Hope to get a Senegal, need some Answers...

[NJDenman]

In the Spring of 2017, I hope to get a Senegal Parrot. I would like some input from current Senegal owners regarding their experiences with owning
a Senegal. I'd like to know if you do or do not clip their wings?
Do you have other pets or birds in the house?
Do you have a Rescue or did you purchase the Senegal?

I currently own 2 Male Gouldian Finches, 1 English Bulldog, and 1 Pug
in my home.

Thanks for any and all replies.

Patrick

 

[BeatriceC]

I have a 9 or so year old Senegal. He was a re-home. He was loved and well cared for before I got him, but the guy's wife had gotten very ill and between work and visiting her in a long term nursing facility, he just didn't have the time to care for Leo anymore. So Leo was already well-socialized when I got him. Well, mostly.

I believe Leo's wings have been clipped for pretty much all of his life, and possibly even before he fully fledged. I've let his wings grow out, but as much as he tries, he can still barely manage to slow down a fall. There's no hope of actual flight any time soon.

I also have a rescued, disabled macaw and a spoiled rotten YNA. Our very elderly cockatiel passed away recently.

Leo is not a typical Senegal in that I often times wonder if he's actually hitting decibel levels higher than the macaw. Senegals are supposed to be on the quiet side. Leo didn't get that memo. Most of his noise is just signing, not yelling or screaming, but it's non-stop. He's a funny bird. He's a bit of a jerk, but that's part of his charm, if you ask me.

 

[JamesC]

I have a 9 year old Senegal that I adopted from a rescue when he was about 5. I don't know much of his early life except that he spent most of his time in a cage out on a porch in South Florida. And while in rescue, two families tried to adopt him but both returned him because he was a vicious biter. Which I have definitely confirmed. Though he has his sweet moments, rare that they are. A very independent bird most of the time. Although he sometimes shows interest in other people, I don't let anyone else handle him because his bites are so powerful and he won't let go when he really means it. He has driven the tip of his beak to the bone in my finger before.

As for noise, he certainly has a high pitch squeal that can really pierce the ears. Generally does that when he is unhappy about something. He is making that squeal and some high pitched squeaks and conure noises right now trying to get my attention. I had to lock him up because he has developed a fascination with a floor vent recently and wants to go over and try to pick it up or scrape the paint off of it. He hasn't given it up yet though I'm getting him away any time he goes near it. He puffs up and clicks his beak at me so a bite would be coming if I tried to pick him up so I use a towel that he will latch onto so I can carry him back to the couch or cage.

This bird has a very strong will and a stubborn streak like you would not believe.

He is fairly intelligent and can solve puzzle toys in no time at all. If he wasn't so stubborn, maybe I would have more luck in training him. But he looks at me and the treat in my hand and walks away, pointedly uninterested in cooperating.

He is NOT good around other pets. I have two blue crown conures and I can't let him near them or he will attack with intent to injure. And I have to watch for signs that he is fixating on them which is an indicator that he will try to attack from across the room. Usually a quick rocking back and forth and occasional spin. I have no doubt that Sidney would attack dogs or cats if I had any. Senegals generally don't like other birds as a species trait. There is a person on the forum that has two of them and she says that they would try to eat each other if given the chance. So they don't really even like other Senegals.

Sidney was clipped when I adopted him and I don't know how much flying he did before I let his wings grow out. He flies ok though his landings sure can use some work. They are more of a semi-controlled crash.

However to expand on their good traits, my first Senegal was also out of a rescue situation. The first time I met her she was sharing a wooden play pen with an african grey and a sun conure, if I remember correctly. The sun especially would beat her up. Knock her off the perch if she was in his way. She was a timid thing, scared to panicked flight if anyone approached her. Clipped, she would usually crash somewhere.

I adopted her a few months later. It took close to a year of working with her gaining trust but when she finally gave it, she gave it all. She turned into the sweetest shoulder hugging friendly bird. An absolute darling. Would go to anyone without hesitation. Melted under any scritching & petting. She had that same squeal that Sidney has but she only used it when I would leave. An almost heart wrenching "Don't go!" Her sudden loss still stings almost 20 years later.

But as sweet as she was, she also showed aggression towards other birds. I was in Virginia at my brother's house with her and the area experienced a severe ice storm. My brother's place still had power but others in the area lost it so he took in a pair of budgies to keep warm while the crews worked to restore electric. I didn't really know anything about quarantine then and the budgies were in the room I stayed in with Kelly. She stalked those birds. Wanted to get to them in the worst way. They were never out of their cage so they were safe. But that was a surprise to me seeing how she reacted to them.

Senegals sometimes get a reputation as being a bad bird to get. They aren't. But the impressions I get from others who have them and my own experiences make me think they do take more effort to handle and train properly than other species do. And there is always the fact that individuals will vary in their personalities. And what kind of a situation they will live in. With a lot of thought, I realize that Sidney probably would have been better off as a single bird. And maybe with a single person who was there more to keep his busy mind occupied. Despite the occasional friction, I think he has a pretty good life with me. He is not going anywhere.

Sorry for the long response. I can get wordy at times.

 

[NJDenman]

Thank you all for your replies, I appreciate all your efforts in sharing your experiences with me.

Reading your replies brought back memories of when I owned a Nanday Conure. OMG. He was so bonded to me that I could not even leave a room
without him SCREAMING at the top of his lungs! It was awful. I was living
in an apartment at the time. The noise was deafening. I don't recall ever
being bitten by him, he was very affectionate with me as long as I was close to him and didn't leave his side. I knew that I probably wouldn't ever own another Conure. Screaming birds are not what I'm looking for.

Right now I own 2 Male Gouldian Finches. They sing beautifully to me every day. They are gorgeous birds.

I have always wanted another Parrot. I thought of a Senegal because I have heard that they are playful and QUIET.

Those that I have chatted with on various Parrot forums on FB state that
I should find a Rescue. I have tried. I don't find Rescue's to be very cooperative or responsive, and they can be somewhat 'demanding' in their
requirements. So I'm not having any luck really in dealing with Rescue Organizations.

So it looks like when the time comes, I will be buying my Senegal Parrot.
It will take me a good 6-months or more to come up with the funds for the
parrot, but no problem, I'll wait. I have limited space for another bird cage.
The Senegal will have to be housed next to the Gouldian Finches, as there is no other space available in my living room. Hopefully the Senegal will not bother the Finches, and they will not get stressed out over the Senegal.

Can you tell me how your Senegal is housed? What size Cage? Where is the cage located ?

Diet - What do you feed your Senegal ?

Out-time - Is your Senegal out of his cage most of the Day ?

Thanks, I appreciate your response to my post and look forward to learning more about your ownership.

 

[TexasWade]

...It will take me a good 6-months or more to come up with the funds for the
parrot, but no problem, I'll wait...

This could be a serious problem and I would recommend waiting until your financial situation improves. If you plan to take proper care of your parrot, vet bills can easily cost more than the bird. For example, my vet charges about $320 for a well bird visit which includes a full examination and a complete set of tests. My first bird passed no problem but my second has had things to be concerned about. He had a slight infection which we treated with antibiotics and has some blood levels that are cause for concern. Including his initial visit, he's been to the vet 3 times with a total cost of about $700 and we have an appointment for another visit soon which is going to be another $233. He's getting to be quite an expensive for a quaker but as a responsible and loving parront I have to take proper care of my little guy.

That's not meant to scare you, but please be aware that the purchase price of your parrot may be just the beginning of your expenses.

 

[BeatriceC]

Also, like I do on every one of these threads, I'm going to give my standard "parrots are individuals" warning.

While senegals do have the reputation of being quiet, they are still individuals and some are louder than others. Leo didn't get the memo that he's supposed to be quiet. He's far louder than my amazon and it's tough to say if he's louder than the macaw (you should hear him trying to imitate the macaw's flock call...it's hysterical). I live in a large house on a large lot in suburbia. There's quite a fair amount of space between my house and my neighbors houses, yet my next door neighbor can hear my senegal clearly from his house every single morning. It's a good thing my neighbors are also bird people.

 

[JamesC]

Sidney is quiet most of the time. But his squeals are loud and carry through walls. In my old apartment, I could hear him down the street contact calling. But I could not hear the blue crowns until I was close. And I think a lot of his noise is more a protest because the blue crowns can get noisy at times. He does not seem to like the loud noise. If he was a solo bird, I think he would be much quieter. Most of his other noises are soft and pleasing. But just about any parrot can be loud. I don't think there is a species out there that won't make the occasional noise a human would object to.

Housing a Senegal next to your finches might not be a good idea. If the Senegal wants to be aggressive, it may lead to stress and frustration. And the finches will probably sense a "threat" and be stressed as well. You might frequently have the Senegal jumping onto the finch cage looking for a way to get at them if the bird has aggressive tendencies.

As for cages, I have a larger cage for my bird. And I'm glad I have it because he uses it all. 27x24x34 inch living space. Total of about 5 feet high. Sid's cage is in the living room next to my couch. Easy access to me and distance from the blue crowns.

My birds are usually out when I'm home. I would never leave the birds out when I wasn't here. Though Tootsie used to be out all the time when she was an only bird. She would just sit and be quiet and not really move. But I put her in now. I've turned around and came home before out of fear that I forgot to close Sidney's cage door. He would destroy the place if he was left out.

My birds all get a pellet diet supplemented with varying fruits and veggies and occasional nuts for treats. I don't like to give them seed based foods because Tootsie was a seed addict and it took me years to get her on a healthier diet. She backslides very easy if i give her seeds and I end up with a screaming bird demanding more. Mostly, what you can eat they can. But there are some dangerous exceptions. There are a few lists or links on the forums that list the good and the bad.

And TexasWade is correct. A good "parront" needs to be willing to spend the money to keep a bird healthy and to live a full lifetime. I could have had a dozen "replacement" blue crowns for what I've spent on Tootsie over the years. And she made it to the estimated life expectancy for a blue crown and is still going strong. There was a person who introduced his Senegal to the forum not long ago who said his bird was over 50. Sadly, Sinbad passed away not long after that but he had doubled the estimated life expectancy for a Senegal so that there is a good indication of what good care can do.