One of the most attractive species for humans in the dense forests of West Africa is the jaco or gray parrot. Medium-sized birds with ash-gray plumage and a bright red even tail, have a body up to 35 cm long and a wingspan of about 65 cm. Collecting in small flocks, they live on tall mangrove trees on which they nest and sleep. They feed on the fruits of oil palm, fruits, and greens; they can also eat a snail. Gathering in large flocks, parrots cause damage to agricultural plantations, for which they are caught for sale and meat.
Lifespan
Under favorable conditions, gray parrots live quite a long time. The fact of Jacquot’s life up to 49 years and 7 months at home is documented. Some unconfirmed sources report that there is a Jaco parrot who has lived for more than 92 years.
Although some statistics are missing, it is estimated that, on average, a domestic parrot can live 50-60 years.
The age of birds in the natural environment is unlikely to reach such high numbers due to many different factors. Most often, the bird in the wild will not live even ten years, the reason for which is the natural selection and human activity.
Factors affecting the lifetime
In native African forests, the gray parrot’s life expectancy is affected by:
- availability and variety of feed;
- the ability to find a safe place for nesting and rest;
- predators that can reach birds;
- a man who cuts down palm trees, whose fruits are the basis of the Jaco's diet, and destroys the population of parrots because of their tasty meat, the demand for poultry for domestic housing, and the harm they cause to agricultural land.
The first three factors are the result of natural selection in nature and their influence on the life span of birds in the natural environment to the maximum. The more fruitful years and fewer predators, the longer the life of the birds. But human actions also have a strong impact on the environment and the number of individuals in the population, which leads to the mass death of birds, regardless of their age.
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Withdrawn from the usual environment, not receiving the necessary care, wild Jaco die from stress and disease. Therefore, buying a parrot caught in the forest, there is a chance to get a pet that will not live a few days
Another reason for the early death of a gray parrot bought from hands or caught can be its considerable age. The young individual has an iris around the eyes: from very dark at the age of about five months, to greyish-white by the year. After the chick is over one and a half years old, the eye color changes to light yellow and remains so until the end of life. Therefore, to determine the age of an adult parrot from the wild environment is almost impossible.
Another thing is if the bird is grown in a nursery, where it contacts with a person from the first days, and it is monitored. Accustomed to the cage and people, Jaco with proper care will be able to live more than 30 years. For this you need:
- good nutrition;
- good conditions of detention;
- sufficient attention from the owner;
- compulsory medical supervision by a specialist;
- compliance with the rules of care.
How to care?
Jaco parrots are valued by amateurs for their intelligence and ability to sound imitation. A bird can memorize and reproduce up to a thousand wordswhile she associates the spoken word with a particular object or concept.Having chosen a pet in the family, the parrot repeats his behavior, tries to follow him everywhere and requires heightened attention to himself, showing jealousy towards other animals and family members.
When purchasing a pet, first of all it is necessary to equip a place of residence for it. Since the Jaco is rather large for birds kept in domestic conditions and is mobile, he needs a cage or an open-air cage spacious, made of steel rods and securely closed, so that the smart bird cannot open the door on its own. In the cage, it is necessary to put and fix a drinking bowl and several plosek for feed and mineral additives. Also various perches, ladders, mirrors and other accessories are necessary.
Be sure to have toys so that the pet can have fun while the owners are not at home.
To make the bird feel good she needs every day to be able to fly around the apartment and closely communicate with the owner: sit next to him or on him, to care for a loved one or other creature. If Jaco deprive such an opportunity, then the bird will have mental problems.
You can feed your pet with special mixtures for parrots sold in pet stores. In addition, the diet should include fresh herbs, nuts, fruits and berries. For the health of the bird, it is important to avoid abrupt dietary change, so the first time after the purchase, you need to feed the parrot with the same food that it received from the seller, gradually changing its eating habits. Grain and other products must be fresh and of high quality. Also, the pet must constantly change the water, not letting it stagnate and accumulate dirt.
In nature, a parrot eats only fresh fruit, so it gets enough vitamins and minerals. When kept in a cage, the bird must be introduced into the diet. special additives to obtain the necessary substances. To determine which vitamins are necessary, and in what quantity they can be given to a parrot, the veterinarian must, because hypervitaminosis is not less harmful than hypovitaminosis.
To maintain health, the bird should be regularly examined by a specialist, as the disease is easier to prevent than to cure.
If there are no problems with health, then a prophylactic examination once a year is enough. In the event of symptoms of the disease, you should immediately contact a veterinarian.
Due to the fact that in the natural environment of the Jaco live in flocks, it is vital that they constantly communicate. From lack of attention, the gray parrot begins to ache and can completely pluck its plumage, which is an indicator of stress.
In addition, the bird is important to ensure safety.
- Close the vents and street doors so that Jaco could not fly out into the street.
- Remove from the zone of access all light plastic products that a bird can chop and hurt.
- Close or hide in inaccessible places of the electric wire to protect the pet from the possibility of getting an electric shock.
- To remove to a safe place poisonous substances and drugs, as gray parrots are rather curious and can swallow what is not supposed to.
- Too low temperature in the room can lead to illness and death of the pet.
- Dogs and cats can also be dangerous for a parrot, so it is important to closely monitor their relationships. In case of a negative reaction from domestic predators, it is worth limiting their access to the bird.
Observing the rules of safety and care of Jaco, we can expect that the pet will please its owners, having lived for about half a century.
On the features of the parrot Jaco, see below.