Animal-World > Pet Birds > Pionus Parrots > About Pionus Parrots

   The very amicable and gentle Pionus are often considered the most ideal parrot pet!

   Pionus parrots are similar in appearance to the smaller Amazon parrots, being short stalky birds. They have the playfulness and intelligence of these larger parrots with the capability of learning a few words, but are are noted for being much quieter than the Amazon parrot. They are active and inquisitive, enjoy attention, and will appreciate toys to keep them busy.

   Pionus parrots adapt well to captivity, adjusting to their cage or aviary in just a couple weeks. A young pionus will tame quickly and one of their special characteristics is that they do not tend to bite. They like lots of people and can become a great all-around family pet. Like all parrots though, as they mature they can bond to one person or to the people they have been raised with and may aggressively protect those persons from other people, this is suggested to be especially true of the male pionus.

Description:
   The genus Pionus contains 8 species of birds. They are stocky medium sized parrots with short square tails. They are similar in appearance and behavior to the Amazon parrots, though they are smaller than most of the Amazons with the exception of the small Spectacled Amazon.
   Their size ranges from 9 - 12 inches in length. One way to distinguish a Pionus from an Amazon is by the tail. All Pionus parrots have red feathers under their tails while on the Amazons these feathers are green. This bright red undertail is a hallmark of the Pionus parrots and as a group they have been referred to as the Red-vented Parrots.
   Pionus Parrots acquire their lovely colorations as they mature, and by adulthood have a beautiful appearance.Though not brightly colored the Pionus parrots have many beautiful hues in their plumage, likened to a painter's palate pulling many colors from a rainbow. Also a single bird will often be varied from another of its species in the amount and intensity of its color. This is especially true in those species without green as the main body color such as the Dusky Pionus, the Bronze-winged Pionus, and the White-crowned Pionus. This variation is individual to each bird however, and not an indication of its sex.
   There is no visual distinction between the sexes but the young differ from their parents. The plumage on the juveniles is usually duller, with the subtle ornate coloration developing over 2 to 3 years as they mature.The sex of these birds must be determined by either a surgical probe, endoscopy, which can be done by many veterinarians; or by a DNA testing, usually a blood sample or a few plucked feathers sent to be diagnosed in a lab; or a chromosonal analysis.
   The average life span for a pionus is about 22-25 years. However, there are many that live longer, some as old as 40. They are fully mature at 3 years of age.

Distribution:
   The Pionus parrots are from South and Central America. Different species range in many different areas. They are primarily tree top dwellers, generally found in tropical and sub-tropical forested areas.

Care and feeding:
   The personal hygiene of your Pionus parrot includes a regular shower for good plumage and skin condition. Pionus dearly love the rain and will even turn upside down, spreading and flapping their wings in grand enjoyment of this natural shower. One way to accomplish a shower indoors or in an aviary is with either a hand held shower sprayer or a hose with a fine spray head and lukewarm water.
   The wings should be kept trim if you want to discourage flight and to prevent the loss of your pet through an open window or door. The beak needs to be trimmed if it becomes overgrown or deformed, however it is typical for the upper beak of the pionus to be quite long compared to that of other parrots. There are many mineral blocks, lava blocks, and other beak grooming items available at your pet store to help your bird keep its beak in shape. A variety of concrete type perches are also available to help the keep nails trim, but they should be trimmed if they become overgrown.
   In the wild the Pionus parrots eat fruits, berries, seeds, possibly blossoms, and have developed a great liking for corn from cultivated fields.They are active by nature and can become overweight if confined. Like the Amazon Parrots they require a low fat diet.
   Foods available for Pionus parrots include formulated diets, either pelleted or extruded, seed only diets, and parrot mixes which offer a mixture of both. There are pros and cons to feeding only a formulated diet as well as feeding only a seed diet. A formulated diet provides a good nutritional base so does not require the addition of vitamins, however it does not contain the phytonutrients (antioxidant pigments) that are found in vegetables, fruits, grains, and seeds. Phytonutrients are believed to boost the immune system, help a body to heal itself, and to prevent some diseases. Also parrots can become bored with a formulated diet due to the lack of variety. A seed only diet offers much more variety but requires additional vitamin and calcium supplements. Variety is important in the diet for psychological enrichment.
   A Pionus diet consisting of a good parrot mix which includes formulated foods, a variety of seeds, and dried fruits is generally regarded as a suitable base to provide nutrition and variety. Along with this, provide a daily supplement of fresh fruits and vegetables. Supplements can include sprouted seeds, all types of fruits such as apples, pears, plums, cherries, grapes, oranges, bananas, mangos, papayas, and berries such as strawberries and blueberries. Vegetables are also good supplements such as carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, many garden vegetables, and even dandelions and chickweed. Do not feed avocado as it may be toxic to birds!

Housing:
   A cage best suited to house a Pionus parrot would be similar to that required by an Amazon, between 39"- 59" (100-150 cm) high and have a floor space of 23"x 39" (60 x 100 cm), though it has been suggested that a minimum size cage would be 24"x 24"x 32" (62 x 62 x 83 cm). 3/4" bar spacing is recommended, though 1" bar spacing is okay for the larger pionus. The cage needs to provide room for lots of movement as well as space for perches, food dishes and a variety of playthings. Playthings can include climbing ropes, chains, bells, parrot swings and wooden or other bird toys. A playpen is ideal for playtime outside of the cage.
   Pionus, once acclimated, can do very well in an outdoor or breeding aviary. However they do not all tolerate colder temperatures, such as the Bronze-winged Pionus which should not be kept where temperatures fall below 41° F(5° C), and the Dusky Pionus which should not be kept below 50 ° F (10° C). An outdoor aiary needs to have a protected shelter that can be heated and cooled where necessary and have an attached flight cage. It is recommended that it be 6 - 8 feet 12' (180 - 240 cm) long with a perch at each end. The width is not as important for just a pair of birds so 3' - 4' (90 - 120 cm) would be fine. A climbing branch and a bird bath are nice additions too.

Maintenance:
   The basic cage care includes daily cleaning of the water and food dishes. Weekly you should wash all the perches and dirty toys, and the floor should be washed about every other week. A total hosing down and disinfecting of an aviary should be done yearly, replacing anything that needs to be freshened, such as old dishes, toys and perches.

Social Behaviors:
   In the wild Pionus parrots are seen in small or medium sized flocks when not breeding, about 10 to 60 birds. During breeding season they are generally seen singly or in pairs.
   In captivity Pionus parrots are generally peaceful and not particularly loud. They are usually a calm bird though some can be a bit more nervous. Usually this is only when first introduced to a new environment and passes as they become more confident. There is some thought that the females are more gentle than the males.
   They are very social birds and are often considered the most ideal parrot to have as a pet, particularly when children are involved. They have good steady personalities, are loyal, and rarely bite. They can also do well with other pets if they get used to and accept each other. However be very careful to monitor all groupings with animals and with children to prevent any unexpected accidents.

Handling/Training:
   A hand raised Pionus makes a delightful pet, but like all parrots it needs a bit of time to become accustom to its new environment. Your pionus may seem a bit standoffish when you first bring it home, but it is just being quiet and reserved until it has checked out its new surroundings and feels secure. Give your new arrival a few days to get use to you, your voice, and its cage before trying to handle it. A handfed baby will not need much taming and can often be handled right away, as it is use to human attention.
   To be able to handle and train your parrot depends first on trust, so go slowly and be consistent. Your first goal is to get the parrot to accept a treat from you, which will lead to it allowing you to gently scratch its head. Then you can begin to work on getting your parrot to step up on your hand. Depending on the tameness of the bird, these two steps can be instantaneous as in a handfed baby or take several weeks or longer for an untamed bird.
   Remember that taming and training a bird takes patience, never 'punish' your parrot! This only serves to destroy the trust you've spent so much time building. Pionus are not extremely cuddly birds but they do love having their head, ears, and neck scratched. Once your Pionus parrot has gotten over its shyness, you can work on speech training. For an extensive parrot training system that potentially turns your bird into a fun, loving companion as well as learning lots of cool trickls, try Chet Womach's Parrot Training Course. Repetition and frequency are the keys here and almost every Pionus parrot can learn at least a few words.

Activities:
   Exercise and play are important activities for the physical well being and psychological health of your Pionus. They are active by nature and may become overweight they become too sedentary. Activities also help deter stress and prevent problems such as screaming. Provide your parrot with lots of activities in the form of large link chains, bird ladders, parrot swings, ropes, fresh branches for gnawing and chewing, and rotate new bird toys on a regular basis.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   Pionus parrots are not dimorphic and you will have to have them sexed by either a surgical probe, endoscopy, a DNA test, or a chromosonal analysis. The sexes must be confirmed and the pair must be harmonious, bonded with each other. Some species of Pionus have been successfully bred in captivity while others are quite nervous and difficult to breed.
   Pionus parrots should be bred in flight cages. They will need a nest box that is about 10" x 10" x 20" (25 x 25 x 50 cm) and have some soft bedding material inside on the bottom of the box. The opening needs to be approximately the width of the broadest part of the parrots back. Because some pionus are rather nervous, it is generally recommended that the nest box be mounted in covered darkened areas as high as you can, to encourage breeding.
   A Pionus female may lay up to 5 eggs and she will brood for about 26 days. The young will leave the nest at about 8 - 14 weeks of age, depending on the species.
   Successful breeding is helping to preserve the species and reduce the number of wild caught birds. There are no breeding regulations in the United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom, though other countries might have restrictions and you should consult with the authorities in your country before undertaking breeding.

Potential Problems:
   As with all parrots, signs of illness to be aware of are ruffled plumage, resting often with their head turned back, having no appetite, sneezing, discharge from the nostrils, cloudy eyes, and any change in the feces.

Pionus parrots will make a wheezing sound when they are scared or excited. This is totally normal and does not indicate a sick bird. However, Pionus parrots are also known to be more prone to aspergillosis than other parrots. Aspergillosis can have the same symptoms as those exibited by a scared or excited Pionus. As you get to know your bird, you will be able to distinguish between the two.

   Some of the common illnesses your Pionus could contract are internal parasites, bacterial and fungal infections, intestinal influenza, coccidiosis, respiratory ailments, aspergillosis, feather picking, poor eating habits, vitamin A deficiency, toxicity, ingestion of metals, parrot fever also known as psittacosis, and p0x virus infections (generally only found in imported birds). An ailing parrot should be taken to a avian veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.

   Behavior problems usually stem from something missing in the bird's environment. Boredom, lack of trust, lack of interaction with other birds or people can lead to problems like biting, feather plucking, and screaming. Try to develop a bond of trust and spend time with your bird to help avoid these problems. We have also had good success with Chet Womach's Parrot Training Course. He offers a free 3-day introductory course so you can try it out before you buy anything.

Availability:
   Of the eight species of Pionus parrots, five species are frequently available as captive raised pets in the United States. These are the Blue-headed Pionus, the Bronze-winged Pionus, the Maximilian's Pionus, and the White-crowned Pionus. As breeding becomes more successful, the Pionus species are becoming more available

   The remaining three species of Pionus are very rare and not readily available at this time. They are the Plum-crowned Parrot (Plum-crowned Pionus or Restless Parrot) Pionus tumultuosus, the Red-billed Parrot (Coral-billed Pionus or Sordid Pionus) Pionus sordidus, and the White-headed Parrot (White-headed Pionus or Massena's Parrot) Pionus seniloides.