The parrots in captivity live longer than the ones living in the wild, and this is because of the care, maintenance, timely healthy checkups and access to fresh food and clean water. There are more than 200 breeds of parrots globally; some can live up to 80 years. These birds are the larger variety and when compared, the smaller variety usually lives up to 35 years or even less.
Thus, some parrots can outlive the owner whereas others live for a short duration, so let’s get to know about the lifespan of a few specific parrots.
Macaws
Macaws are part of a large parrot family and they vary in life expectancy. On average, these birds can live for 60 to 70 years in captivity and in the wild for about 50 years. The smaller breed of Macaws can live for 30 years and the mini version can live for 25 years. Particularly the Blue and Gold Macaw have a lifespan of 8- to 90 years and they thrive in the Caribbean, Mexico and South America. The green wing variety of macaw is mostly found in northern and central parts of South America and they have a lifespan of around 60 years.
Kakapo Parrot
The Kakapo parrot is a flightless breed, one of the friendliest parrots and native to New Zealand. They are marked as endangered as a population of fewer than 50 individuals today survives. They are not kept as pets and they have a life expectancy of 40 to 80 years living in the wild.
Senegal Parrot
Senegal parrots have 3 subtypes and these are known to be quiet birds, all the variants have identical lifespans of 30 to 40, but this number can increase if they get good food and proper care when in captivity. These birds are found in the western Africa.
Pionus Parrot
Pionus parrots are 12 inches of birds with 5 major groups and each can be distinguished from the different colouration, they are one of the best pets and have a lifespan of 25 to 40 years if supplied with proper nutrients and care. They are known to be novelty birds and native to Mexico, and Central and South America.
Lorikeets
Lorikeets are known to have 50 subtypes but only 12 variants can be kept as a pet. On average they have a lifespan of 10 to 30 years, where the shortest lived is Rainbow Lory. These are small to medium-sized birds and feed on fruit nectar, using their specific brush-tipped tongue. The subspecies with short tails are called lories and the long-tailed ones are called Lorikeets.
Cockatoo
Cockatoo have their home in Asian countries, in New Zealand, Indonesia and the Philippines. They have more than 20 subtypes and each has their own characteristics. They live for 70 years and some small varieties also have a lifespan of 10 to 14 years. You can easily recognize them from their crests and curved bills.
Conure
Conure are mostly found in Central and South America and they have a very short lifespan about 6 to 8 years. These are the most loved birds among the parrot family and have 15 subtypes., where the Sun Conure has the lowest lifespan of 15 to 30 years. They are playful and curious birds and their size varies from small to medium.
Quakers
Quakers have 4 subtypes and there is not much difference among the subvarients. With proper care and health maintenance in captivity, they can survive for 30 years. These birds are also known as monk parakeets and live in South America. Interestingly, these birds are quite active and known to build their own nest.
Budgies
Budgies have two different types and both are quite similar to each other, they are American and English budgies. These birds have a life expectancy of 5 to 8 years in the wild and when in captivity they can survive for 15 to 20 years. These are long-tailed parrots and are quite popular due to their varying lifespan.
Lovebirds
Lovebirds are one of the largest families of parrots and there are more than 30 subtypes. However, only 9 varieties of lovebirds can be kept as pets. They have a life expectancy of 10 to 30 years on average. These birds are the smallest genus of parrots and can learn to mimic human sounds if taught from a young age.
Eclectus Parrot
Eclectus parrots are native to Australia, New Guinea and nearby islands and they live for 30 to 40 years. These are one such parrots that eat only fruits and juicy veggies. and nuts. These birds show extreme sexual dimorphism, where the males have bright green feathers and the females have red, blue and purple feathers. They are calm and easy to breed or to keep as a pets.
Caique Parrot
Caique parrots can live for a long time in captivity, they have two variants, the white-bellied caique parrot which lies for 25 to 40 years and the black-headed caique parrot which lives for more than 40 years. These are stocky and short-tailed species and are known for their bright colours. These birds are endemic to the Amazon Basin.
Parrotlets
Parrotlets consist of 18 subtypes and these birds are barely 5 inches tall, having a lifespan of 15 to 20 years in captivity and this number reduces when they are in the wild. These birds are known to be the New World parrot. These birds are quite active but not noisy and they require a lot of care.
African Greys
African Greys are a very popular breed and they have a lifespan of 23 years in the wild. However, a pet parrot can live up to 50 to 70 years. There are 2 subtypes found, one is the Congo African Grey and the other is Timnah African Grey and both can live for 40 to 60 years in captivity. These birds are mostly found around Angalo, Congo Kenya and Tanzania. Interestingly, they can mimic human speech.
Ring-necked Parrot
Ring-necked parrots have 14 subtypes and they are further divided into subtypes, so in total there are more than 50 categories. These birds are not kept as pets and they have a life expectancy of 15 to 30 years on average.
Amazon Parrot
Amazon parrots are most seen in the Caribbean. South America and Mexico and they have a lifespan of 50 to 60 years. They have 35 subtypes and among them, 12 are kept as pets. The smallest of the lot, the black-billed Amazon parrot, has a lifespan of 12 years.
Hawk headed parrot
Hawk-headed parrots are found in many parts of the South American country and they live for 50 years.
Cockatiel
Cockatiels are mostly found in Australia and speciality around the Cape York peninsula and they have a lifespan of only 20 years.
Which Factors Affect the Lifespan of the Parrot?
parrots in the wild are mostly seen around the tropical belt, rainforest, grassland and mountains. They are found in every continent except Antarctica and Europe. A parrot’s lifespan depends on their high metabolic rate due to which they can fly away from predators and forage a variety of food. However, their lifespan is getting affected due to the loss of habitat either man-made destruction or due to natural calamities. Thus, the parrots are unable to protect themselves due to loss of habitat and this affects their lifespan, decreasing it. They also mostly consume nuts, seeds, fruits, insects and flower buds, which also get destroyed due to loss of habitat and thus their survival comes to a stack due to lack of availability of proper food.
What is the Relationship Between Size and Lifespan of a Parrot?
The general rule is the bigger the size of the parrot the longer they live. Also, a parrot can live to their full potential age when kept in captivity.
How can You Help a Parrot to Live Longer?
The lifespan of a parrot greatly depends on the factor where they live – in captivity or the wild.
In Captivity
Parrots when kept in captivity get all the facilities to stay healthy and protected.
- You must provide the parrot with proper space to move around and keep it clean and secure.
- They must get enough exercise or access to plenty of toys to keep them mentally stimulated and happy.
- You must provide them with a balanced diet and nutrients which would prevent disease.
- They should be allowed to enjoy full-spectrum light or natural sunlight, which prevents the development of various health problems.
- The house should be made birdproof and there should not be any unstable surface around it.
- They must be taken to the vet for a monthly check-up.
In Wild
But for the ones in the wild, you can install a bird feeder, water tub or bird bath, so that they can get 24×7 access to balanced food, clean water and a safe dwelling space. If you find any parrot seriously ill or hit the running fan or window while flying, immediately take it to the vet.
Which is The Oldest Parrot?
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, a green-winged macaw named Poncho was the world’s oldest parrot who lived at the age of 92, and the bird broke the record of Cookie, a cockatoo, who died at the age of 83 in 2016.. at present charlie, winston churchill’s parrot is supposed to be the longest living parrot with a running age of 114.
