Are Pionus Parrots Good For Beginners? KNOW This!

“Owning a pet is an emotion, not a responsibility”. This should be kept in mind when you bring a pet to your house.  If you always find yourself alone, a pet bird or pair of them might be a good companion for you. Even though everyone is busy with their lives, a pet bird provides lifelong companionship and is full of enjoyment. If you are looking for a pet partner, you will be confused as to which birds are suitable for beginners like you.

Are Pionus Parrots Friendly & Cuddly?

Choosing the correct bird can be a task, but once you find your perfect pet partner it can make a difference in your life. When it comes to birds, we don’t own them, they own us. So, taking care of them should be done with care and love. 

In this article, we are going to discuss all the details regarding the Pionus parrot as a pet for beginners. We are sure that this article will clear all your doubts about Pionus parrots and encourage you to have them as your loving pet.

Are Pionus parrots good as pets?

This is the common question that comes to your mind when you are planning to bring a pet into your life. If you are stuck in the case of the Pionus parrot, you will be excited to own them after knowing their features. If you are wondering, do Pinous parrots make good parts? The answer is yes, these beautiful little creatures have all the good qualities to serve as good companions. Although these birds are not as talkative as other parrots, they have many great features as bread. 

These breeds are quieter and more easy-going than other parrots and their nature will depend upon how you treat them as a pet owner. Pionus birds are affectionate, calm, and easy to care for because of their quiet nature. Of 7 different species of Pionus birds, 4 of them can be owned as pets like the blue-headed Pionus, the white-capped Pionus, the Maximilian’s, and the Bronze-winged Pionus.

They are not aggressive, calm, and fascinating birds which makes them a great option for pet lovers. They are the most suitable birds for beginners as they are not complicated like other pet birds. Pioneer birds are not needy birds and will be happy with your companion and hang out with you on a play stand next to you.

Scientific names of Pionus parrots

SPECIES NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME
Blue-headed parrots	Pinous menstruous
White-crowned Parrot	Pinous senilis
Red-billed parrot	Pinous sordidus
Scaly-headed parrot	Pionus maximiliani
Bronze-winged parrot	Pinous chalcopterus
Speckle-faced parrot	Pinous tumultuous
Dusky parrots	Pinous fuscus

Overview of Pionus parrot

Pionus birds are native to Mexico, central, and south America. You can be available in 7 different species with unique characters and appearances. They prefer to nestle in savannas, forest areas, and mountainous regions. They are medium-sized parrots around 10 to 12 inches with short square tails and a bare eye ring. We can find them similar to the Amazon parrot’s appearance, but they are smaller than them.  

How long do Pionus parrots live as pets?

The lifespan of a pet parrot depends upon various factors and its habitat. The maximum lifespan of the Pionus parrot is 30 years in the wild. The reason can be that they enjoy their free and flexible life in the forest.

Even though they have free life in the wild, they may fall prey to wild animals or hunters. Several other factors that can shorten their life are unfavorable temperature, living conditions, non-availability of food, natural disasters, and many more.   

When the bird is in captivity, it wholly depends upon how their owners are taking care of them. Pionus can live up to 30 years as a pet with proper care and diet. An unbalanced life can reduce the longevity of your pet bird. As we all know, diet is the main factor in everyone’s life, and the same applies to pets. You have to rearrange the diet according to their age and health status.

To make the Pionus platter wholesome, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and minerals are a must. Each food should be served carefully because a wrong choice can lead your bird to death. To expand your parrot’s life span it should be mentally and physically fit.

We suggest some exercise such as climbing, wings flapping, playing with toys, and flying for some time can prevent them from becoming obese.  Your birds can also be affected by diseases due to many reasons, so identifying and curing them can save your bird from dying.

Appearance and vocalizations

If you want a small and manageable pet bird, Pionus parrots are the perfect fit. These parrots have a medium size with square and short tails. We can recognize them due to the fleshy and bare eye-ring around the eye. The appearance of these species is quite different from that of typical parrots.

At a young age, they are not as vibrant as other parrots but they get brighter when they become older. Even though they are not like other bright parrots, they are beautiful due to a variety of color mutations which includes red, yellow, blue, green, grey, orange, and many more. 

They are quiet and not very talkative, they offer a wheezing sound. Interestingly, their voice tends to be on the raspy side, but someone who knows them very well can understand what they are saying. Their voice fluctuation depends upon their mood, if you notice your parrots wheezing it may be because they are excited or scared. 

Personality and behavior

Generally, Pionus are easy-going, quiet, manageable, and slightly impersonal. These descriptions are based on comparison to many other species. When we compare Pionus with Amazon, macaw, and conure they are quiet. If we consider lovebirds and African greys, it’s very easygoing. But apart from this comparison, Pinous lovers can identify their unique personalities. Pionus birds are quiet but not silent, we can build an attentive and sweet personality in them with proper care and guidance. 

Caring and feeding

Your pet bird should be treated as a child. Every pet bird needs spacious accommodation which allows them to fly freely. Especially when they are kept in the cage, it is best to allow them to spend time outside the cage for a few hours every day because mental and physical exercise is key for your parrots’ health. Caring is the main factor that molds their behavior and good health.

Pionus parrots are smart and intelligent so you have to foster their ability by providing them with proper guidance.  They should be given a variety of toys to make them active. Not only in the behavioral changes you have to take care of the health and hygiene of your bird. They have to be bathed daily because they generate some kind of odor which can be irritating if they become extreme.

In the case of diet, they require a meal that is rich in phytonutrients, and vitamins, and low in fat. You can feed your parrot with 50 % of fruits including papaya, passion fruit, coconut, berries, grapes, etc. 33% should be included with seeds, nuts, and vegetables. 

How much does a Pionus parrot cost?

Do you know how much it costs to own a Pionus parrot? They usually cost from $200 to $1700. The Pionus parrot’s price depends upon its variety, ability to speak, and quality of species. Owning a parrot is not a one-time investment. They need monthly maintenance costs which include medication, food supplies, entertainment, and shelter but it is not much costly when compared to other parrots’ maintenance costs.

When you are planning to buy them from a breeder, they can decide the price according to the market rates. The rarer species can go up to $2000. If they are already tamed parrots, the rate can be increased. It is always better to buy a trained and socialized parrot. On the other hand, younger parrots are cheaper than older ones but you will have to pay more to take care of them until they molt for the first time.

Final Thoughts

Pionus parrots are excellent family pets for the appropriate home. As a beginner, this bird can be your good friend. But you need to remember that they can get nippy sometimes, loud and rowdy during the breeding season, and quieter than other parrots. These traits are very common in birds, but Pionus parrots are easy to manage when compared to other species.

After all, it is not an easy task to adopt a parrot, we must have proper planning about everything regarding our bird. To make your bird comfortable and smart, it is compulsory to bring changes according to it. Hope this article provides all the information regarding the Pionus parrot as a pet.

The main thing you have to remember is that taking care of a bird is a huge commitment, if you take it as a burden it may badly affect your bad as well as you. So love your bird and make a remarkable journey with your pet companion.