Pionus
parrots are one of the most underrated treasures found in
aviculture today. They are medium sized, short tailed birds
that hail from Central and South America. There are five species
commonly found in the United States. Those are the blue headed
(Pionus menstruus), white capped (Pionus senillis), Maxmilian
(Pionus maxmiliani), dusky (Pionus fuscus) and bronze winged
(Pionus chalcopterus). There are also coral-billed pionus
(Pionus sordidus) but they are not as well established in
aviculture as the other five species. Pionus have a distinctive
flight, with deep, stiff wing beats whose movement remains
mostly below the body. In captivity, these stocky birds are
easily recognized by their trademark red vent feathers and
noticeably notched upper mandibles.
Pionus parrots do not have the overtly flashy coloring of
many popular macaws and conures. They have subtle yet splendid
coloring that is best appreciated in good lighting. These
charming birds seem to have gained popularity in the last
decade as more people are recognizing both their beauty and
delightful qualities as companions. Pionus parrots as a whole
tend to be more independent and less demanding of their owners
than other parrots. They are often content to be in the same
room with humans without a constant need to be held and cuddled.
While their apparent lack of interest in being handled might
be frustrating to a few, it is this independent nature that
makes them ideal pets for many working owners. Pionus are
not as loud as many other parrots. This is not to say pionus
cannot get loud. However, they don't seem to generate the
decibels or the frequency that most other birds are known
for. In addition, they are moderately good talkers.
Pionus are not the most active birds but they do enjoy hanging,
climbing and playing. They need cages that are at least wide
enough for the bird to completely outstretch its wings and
not touch the sides at all. Toys are a must. They like to
chew and they enjoy such challenges as untying knots. In addition
to the cage, play stands are perfect for entertaining your
bird.
Pionus tend to have good appetites, enjoy a varied diet and
will usually easily adapt readily to new foods and diet changes.
Fresh foods and sprouts can cause these birds to plunge head
first into the food bowl and not come out until most of it
is gone.
Pionus are susceptible to the same diseases other parrots
are such as PDD, polyoma, gout, infections, psittacosis and
beak and feather disease. They are not prone to becoming neurotic
or resort to feather plucking. They seem to be closely related
to Amazons and they do tend to exhibit similar hormonal behaviors,
especially the males, when they become sexually mature. Their
body language can be easy to interpret so managing the hormonal
pionus is not especially difficult. In another similarity
to Amazons, pionus have a noticeable sweet, musky odor about
them that most owners find quite endearing. And on the topic
of endearing qualities, most pionus lovers will say that these
birds have the most beautiful eyes of all the parrots. They
are deep dark liquid brown, surrounded by a bare eye ring.
If you are considering adding a bird why not consider a pionus
parrot?
