Meyer's Parrot
This page is educational reference material for preparing questions. A licensed veterinarian examines the animal, makes the diagnosis, and sets the treatment.
Quick Facts
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | Parrot |
| Size | Small-Medium (8-9 in) |
| Lifespan | 25-35 years |
| Noise Level | Low-Moderate |
| Diet | Pellets, vegetables, nuts |
| Care Level | Intermediate |
| Cage Size | 24x24x36 inches minimum |
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Recommended for Meyer's Parrots
Harrison's Bird Foods - Organic pellets | Lafeber - Nutri-berries & pellets | Chewy - Cages & accessories
Top Food Choices for Meyer's Parrots
Harrison's Bird Foods - Certified organic pellets | Lafeber - Nutritious bird foods | Chewy - Wide selection of bird foods
A small African parrot with a long lease
Meyer's parrots, Poicephalus meyeri, are about 8 to 9 inches. Twenty-five to thirty-five years is a normal life. Noise is low to moderate for a parrot, which still means a morning call. Care is intermediate. A cage of at least 24 by 24 by 36 inches is a start, and the bird needs to be out of it. Pellets, vegetables, and a few nuts are the diet. Seed as the staple is the old mistake.
They can be one-person birds. They bite when they are hormonal or when hands become a game. They do not need a second parrot to be happy if a person is actually present. A second parrot of another species is often a fight.
Captive-bred, and a scale
Wild-caught Poicephalus are a poor buy. Ask where the bird was bred. Weigh a Meyer's. They are small enough that a week of "eating a little" is a sick bird. AAV is the vet list. Fluffed and silent is the quiet bird page.
Meyer's parrot questions
Are Meyer's parrots quiet?
Quieter than an Amazon or a conure. They still shriek at dawn and when you leave. Apartment living can work and can also fail if the bird is bored.
Do they talk?
Some learn a handful of words. Buy the bird for the temperament, not for a talking show. A silent Meyer's is a normal Meyer's.
How are they different from a Senegal?
Meyer's are a bit smaller and often described as steadier. Both are Poicephalus. Both live for decades. Read the Senegal page if that is the bird in the photo, because shops mix the names.
Decision Guides for Meyer's Parrot
Yellow shoulder, south-central Africa
Poicephalus meyeri ranges across south-central Africa, including Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, and Zambia. The field mark is a yellow patch on the bend of the wing, and a bird with a solid orange belly and no yellow shoulder is the one to compare with the Senegal page, because shops still swap those two Poicephalus names. Adults stay near 8 to 9 inches and often live 25 to 35 years when pellets, vegetables, and a few nuts are the bowl. Ask where the bird was bred, and pass on a wild-caught Poicephalus. A gram scale is the early warning, since a week of picking at food is a long time on a bird this light. Several subspecies are named across that African range, and the household care stays the same while the name on the leg band should still match the bird in the carrier.