Senegal Parrots aka Yellow-vented Parrots
Poicephalus Parrots
- Overview / Natural Range
- Sub-species
- Physical Description
- Senegals as Pets
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The Senegal Parrots is native to West Africa, specifically to Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea. The Senegal Parrot is a bird of open woodland and savannah.
Within its natural range, it undergoes local movements, driven mainly by the availability of the fruit and blossoms which make up its diet. It is considered a farm pest, often feeding on crop.
This is a gregarious species, continuously chattering with a range of whistling and squawking calls.
Senegal Parrots live an average of approximately 25-30 years in the wild, but have been known to live for 50 years in captivity.
There are three generally recognized subspecies. They do not differ in behavior, but only in the color of the "vest." In the pet trade, the nominate subspecies is the most common though all three are raised and sold as pets.
- Senegal Parrot / Poicephalus senegalus senegalus (the nominate subspecies):
- Visual Difference: Yellow vest
- Native Range: southern Mauritania, southern Mali to Guinea and the Island of Los.
- Reichenow's Orange-bellied Parrots / P. s. mesotypus:
- Visual Difference: Orange vest.
- Native Range: eastern and northeastern Nigeria and Cameroon into southwest Chad.
- Red-vented Parrots / P. s. versteri:
- Visual Difference: Red vest.
- Native Range: Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana east to western Nigeria.
Breeding / Nesting
It nests in holes in trees, often Oil Palms, laying 2-4 white eggs which are incubated for about 27 days. The eggs are about 3cm long x 2.5cm wide.
The Senegal Parrot is about 9 - 9.2 ins (~23 cm) long, plump-looking, and weighs about 110 to 170 g - the average weight being 125 grams.
Males are generally larger and heavier then female birds. Adults have a charcoal grey head, yellow eyes, green back and throat, and yellow underparts and rump. The yellow and green areas on a Senegal Parrot's front form a V-shape and resemble a yellow vest worn over green. Immature birds are duller, with a lighter grey head and grey eyes.
Senegals are not sexually dimorphic, but there are some hypotheses on how to tell the genders apart; it is thought that a female's beak and head are smaller and narrower than the male's and also, the V-shape of the vest is usually longer in females, so that the green area extends down over the chest to between the legs whereas in males it ends midway down the chest.
Immature birds have a duffer plumage and their irises are dark.
Rare Yellow Mutation:
If you are considering one of these magnificent parrots, please visit the following websites for information:
- Procuring your Parrot
- Housing Your Bird
- Training Your Bird
- Bird Nutrition
- Parrot Products
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Taxonomy:
Species: Scientific: Poicephalus senegalus senegalus ... English: Senegal Parrot, Yellow-vented Parrot ... Dutch: Bonte Boertje, Senegal Papegaai ... German: Mohrenkopfpapagei ... French: Perroquet du Sénégal ... CITES II - Endangered Species
Species: Scientific: Poicephalus versteri ... English: Red-vented Parrot ... Dutch: Finsch' Roodbuikpapegaai ... German: Finschs Mohrenkopfpapagei ... French: Perroquet de Verster
Description: As senegalus above, but green to back and wings generally darker; lower breast and abdomen yellowish-orange with orange-red centre to abdomen. ... Length: 23 cm (9 ins)
Distribution: Ivory Coast and Ghana east to Western Nigeria. ... CITES II - Endangered Species
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 2 - click on link to view photo.)
Reichenow's Orange-bellied Parrots:
Species: Scientific: Poicephalus senegalus mesotypus ... English: Reichenow's Orange-bellied Parrot ... Dutch: Reichenows Bonte Boertje ... German: Reichenows Mohrenkopfpapagei
Description: As senegalus above, but green generally paler; green to breast extends to abdomen area; abdomen orange. ... Length: 23 cm (9 ins)
Distribution: Eastern to nort-eastern Nigeria, northern Cameroon, south-western Chad ... CITES II - Endangered Species
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 3 - click on link to view photo.
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