Parrot lifespan: Parrots can live 15 to 20 years as pets, but their lifespans are much shorter in the wild.
Unlike many other mammals and birds, parrots live much longer. And this is one of the main characteristics of pet parrots: their long lifespan, whether in captivity or in the wild.
However, parrots live longer in captivity thanks to veterinary care, the absence of predators, and the abundance of food.
How long do parrots live
With proper care, some parrot breeds can live up to 80 years, and these include larger breeds like macaws and African greys.
Smaller breeds can live long compared to other birds and mammals and can live up to 30-35 years.
What is the average lifespan of a parrot?
Some parrots can outlive their owner, while others have a shorter lifespan. However, the most important factor is the breed of the parrot.
Large parrot breeds tend to live longer than small breeds. Another important factor is the mental health of the parrot, and yes, parrots can have and suffer from mental health issues.
Kakapo parrot
this parrot can live between 30 and 80 years, Kakapo parrot is no pet parrot these days, but in the past when Europeans arrived in New Zealand,
these parrots were treated as pets, and more often as prey. And these are the reasons that put them in the category of endangered species.
Macaw parrot
Smaller breeds of macaws have shorter lifespans. The Hahn’s macaw with a lifespan of 30 years, and the mini macaw can live up to 25 years are just two examples.
Here are 14 other types of macaws:
| Breed | Average lifespan observed |
| scarlet macaw | 50-70 years old |
| Spix’s Macaw | 50-70 years old |
| blue and yellow macaw | up to 70 years old |
| red and green macaw | 20-60 years old |
| Red-shouldered macaw | 25-40 years old |
| military macaw | 50-60 years old |
| blue-throated macaw | up to 80 years old |
| rufous-fronted macaw | 30-80 years old |
| Great Green Macaw | 50-60 years old |
| blue-winged macaw | up to 60 years old |
| Lear’s Macaw | 30-50 years old |
| rufous-fronted macaw | 25-50 years old |
| Golden-collared macaw | up to 50 years old |
| red-bellied macaw | 30-40 years old |
| blue-headed macaw | 30-40 years old |
| Cuban macaw | up to 40 years |
Parrot lifespan African grey
This breed has an average lifespan of 23 years in the wild. In captivity, it can be considerably increased with proper care to reach between 50 and 70 years.
In fact, the African Gray species has 2 subtypes, the Congo African Gray and the Timneh African Gray, which live between 40 and 60 years in captivity.
Cockatoo
There are many species of cockatoo parrot, and these are their ages:
| Breed | Average lifespan observed |
| Yellow-tailed black cockatoo | up to 50 years old |
| Sulphur-crested Cockatoo | 20-40 years old |
| white crested cockatoo | 40-60 years old |
| Western Corella | 25-30 years old |
| sulfur crested cockatoo | 20-40 years old |
| Baudin’s Black Cockatoo | 25-50 years old |
| blue-eyed cockatoo | up to 50 years old |
| Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo | 25-50 years old |
| Cockatiel | 10-14 years old |
| red-bellied cockatoo | up to 40 years |
| Ducorps Corella | up to 50 years old |
| Galah Cockatoo | up to 40 years |
| Gang-Gang Cockatoo | 60 and over |
| Glossy Black Cockatoo | 20-40 years old |
| Goffin’s Cockatoo | up to 40 years |
| Little Corella | 50-80 years old |
| Mitchell’s Cockatoo | 40-80 years old |
| Moluccan Cockatoo | 70 years |
| black palm cockatoo | 80-90 years old |
| Red-tailed Black Cockatoo | 45-50 years old |
Amazon parrot
The Amazon parrot family is one of the largest families. It includes about 35 subtypes of parrots. However, around 12 breeds are known to be pets, and these are:
| Breed | Average lifespan observed |
| Yellow-crowned Amazon Parrot | 80-100 years old |
| yellow-naped amazon parrot | up to 80 years old |
| Yellow double-headed amazon parrot | up to 80 years old |
| Orange-winged Amazon Parrot | up to 50 years old |
| Panamanian amazon parrot | up to 60 years old |
| red crowned amazon | up to 80 years old |
| Spectacled Amazon Parrot | 40 years and over |
| Mealy Amazon Parrot | 60-80 years old |
| Lilac-crowned Amazon Parrot | up to 50 years old |
| Blue-fronted Amazon Parrot | up to 35 years old |
| Lilac Amazon Parrot | 40-60 years old |
| Black-billed Amazon parrot | 12 years |
Parakeet
As pets, there are two different types of parakeets. American and English parakeets look similar and also have the same life expectancy, which can reach 8 years in the wild, and 15-20 years in captivity.
Parakeet budgie lifespan
The life expectancy of the budgerigar varies on average between 7 and 9 years. When it evolves in a very good environment, it can sometimes even live up to 17 years.
Lovebird
Lovebirds are a very large family of parrots with over 30 subtypes, while pet lovebirds can be limited to 9 breeds with different lifespans, and they are:
| Breed | Expected lifetime |
| Rosy-faced or peach-faced lovebird | 12-15 years old |
| Black-masked or yellow-collared | 15 years and over |
| Fischer’s Lovebirds | 12-15 years old |
| Lilians lovebird | 10-20 years old |
| Black-cheeked lovebirds | up to 19 years old |
| Black-winged or Abyssinian Lovebird | 20-30 years old |
| Madagascar or grey-headed lovebirds | 10-20 years old |
| Red-faced Lovebirds | 19-24 years old |
| Black-collared Lovebird or Swindern’s Lovebird | 10-15 years old |
Lorikeet
The most popular types of the Lorikeet family are:
| Breed | Expected life |
| black lory | 18 years old |
| black-capped lory | up to 25 years |
| Black-winged Lory | up to 30 years |
| Blue-tailed Lory | 15-30 years old |
| Cardinal Lory | 25-23 years old |
| Lori of Duivenbode | 18 years old |
| Edward’s Lory | 28-32 years old |
| Rainbow Lory | 10-15 years old |
| red lory | 20-28 years old |
| purple necked lori | up to 15 years |
| Yellow-backed Talkative Lori | 30 years and over |
| Yellow-tailed Lori | up to 20 years |
Pionus parrot
The Pionus is a family of 5 main members that can grow up to 30 cm, with a slight difference in coloration between each type.
However, this family of parrots can make really fun and lovable pets, and they can live to be 25-40 years old with proper care and a healthy diet.
Indian Ringneck Parakeet
The most popular types of the Ring-Neckel family are:
| Breed | Expected life |
| Alexandrian Parakeets | up to 30 years |
| Indian Ringnecks | up to 30 years |
| Whiskered / Moustached / Java Parakeets | up to 25 years |
| Plum-headed Parakeets aka Plumheads | 10-18 years old |
| Rose-ringed parakeets | 25-30 years old |
| Grey-headed parakeets | 15-25 years old |
Caique parrot
Caiques parrots are only 2 subtypes, the White-bellied caiques with a lifespan of 25-40 years. The other subtype is the black-headed caique, which also has a lifespan of up to 40 years.
Quaker parrot lifespan
Eclectus parrot lifespan
The Eclectus parrot is one of the most striking sexually dimorphic parrots. The two sexes are distinguished by the extreme coloration of their plumage (deep crimson in the male and bright green in the female). The average lifespan of an eclectic parrot in captivity is around 30 years.
Senegal parrot lifespan
A Senegal parrot can expect to live between 25 and 30 years, which is comparable to the lifespan of a conure despite its larger size.
Why do parrots live so long?
Their high resting glucose level, body temperature, ability to fly, and higher metabolic rate are the reasons the parrot lives longer than many other birds
However, these are the essentials for a parrot to live a long life, other factors like good healthy food, security, and mental stimulants that will keep the bird mentally healthy are all necessary for a parrot to live a long time.
The lifespans mentioned in the tables above are generally possible with proper care, many of these breeds will live much shorter lifespans in captivity due to their owner’s inexperience.
What factors influence the life expectancy of parrots?
The number of years a parrot lives is not only determined by its species: nutrition, veterinary care, and mental health also matter a lot. If you want to make sure that your pet reaches its maximum age, the following points should be taken into account:
The cage should be spacious. This will give him space to release his stress and exercise. Under no circumstances should a parrot be housed in an environment less than 1 meter long and high. In addition, it is necessary to let him be outside his cage for at least 2 hours a day.
A parrot needs company. Some parrot species naturally live in groups, so keeping multiple specimens will improve their mental health and keep them more active.
Choose where you get your pet carefully. Certified breeders follow rigorous processes to ensure parrots enjoy good health.
If you acquire your specimen from a questionable place, your parrot will undoubtedly be subject to various diseases in the future.
Provide proper nutrition. Do not forget that the diet of these birds should be as varied as possible.
Don’t just use commercial pellets, also offer them grains, seeds, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. A well-balanced diet will improve their health and their immune system.
Why Do Parrots Live So Long?
SOURCE: Texas A&M University
How much does a parrot cost?
The price of a parrot depends on the species concerned, it can be particularly high for some:
- For small birds like the budgerigar, twenty euros is enough to get one;
- The price of the lovebird oscillates between 60 and 150$ approximately;
- For a touï, it is necessary to plan in the 200$;
- For a hand-fed parrot, prices can easily climb, sometimes exceeding 1,000$, for a cockatoo, a Gabonese gray, or an Amazon parrot.