Parrot lifespan

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

Kakapo

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

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

African Grey parrot

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

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

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

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

Budgerigar

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

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

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

indian ringneck parrot

 

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

caïque 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

Quaker parrot

Quaker parrot has an average lifespan of 15 to 25 years. But with proper care, it can live up to 25 or even 30 years.

Eclectus parrot lifespan

eclectus parrot

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

parrot senegal

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?

Parrot care

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.

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.

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