How long do Corelli live?

Any pet needs care. But in urban apartments and when busy at work, modern people do not always have the opportunity to properly care for animals. Therefore, the choice often falls on birds, namely parrots, which do not require increased attention. Corals (a species of the genus Nymphicus of the Kakadu family) are very popular, they are not very large and have an attractive appearance.

When acquiring a pet, it is important to imagine how young he is, as the old bird will most likely not live long. And the features of the content of parrots of different ages are somewhat different. To make the right choice, you need to pay attention to several signs.

• It is logical to assume that the smaller the size of the coral, the younger in age. Of course, the parrot grows significantly during life (up to 30–33 cm), and this must be taken into account. But sometimes the small size of the bird is, unfortunately, the result of malnutrition and improper development, therefore, rely only on this criterion when determining age.
• An objective indicator is the color of the eyes of a parrot. In young Corelli, the iris is very dark, almost black. Their eyes, like those of young people, literally shine. With age, the luster is somewhat lost, the eyes become cloudy, the iris brightens.Corellas with mutational plumage of plumage (lutino, necks and others) may have a red tint of the eyes, so these parrots at a young age, the iris is dark raspberry, in old age it turns pink.
• It is necessary to carefully examine the crest on the head. In adult Corelli, the feathers in it are long and curved. Young crests are short and sparse. If you carefully probe the bird's head with your fingers, in this place you can find the rudiments of feathers in the form of small dense growths.
• The appearance of the beak, especially the waxworms, in parrots of different ages is also different. The beak of a young Corella is light with a pink hue, the wax is also pinkish. She herself and the nostrils on her seem disproportionately large. As the parrot grows, this ratio changes. In an adult Corella, the beak has a dark color, it is significantly larger, the wax wax becomes light gray and does not rush into the eyes.
• Paws also need to be examined. The skin on them in young birds is quite smooth, the scales are almost invisible. The older the parrot, the more peeling and cracking on the legs. It should be noted that this may also indicate the presence of fungal diseases. A bird with such symptoms should not be acquired, especially if there will be several pets, as the infection spreads very quickly.
• Claws on the paws can also serve as an indicator of age. In old parrots, they are dark in color and quite long, since birds rarely have the opportunity to walk on a hard surface, grinding them.
• When buying young Corellas, future owners often repel the untidy appearance of the parrot. But this, as a rule, more accurately than other signs shows that before you is a chick, which may not have finished the first molt, and he does not know how to care for himself properly.

In nature, Corelli is by no means long-livers. Their average life expectancy is 10 years. Here stress factors influence: predators, adverse weather conditions. In captivity, but at home at a caring owner, the birds are spared this, so they can live much longer. The average figure is 20 years, but there are cases when the Corelli survived to 25 and even to 30 years.

Do not discount genetics. The offspring of weak parents are unlikely to be healthy and live long. And also an important factor is the gender of the pet. The average life expectancy in males is higher than in females, and there are objective reasons for this.

• If the parrots are kept in pairs, they have the opportunity to realize the breeding instinct and produce offspring. This variant of existence for birds is, of course, more harmonious, but laying eggs takes away a lot of strength from the female and cannot but affect the life span. Sometimes this process is so lengthy and exhausting that it literally falls ill.
• If the female lives alone, it still will not save her from hormonal surges. Moreover, the corals even without a male lay eggs, only they are empty.

Of course, at home, the key to a pet’s longevity will be proper care, more on this below. But there are other factors that can sometimes not be influenced.

For any pet to be healthy and live longer, it is important to create a microclimate close to its natural habitat. Corella in this sense are no exception.

• Free space. For birds, the ability to move freely is important. They need a fairly large cage, for one parrot - at least 60x60x80 cm. It should have crossbars at different heights so that the Corella can fly from one to another.It is also desirable to ensure the possibility of free flight around the room, while curtained windows to prevent injury to the bird.
• Temperature condition. Corelli are thermophilic, but at normal room temperature (+ 21– + 23 ° C) they feel comfortable. If the room is colder, you need to take care of heating the cage. Parrots need fresh air, so the room needs to be ventilated regularly. But here it is important not to overdo it, do not leave the cage with the pet in a long draft.
• Humidity. It should be borne in mind that in nature, corals live in near-water zones of Australia, therefore they are very sensitive to humidity. The optimal indicator for them is about 60%. And if you have to use heating devices in the room that dry the air, you should purchase special humidifiers.

In addition to these factors, nutrition plays an important role. It’s worth mentioning right away that food “from your own table” categorically does not suit parrots. The basis of their diet should be grain mixtures, which are better to buy at pet stores.

Hygiene is very important for the health and long life of parrots. To make it easier for yourself to clean the cage, you need to take care that it is equipped with a retractable tray. As bedding, you can use special fillers for birds or ordinary paper napkins.

Toys and other items in the cage must be washed periodically. It is also important to be attentive to the pet, as often parrots die due to oversight of the owners: from hitting the glass, from electric current when the cable is interrupted by the beak, or from poisoning. It is necessary to exclude stress factors, for example, loud noise. And also, the corals need communication, at least minimal, especially since they are quite easily tamed and even able to respond to the appeal with a few learned words.

You can learn more about corals from the video below.