Parrot, Senegal (Poicephalus senegalus)
Animal facts
Size
This bird reaches lengths of up to 23cm and can weigh from 125g to 170g.
Habitat and Distribution
This bird has a range covering much of western Africa where it will migrate along this entire range depending on the availability of food in their chosen area.
They can settle in most habitats as long as they have good availability of water and there are plenty of trees for them to roost on.
Age
These birds live for between 25 and 35 years in the wild, while captive specimens have been recorded living for up to 50 years.
Diet
The diet of these birds is made up of a mixture of fruits, seeds and blossoms,
which has led to them being considered a pest species by many farmers in the area.
Groups and Breeding
This species finds hollows in trees (often oil palms) where it will lay 3 to 4 eggs which will hatch out after approximately 27 to 28 days of incubation by the female.
These birds can often be found in large flocks especially whilst feeding, roosting and migrating, however will stay in pairs for breeding.
Threats
This species has a very wide range and due to its migration habits it is very difficult to estimate the numbers left in the wild, and even though they can be fairly common in some areas they have been placed under protection from trapping because the 1970s and 1980s left a huge dent in their numbers due to over collecting for the pet trade.
Interesting fact's
Even though it is generally a very quite bird they are widely thought of as having amongst the clearest speech of all the parrots, even if they cannot maintain as large a vocabulary as some of the big talkers like African Greys.