How many Jaco parrots live?

In the dense forests of West Africa lives one of the most attractive species of parrots for humans - the Jaco or the 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. Gathering in small flocks, they inhabit tall mangroves on which they nest and spend the night. They feed on greasy fruits of oil palm, fruits, herbs, and can eat snails. Gathering in large flocks, parrots cause damage to agricultural plantations, for which they are caught for sale and meat.

Under favorable conditions, gray parrots live quite a long time. The fact of life of Zhako up to 49 years and 7 months when kept at home was documented. Some unconfirmed sources report that there is a Jacot parrot that has lived for more than 92 years.

The age of birds in the natural environment is unlikely to reach such high numbers due to many different factors. Most often, in the wild, the bird will not live even ten years, the reason for which is natural selection and human activity.

In native African forests, the life of a gray parrot is affected by:

• availability and variety of feed;
• the opportunity to find a safe place for nesting and resting;
• predators that can reach birds;
• a man who cuts down palm trees, whose fruits are the basis of the Jaco diet, and destroys the population of parrots due to their tasty meat, the demand for poultry for house keeping, and the harm they do to farmland.

The first three factors are a consequence of natural selection in nature and their influence on the life span of birds in the natural environment is maximized. The more crop years and fewer predators, the longer the birds' lifespan. But human actions also have a strong impact on the environment and the number of individuals in the population, which leads to mass death of birds, regardless of their age.

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Another reason for the early death of a gray parrot, bought from a hand or caught, may be its considerable age. The young individual has an iris around the eyes: from very dark at the age of about five months, to grayish-white by the year. After the nestling is over one and a half years old, the color of the eyes changes to light yellow and remains so until the end of life. Therefore, it is almost impossible to determine the age of an adult parrot from the wild.

Another thing is if the bird is raised in a nursery, where it contacts the person from the first days and is monitored. Accustomed to the cage and people, jaco with proper care will be able to live more than 30 years. To do this, you must:

• good nutrition;
• good conditions;
• sufficient attention from the owner;
• compulsory medical supervision by a specialist;
• compliance with the rules for care.

Zhako parrots are appreciated by amateurs for their intelligence and ability to onomatopoeia. A bird can memorize and reproduce up to one and a half thousand wordswhile associating a spoken word with a specific subject or concept. Having chosen a pet in the family, the parrot repeats its behavior, tries to follow it everywhere and requires increased attention, showing jealousy of other animals and family members.

When purchasing a pet, it is first necessary to equip his place of residence. Since the zhako is quite large for birds kept at home, and is mobile, it needs a spacious cage or aviary, made of steel rods and securely closed so that the smart bird could not open the door on its own. In the cage you need to put and fix a drinker and several plates for food and mineral additives. Also required are various perches, ladders, mirrors and other accessories.

To make the bird feel good every day she needs to be able to fly around the apartment and communicate closely with the owner: sit next to him or on him, courting a loved one or other creature. If Jaco is deprived of such an opportunity, then the bird will have mental problems.

You can feed your pet with special mixtures for parrots, which are sold in pet stores. In addition, fresh greens, nuts, fruits and berries should be included in the diet. For poultry health, it is important to avoid a sharp change in diet, so the first time after purchase you need to feed the parrot with the same food that he received from the seller, gradually changing eating habits. Grain and other products must be fresh and of high quality. Also, the pet must constantly change the water, not allowing it to stagnate and accumulate dirt.

In nature, the parrot eats only fresh fruits, so it gets enough vitamins and minerals. When kept in a cage, a bird needs to be introduced into the diet special additives to obtain the necessary substances. The veterinarian must determine which vitamins are needed, and in what quantity they can be given to the parrot, because hypervitaminosis is no less harmful than hypovitaminosis.

If there are no health problems, then a preventive examination once a year is enough. In case of symptoms, you should immediately contact a veterinarian.

Due to the fact that in the natural environment, Jaco live in packs, they need constant communication. Due to a lack of attention, a gray parrot begins to hurt and can completely pluck its plumage, which is an indicator of a stressful state.

In addition, it is important for the bird to ensure safety.

• Close the windows and street doors so that the jaco cannot fly out into the street.
• Remove from the access area all light plastic products that the bird may split and hurt.
• Close or hide in inaccessible places of the power cable to protect the pet from the possibility of electric shock.
• Remove toxic substances and medicines to a safe place, as gray parrots are quite 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 carefully monitor their relationship. In the case of a negative reaction from domestic predators, it is worth restricting their access to the bird.

About the features of the Jaco parrot, see below.