Know before you bring one home
Meet the Senegal Parrot.
One of the quietest medium parrots and a genuine option for flat living — with a single, well-documented catch: Senegals bond hard to one person and can turn on everyone else unless the whole household is involved from day one.
Daily life
Personality, housing & routine.
A safe enclosure is the starting point, not the bird’s entire world.
Personality
Playful, clever, observant and less needy than a conure or cockatoo. Senegals are comfortable entertaining themselves and are not natural screamers, which makes them one of the easier medium parrots to live with.
Cage size & type
Minimum 80 × 60 × 90 cm, larger preferred. Bar spacing 15–20 mm, with horizontal bars for climbing.
Perches, toys & setup
Natural branch perches (15–25 mm), foraging toys, shreddable materials, destructible wood and a bathing dish. Stainless steel or bird-safe powder coating only.
Time & social needs
2–4 hours out of the cage daily. More independent than most parrots, but the daily handling is what keeps a Senegal sociable rather than possessive.
Exercise & enrichment
Foraging puzzles, shreddables, destructible wood and training. Senegals are content to work alone at a puzzle, which makes enrichment easy to provide.
Noise & neighbours
Moderate and intermittent — chirps, whistles and short squawks rather than sustained screaming. Realistically flat-compatible, which is rare in a parrot of this size.
Sleep
Provide 10–12 hours of quiet, uninterrupted darkness on a predictable schedule. Sleep-deprived parrots become irritable, scream more and are more likely to pluck.
Household safety
PTFE and non-stick fumes — pans, air fryers, self-cleaning ovens, some heaters and hair dryers — kill birds within minutes and are the most common preventable household death. Never house a bird in or near the kitchen. Also keep away from scented candles, incense, air fresheners, aerosols, cleaning sprays, pesticides, cigarette and vape smoke, ceiling fans, open water, hot pots, open windows and doors, electrical cables, toxic houseplants, and zinc or lead sources such as galvanised wire, costume jewellery and old paint. A cat scratch or bite is a medical emergency — cat saliva carries Pasteurella, which is usually fatal without immediate antibiotics.
Behaviour & warning signs
Selective bonding is the defining behavioural issue. From sexual maturity at two to three years, a Senegal commonly picks one person and becomes aggressive toward others — lunging, biting and defending its chosen human. Prevent it deliberately: every household member should hand-feed treats, do short training sessions and handle the bird regularly from the first week. Eye-pinning and a stiff, lowered head are warnings.
Important: Use positive reinforcement only. Never hit, shout at, squirt, drop or “beak-flick” a bird for biting or vocalising — punishment reliably makes both worse. Parrots are prey animals: they hide illness and they bite because a warning signal was missed, not out of spite. Learn your bird’s body language and the biting mostly stops.
Nutrition
Build health in the bowl.
A seed-only diet is the most common cause of premature death in pet parrots. Every species below needs a formulated base, daily fresh vegetables and measured portions — change any diet gradually, with an avian vet’s guidance.
What to feed
- A complete pellet as roughly 60–70% of intake.
- Fresh vegetables and leafy greens daily, especially orange and dark green ones for vitamin A: butternut, carrot, red pepper, kale, broccoli.
- Small portions of fruit and cooked whole grains.
- Cooked legumes in measured amounts.
- Nuts and seeds only as training rewards — one or two small pieces a day.
- A cuttlebone and clean fresh water daily.
AVI Plus Complete Diet MaintenanceComplete formulated maintenance food.
Nature’s Nest Avian CompleteVet-formulated complete daily nutrition.
What NOT to feed
NEVER SHARE FOOD FROM YOUR MOUTH OR PLATE
- Sunflower-based seed mixes as a staple.
- Avocado — every part of the plant, including guacamole.
- Chocolate and cocoa.
- Caffeine, alcohol and xylitol (sugar-free sweetener).
- Onion, garlic, chives and leeks.
- Fruit pips and stones: apple, pear, cherry, apricot, peach and plum.
- Raw or dried beans — all legumes must be thoroughly cooked.
- Rhubarb leaves.
- Salty, sugary, fried or processed human food.
- Dairy in more than a trace — birds cannot digest lactose.
- Mouldy or fermenting food, including fruit left in the bowl.
- Anything from your mouth, plate or fork — human saliva carries bacteria that kill birds.
- Grit. Parrots husk their own seed and grit can cause fatal impaction.
- Human medicines or supplements unless prescribed by an avian vet.
Senegal Parrot-specific: Senegals put on weight quietly and are prone to vitamin A deficiency on seed-heavy diets, which shows up as recurring sinus and respiratory problems. Keep the fresh vegetable portion generous and the nut ration small, and weigh weekly. Portions, hygiene and change: Measure food rather than filling a bowl to the brim, and weigh your bird weekly on a gram scale — appetite is a poor guide, weight is not. Remove fresh food after two to three hours in warm weather; bacteria in a warm bowl cause more illness than most owners realise. Wash bowls daily in hot soapy water. Change any diet gradually over several weeks under an avian vet’s guidance — a bird that stops eating during a rushed pellet conversion can die in 48 hours.
Health & veterinary care
Birds hide illness. Act early.
Poicephalus parrots are notably susceptible to aspergillosis, a fungal respiratory disease — ventilation and clean, dry housing matter. Also watch for obesity, vitamin A deficiency, PBFD and sudden behaviour or appetite changes.
Recommended specialist
Bryanston Avian, Exotic & Small Animals Clinic
99 Grosvenor Road, Bryanston, Johannesburg
011 706 1381 · WhatsApp 061 533 9950
info@baesac.co.za · baesac.co.za
Arrange an avian-vet examination within the first week after purchase, and weigh your bird weekly on a gram scale. Not every vet treats birds — find your nearest avian-experienced practice before you need one, and save the number.
Seek avian-vet help urgently for:
- Difficulty or open-mouth breathing
- Pronounced tail bobbing at rest
- Fluffed, quiet and sitting on the cage floor
- Collapse or severe weakness
- Bleeding that does not stop, including a broken blood feather
- Seizures or loss of balance
- Repeated vomiting or regurgitation
- Not eating, or noticeable weight loss
- Straining, a swollen abdomen, or a hen unable to pass an egg
- Sudden major change in droppings
- Any contact with a cat or dog, even a minor scratch
- Suspected poisoning, fumes or trauma
- Voice change, wheezing or laboured breathing — Senegals are prone to fungal respiratory disease
Before you buy
Ask the seller for the hatch date, the closed ring number, a DNA sex certificate and any disease screening already done. A seller who cannot answer those questions, or who will not let you watch the bird eat, is a seller to walk away from. Ask what the bird is currently eating, so you can keep it stable for the first fortnight.
Your first month
Book a wellness examination in the first week, not just when something looks wrong. Quarantine a new bird for 30–45 days away from any birds you already keep, ideally in separate air space. Recommended screening: psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD), psittacosis (Chlamydia psittaci), polyomavirus and avian bornavirus.
Ongoing & human health
Annual check-ups, moving to twice yearly for larger species over ten. Wing clipping is not routine care — discuss it first, because flight builds fitness, balance and confidence. Psittacosis passes to people as a flu-like illness or pneumonia: if you develop unexplained respiratory symptoms, tell your doctor you keep birds.
Is this your bird?
Who this species suits.
Being honest about this before you buy is the kindest thing you can do for a parrot.
First-time owners
A reasonable first medium parrot, provided the new owner actively prevents one-person bonding from the start.
Experienced owners
An easy, characterful companion that fits well into a household with other commitments.
Families & children
Suitable for families where everyone will handle the bird regularly. In a family where only one person interacts with it, a Senegal will very likely become aggressive toward the others.
Whatever your experience: buy from a seller who lets you meet the bird, answers questions about diet and hatch date, and takes the bird back if things go wrong. Ask about adoption too — rescues and sanctuaries are full of the species on this list, and an adult bird’s temperament is already known.
The commitment
Can you provide a good life?
“A happy bird isn’t just loved — it is understood, fed properly, kept safe and cared for every single day.”
Every person in my home will handle and train this bird, not just me.
I can give 2–4 hours of out-of-cage time daily.
I can keep housing clean, dry and well ventilated to reduce fungal risk.
I accept a commitment that may reach fifty years.
If several answers are “No”, this is not the right bird for you — and walking away is a good outcome, not a failure.
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