Meyer’s Parrot

The Meyer’s parrot, found in sub-Saharan Africa, is a small member of the parrot family. It is slowly but steadily earning its stripes as a favored pet across the country.

Meyer’s Parrot

Scientific Classification
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Psittaciformes
Superfamily	Psittacoidea
Family	Psittacidae
Subfamily	Psittacinae
Genus	Poicephalus
Scientific Name	Poicephalus meyeri

Meyer’s Parrot Bird

Meyer Parrots

Quick Information
Other Names	Brown Parrot
Size	8.25 in (21 cm) on average
Weight	3.1-4.6 oz (90-130 g)
Color	Adults: Dull brown tail, back, and head; blue-green to green abdomen; blue rump; yellow markings variably present on the head, carpal joint of the wings and under-wing coverts. Eyes are orange-red in color. Babies: Similar to adults, but with less of the bright yellow markings.
Subspecies	P. m. meyeri P. m. saturates P. m. matschiei P. m. reichenowi P. m. damarensis P. m. transvaalensis
Distribution	Southern Chad, Northeastern Cameroon, Central African Republic and Southern Sudan and Western Ethiopia.
Habitat	Miombo, wooded grasslands, savannah woodlands and forests surrounding agricultural lands and waterbodies.
Sounds and Calls	Mostly a quite bird, it may make screeching calls, and when alarmed they may growl, which subsequently turn into shrieks. They may learn to speak words they hear in the environment, they are generally not good at talking, though.
Clutch	2-4 glossy eggs.
Incubation Period	26-31 days
Lifespan	Wild: 15-20 years Captivity: Recorded to be just less than 35 years.
Diet	Berries, fruits, flowers, nuts, seeds, and insects. Have been known to forage on agricultural crops.
IUCN Conservation Status	Least Concern

Meyer Parrot Bird

Meyer Parrot Pictures

As pets

Their playful, entertaining and often comical character and quiet ways have made a popular pet out of Meyer’s parrots.

Housing

A sufficiently large cage of at least 20”x20”x18” should be provided for the bird. A smaller cage would necessitate that the bird should spend fewer hours in there. The secret to a happy and healthy bird is to make sure that it has plenty of room within its confines to work its legs & wings and adequate number toys to keep itself entertained. Put perches in the cage; wood perches are the best choice in this case; you may want to put in a grooming perch as well so that its nails are groomed naturally. Provide the bird with a nest box.

Meyer’s Parrot Pictures

Meyers Parrot Flying

Temperature

They can withstand a broad array of temperatures, but ideally, should be kept in a place with moderate warmth.

Temperament & Behavior

A bird that has been hand-reared since a young age can be trained well enough so that it can socialize and interact with all the members of the family. They have an easy-going and mellow personality and like to be the center of attention. They also like to keep themselves busy with their toys. Males tend to become aggressive during the breeding season. Breeding age is reached at around 2-4 years.

Feeding

Feed your bird a mix containing millets (white, red or yellow), canary grass seed, oats and groats, niger seeds, linseed, rape, sesame, thistle, anise and safflower seeds. Avoid feeding the bird avocado or chocolate, as they have the potential to be fatal.

Meyers Parrot Baby

Meyers Parrots

Care

Bathe you bird with mist spray and let it dry itself in the sun. Since they tend to gain weight, care should be taken when clipping the wings, as a heavier bird might fall to the ground and injure itself. They should be allowed to sleep for at least 10 hours without disturbance.