.
Small parrot
Small parrots live a long life for their small size. That is, about 18 years old, but the lovebird; is considered an exception among young parrot birds, as its average age ranges between about 25 to 30 years.
What Factors Affect a Parrot’s Lifespan
The lifespan of a parrot, and its ability to grow and stay healthy, are affected by many factors, including the following:
Parrot lifestyle
The life of a parrot of the same type varies according to the place in which it lives, as the life of a wild parrot is usually shorter and more stressful than that of a domestic parrot, due to the possibility of exposure to predation from other animals, or disease, which prevents it from living the maximum of its life, while the parrot If the house is placed in a cage of an appropriate size that contains space for climbing, playing, spreading its wings freely, and providing it with toys that work on mental stimulation and prevent it from boredom, in addition to providing care and attention to the cleanliness of the cage, all of these things help the parrot live for as long as possible.
Parrot food
Relying on a balanced diet that contains the right proportions of vitamins, proteins, and fats, and providing foods that contain all nutrients, such as; grains, nuts, and fresh fruits and vegetables;
contributes to maintaining the health of the parrot and preventing it from diseases, and thus increases the possibility of the parrot living to its maximum age.
Parrot care
The parrot is famous for its ability to hide its illness and weakness, and therefore the periodic visit to the veterinarian at least once a year;
helps detect any changes that occur in the health of the parrot, even if they are not noticeable to the breeder, and thus he can treat them in a timely manner.
Why do parrots live so long?
The lives of parrots are very long, as their lives sometimes reach 70 and 80 years, and although there is a rule that often says that the larger the size of the animal, the longer it lives and vice versa, parrots usually live as long as large birds and much longer than their similar size of birds.
A March 2022 study in Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences found that parrots’ long lifespans may be due to another of their famous traits: intelligence.
Birds typically live much longer than mammals of similar size, says the lead author of the study Simon Smil, an evolutionary ecologist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Radolfzell, Germany .
flight and escape from predators, unlike mammals on land.” Professor Simon explains: “For example, the sulfur-crested cockatoo can live up to a maximum of 70-80 years. Although humans weigh about 100 times the weight of the sulfur-crested cockatoo (which ranges from 700 to 1,000 grams), humans live longer for only a few decades.
The lifespan of parrots is exceptionally long compared to the rest of the birds. For example, the American robin (Turdus migratorius) – one of the most common birds in North America – lives on average only about two years. As for the parrot known as the pink lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis), it lives for about eight years. Much smaller than the American robin.
The longest-lived parrots live 20-30 years on average, Professor Simon Smil says: “There are other birds that can live this long as well, but they are much larger than parrots, for example, flamingos weigh about four times the weight of parrots and their lifespan reaches 30 years like parrots,
” and the average lifespan is not the limit for lifespan, as Professor Simon Smil says: “Robins, flamingos, and parrots may live longer if they exceed their first year.”
Previous research has found that longevity is related to brain size in some animals, perhaps because larger brains help animals find food or escape from danger. And the cause of longevity, due to lack of data on the ages of large numbers of parrots, makes the task of calculating the causes leading to longevity difficult for scientists.
In the previous study, the researchers collaborated with the non-profit wildlife conservation group Species360 to collect data on more than 130,000 parrots in more than 1,000 zoos around the world. This database helped them estimate the average lifespan of 217 parrot species. It accounts for more than half of all known species of parrots.
The results revealed a great diversity in the life expectancy of the parrot, as the average life expectancy of the fig parrot (fig parrot) – and this species consists of only two sexes: (Cyclopsitta) and (Psittaculirostris) – reaches two years, and the average life span of the scarlet macaw(Ara macao) reaches 30 There are other long-lived species, such as the sulfur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) of Australia, which lives an average of 25 years.
The team found that relatively large brains were associated with increased life expectancy in parrots, suggesting that smarter birds can solve problems in the wild and live longer lives. “This observation really suggests that bigger brains may help people live longer,” says Professor Simon Smil.
One alternative possibility the researchers explored was that relatively large brains take longer to develop and thus require a longer lifespan, but the researchers found no links between longevity and developmental time or any factors related to parental care.
I expect parental care to be more important.” Conversely, he notes, the increased costs involved in developing and increasing brain size contribute to the longevity of primates.
Scientists aspire in the future to know whether species of parrots that live in flocks have larger brains and live longer periods or not, Professor Simon Smil says: “We think that species that live in complex groups can learn a lot of skills such as how to obtain food and control on the swarm, but this learning will require a bigger brain and will take longer,” he adds, warning:
“It would be tempting to extrapolate and say that smarter people also live longer, but you cannot generalize and measure in this way; Because the larger brain burns more energy, which may cause damage and shorter life, and this was shown in guppies, as those with larger brains lived shorter lives than the rest.
Related article: