Are blue headed pionus good pets?
Are you going to adopt a pionus parrot? You must be collecting all possible data before it is too late to regret. In one sentence I can assure you, you will not regret it. But it good to know as much as possible. Best if you can learn from the real owner of the pionus parrot.
Following statements are actually collected from a Facebook post comment section. Post was-
“Hi pionus parents!! I don’t have a pi yet, but I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to adopt this sweet 9 year old female blue headed pi this spring. I have lived with little parrots my whole life, but never with one larger than a green cheek conure. We currently have a sweet little cockatiel named Eloise. that’s her smiling in her bath. What do you wish you’d known before you got your pionus? what are your pi’s favorite treats and toys?”
Katie Knoll
Are pionus parrots loud?
They’re louder than people say! Lol. Not all the time, but boy when she’s in a mood.
Kat Mizera
Yea like people are saying the flock call is impressive. In my research prior to adopting mine I saw them described as good “apartment birds” and having one now I’m glad I don’t have to worry about that lol. 95% of the time she is pretty quiet and the most laid back / chill bird I’ve ever had, but she wants dad the whole house knows it.
Matt Sczepankiewicz
So, pionus are quiet bird and suitable for apartment house. But they can be loud any time. The good thing, it is not frequently.
Do Pionus parrots have body language?
Chillest bird I’ve owned, not a snuggler but shows love in more subtle ways like asking for rubs and wanting to chill with us. Self plays well on his big cage, mostly quiet but will be chatty in the morning and about 3:00ish for us.
Although our Maxi is a calm bird, by no means did we expect for him to have as much attitude and opinions as our conure did by the way people described them. So be aware, Pi’s have moments too when they want to Express their frustration or discontent or desires lol.
We have had more nips than I expected, and some anxiety when he wants to be with us when we are working (from home) or need to leave. Fleeting moments, but still I wasn’t prepared as articles made them seem like perfect lol.
Mine was only 9 months when we adopted him from another fellow that only had him for 4 months. We had to work a lot on Axel’s balance, strength, and him not being afraid of everything. A year later he’s a strong boy and climbs/plays all the time but it was scary when we first got Axel and realized what a klutz he was.
He’s learned LOTS of words and loves to meet people, do video chats, play peek-a-boo, whistle learned songs, shred wood/paper/cardboard everything (bird safe only).
Eats Roudybush mini pellets and loves veggies. Prefers daddy (I call him fun dad haha), and likes to do seperate things with us (songs, playing, grooming, etc). Prefers showers but also enjoys spray bath, 2-3x a week. I appreciate that Axel isn’t as clingy as my conure was, but I also miss that. She was such a love bug and so goofy. Definitely different personalities. Have fun training and connecting with your Pi!
Arianne Cook Custer
I’m going to admit that I didn’t read the other comments. The one thing that caught me a bit of guard (even though I learned about it prior) was the wheezing noise they make when scared or stressed.
Otherwise, my Maxi has been an absolute doll. He will of course have his “huffy puffy” moments when I know he’s going to bite, but reading his body language is pretty easy.
He loves pretty much all veggies, most fruits (not banana, too mushy), walnuts, pumpkin seeds… there is really very little that he doesn’t like. His favorite thing is any variety of nutriberries.
Lora Orsborn
My Sasperella is the sweetest bird in the world. she likes to just hangout really…loves to chew cardboard, loves her pellet sticks, senior nutriberries and ALMONDS. if you dont give her an almond first thing in the morning she will be upset. Shes really quiet and has 3 different talking voices. When i vacuum she does her ‘i want a bath’ dance and she gets a spritz bath..but you cant stop until she’s soaked lol..
Erin Quinn
What can pionus parrots eat?
By the way, I replied to someone else’s recent inquiry about what to feed their Pi, so sharing here too: My pionus loves veggies. I make chop, he eats it on a seperate stand where I’ve made a splash zone haha. However many people suggest chunks of veggies on a hanging skewer in the cage so they have the stimulation of tearing it up as they eat.
I alternate between 2 bags of mixed veggies I make, which alternate these items and he gobbles them up: green pepper v jalapeno (including seeds on both), red sweet pepper vs yellow/orange (including seeds on both), broccoli vs green beans, kale vs cucumber, and carrots in both bags (fan favorite).
My Avian vet wanted fruits limited and only ones high in Vit A & C or low sugar. So we alternate these 3 (just a teaspoon at lunch for fun and variety): green apple, mango, and papaya (LOVES the seeds, peppery taste).
Overall the avian vet said 2-3 TB max a day of fresh veggies (smallest portion of fruits) as he prefers they be on a pellet diet. They are scientifically formulated for nutritional balance. Mine eats Roudybush mini pellets really well.
Previous owner already had him on that. Some other bird parents have suggested when first introducing pellets wet it into more of a mush then add it to current seed mix so they start eating it by default since it’s mixed in. Just keep in mind this will turn bad faster so dump at the end of the day.
Then eventually slowly start adding small amounts of firm pellets. When you can tell they are getting eaten, add more pellets and less seeds. If you can ween off seeds and eventually do pellet only, use seeds for training or treat only.
Harrisons and Zupreme natural (no dyes) are options too for pellets. Good luck! Vet says easily can take 2-3 weeks of adding a new food and rejection before a bird will try it so don’t give up.
Arianne Cook Custer
Do pionus parrots bite?
Pis can give deep, flesh-ripping bites; protect your cockatiel because a Pi would go after her head and face. My maxi pi is a 17 yo male, who I’ve raised since he was 8 wks old. He has been a biter since age 3. He doesn’t bite out of meanness, he likes to shred everything. He’s very smart, interactive, talks, and loves me, but I can’t trust him.
Diane Cole
Are blue headed pionus endangered?
No, blue headed pionus are not endangered. They are listed as Least Concern or LC in IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species. But their population in the wild is decreasing.
Blue headed pionus parrots make great pets. Their popularity is increasing day by day. They are cuddly, relatively quiet and easy going compared to similar sized parrots.
Blue-headed pionus size
Blue headed pionus are considered as medium sized birds. 9-10 inches or 23-27 cm in length. Similar to Caique parrots but smaller than African Greys, Amazon Parrots or Sun Conure. But larger than Green cheek conures, cockatiels.
Are pionus parrots rare?
Blue headed pionus are not rare in the wild. But it is rare in aviculture. It is difficult to find a good breeder. You may have to wait a long period to get one. They are not abundant in rescue facilities like other pet parrots.
Can pionus parrots talk?
Yes, pionus parrots talk. They are not super talkers like African Greys or Eclectus parrots but they can talk a fair amount of words. They are not singers like amazon parrots. They are not loud talkers either. More like talking to themselves.
Are pionus parrots playful?
Yes, pionus parrots are playful. They like to play with toys (more like to chew). Although they are not energetic like Caique or Green Cheek Conure, they love to play.
Do pionus parrots like to cuddle?
They will not lay on your hands but pionus love cuddles. Sometimes they may demand cuddling and get upset if you don’t.
Are pionus parrots smart?
Pionus parrots are smart. They may not be as smart as African Greys but very quick learners and fairly easy to train.
Should I get a pionus parrot?
Yes you should get a pionus parrot if-
- You don’t want a super talker or singer bird.
- You have at least one hour of free time that you can completely give to your parrot.
- Parrots’ intelligence is not a big deal to you. You don’t want a bird which has African Grey-like intelligence.
- You understand or accept the fact that parrots have their own feelings.
- Although pionus are sweet calm cotton candy, they do really have their own time and will definitely bite you.
- No matter how many owners tell you that pionus are super quiet parrots, in reality they are not that quiet.
- Pionus can live up to 50 years.