Poicephalus senegalus
Senegal parrot

Poicephalus senegalus are found in western central Africa: Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, Guinea, Southern Mauritania, the Island of Los and the Ivory Coast (Hilton 1997; Birdie Boutique 2000).

Poicephalus senegalus live on the edges of the savanna, nesting in trees (Hilton 1997) .

The head of P. senegalus is gray in color, including the beak. The wings, back, tailfeathers and parts of the breast are green (shades of which vary by bird). The green at the breast is in the shape of a "v", making it appear as if the P. senegalus are wearing a vest. The underside (belly) ranges from bright yellow to orange. The eyes, while starting out gray in the young, end up yellow in mature adults. Feet are either gray or pink.

It is difficult to physically distinguish male P. senegalus from female. Usually DNA tests or surgical sexing is required for 100% accuracy. There are however, a few physical traits which may identify the bird as male or female. Female P. senegalus tend to have a smaller head and beak, as well being more rounded at the crest. In addition, the feather coloring of the chest tends to extend the "v" shape further down the belly, stopping between the legs. The "v" on the male only goes halfway down the front and males also tend to have a larger head and beak.

Poicephalus senegalus range from 20-25cm in length (Birdie Boutique 2000; CNC Aviary 2001; Hilton 1997; Welch 1997).

In their natural habitats, P. senegalus have been observed both alone and in pairs. Sometimes they are seen in small flocks of 10-20 birds (not during mating season). Wild P. senegalus are skittish around humans and usually fly high overhead or roost in the tall treetops. Poicephalus senegalus use a series of short screeches and whistling noises and when alarmed, this call can be quite loud and piercing.

As pets, P. senegalus are friendly and very playful. They like chewing on wood and other toys. One of the most interesting abilities of P. senegalus is that they can mimic household sounds, such as the creak of a door or ring of the telephone. Sometimes they can pick up words or short phrases and even learn simple tricks.

They generally get along well with other birds, but are often jealous. They may even chase around the family dog or cat and may bite. Poicephalus senegalus love attention and usually become attatched to one person, although their devotion can shift to another if they are doted on enough. Poicephalus senegalus have very strong personalities and require a lot of personal attention (Arndt et al. 1996; Birdie Boutique 2000; Hilton 1997) .

Poicephalus senegalus have a diet that consists mostly of fruit, seeds and grain. They may also eat locust beans and young tree buds.

When in captivity, P. senegalus are usually fed some sort of seed mixture that includes sunflower and safflower seeds, millet, pine nuts, almonds. They may also eat a variety of beans, chickpeas, soy beans, and other fresh vegetables and fruits. Some P. senegalus even enjoy chicken and mashed potatoes, or dog and cat biscuits (Hilton 1997; Welch 1997).

Poicephalus senegalus are viewed as pests by farmers. They often eat seeds from the farmers' fields of maize and millet, or steal peanuts that have been left out to dry. Many P. senegalus are trapped and killed for that reason (Hilton 1997; Poole 1997).

Poicephalus senegalus is considered common. Population density varies with the availabilty of food in each area (Arndt et al. 1996).

The lifespan of P. senegalus is 20-25 years (Welch 1997).