Gray parrot or red-tailed yaco: characteristics

Origin of the yaco parrot

The gray parrot is found naturally in almost all of Africa, being able to spot specimens in different countries, such as Kenya or Nigeria, but not all gray parrots are the same, because depending on the region it will be more frequent to see one or the other of the three subspecies of gray parrot that exist: the nominal one, which is the most frequent at the same time as the most appreciated as a company animal, that of vinegar tail and that of the islands of S.Tome and Principe.

The habitat of the yaco is made up of mangroves to lush equatorial forests, including also areas adjacent to the courses of the rivers and cenagas.Currently, due to the destruction of many of these habitats, the red-tailed yaco parrot is within the threatened species list .

There are no documents that date the existence of the red-tailed yaco parrot from a concrete moment in history, although it is estimated that already existed more than 4000 years ago ong>, being a kind of very remote origins.

During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries they were much appreciated as a pet among European nobles, it is said that even King Henry VII of England had one of these gray parrots as a companion animal in Hampton Court, which is why it is believed that they arrived massively in Europe on merchant ships, for later sale as exotic animals.

Characteristics of the African gray parrot

The red-tailed yaco parrot is in the category of medium parrot , with an average weight of between 350 and 400 grams , and a length, measured from the peak to the end of the tail, between 27 and 33 centimeters .They are animals with a long life expectancy, which usually revolves around 50 years in freedom and more than 60 in captivity .

Following the characteristics of the yaco parrot, it presents two colors in its plumage , gray in the body, with different shades of this color, while the tail is, as its name says, red.The legs are dark gray and the beak is always black.

Something curious is that there are no differentiating physical characteristics between males and females, what is called sexual dimorphism, although there are those who defend that females have the clearest plumage, or that males have a somewhat square head with a lig peak It was bigger.The truth is that the only way to safely sex a gray parrot is with a DNA analysis, or veterinary techniques such as endoscopy.

Yaco Parrot Character

African gray parrots are very social , since in freedom they are gregarious animals , that is, they live in perfectly nested flocks that can be formed for hundreds of these birds.It is resizable that, like its congeneres, the red-tailed yaco parrot establishes solid and stable couple bonds, which remain for life, being one of the most loyal animals to its partner.

If the animal lives in captivity, it needs a lot of dedication, since due to its intelligence and sensitivity , it will require our attention to remain healthy emotionally and physically.In addition, the yaco parrot is incredibly perceptive, being able to identify the feelings and mood of their tutors.Likewise, they are very talkative , and with not too much training they will learn a surprising range of words, and even complete sentences.

Not recommended for families with children, as they have It is a powerful beak and very sharp claws that can cause serious damage to minors if they are not handled properly.

Care of the red-tailed yaco parrot

When we adopt a red-tailed yaco parrot, we have to consider that we will have to emulate as well as possible the conditions in which he would live if he were free in his home habitat.That is why, for example , your diet should be based on plant foods, fruits, vegetables, seeds and vegetables .It is recommended that you provide them with foods such as cabbage, lettuce or parsley, which should be at your disposal on a regular basis.Other foods will be provided in a more complementary way, such as fruits.The seeds, on the other hand, are fundamental, since they contribute Many benefits at the nutritional level, but we must take care that they do not exceed 10% of the total intake.We know that the feeding is being adequate and sufficient if our gray parrot has a lustrous plumage and without falling of the feathers, which would show a deficit of vitamins or minerals.In addition, we must always leave clean and fresh water , thus avoiding dehydration.See the article on "Fruits and vegetables recommended for parrots".

Other fundamental aspect about the care of the yaco parrot is the cage in which he will live .It has to be of considerable dimensions, that allow him to move and that contains his trough and feeder, as well as toys and one or more hangers where you can perch.It would be ideal if you had a removable plate or tray, which facilitates the cleaning and maintenance of the cage in the optimal conditions for our parrot.We need to place it in a quiet place , free of noise and Other animals, but with enough sunlight.Of course, it will be essential to let the gray parrot enjoy hours of freedom, outside the cage, to exercise and stay emotionally balanced.A bird permanently confined in a cage is not a happy bird.

On the other hand, being such an intelligent animal, we can dedicate small moments to teach him words, tricks, etc., that will favor the bond between animal and guardian and allow him to exercise his mind.

Reproduction of the red-tailed yaco parrot

As for the breeding, we will differentiate between the one that happens in freedom of the captive breeding.When the gray parrot is in the nature the first thing that will do in breeding time, which does not have specific dates because it is determined by the region and the climate, it will be to find a place to nest , either alone with your partner or in a community of several couples; they will do it in the hollows and cavities that they find in the trunks of the trees.It can reproduce annually, once or twice a year, or even not breed that year.It is estimated that the gray parrot reaches the sexual maturity around at 3 years of age , somewhat later in the case of males.The laying is between 2 and 5 eggs, and they incubate at least 27 days and at most 30.When the parrots are born they remain in the nest until, with 70-80 days, they leave it to live independently.

If we want our domestic yaco to have young, the first thing will be to know for sure their gender and find a partner, with whom he congenies and is prone to procreate, so it is recommended that they have lived together for a considerable time before breeding.Then, we will ensure that the cage is large enough and we will provide them with a nest, such as it can be a wooden or plastic box where they fit comfortably and the rell we will saw sawdust or paper shavings.The number of eggs and the time of incubation and maturation of the chicks will not change with respect to the breeding in the wild.

Since the parrot is a threatened animal, it will not It is advisable to raise it in captivity, being the best thing to leave for the centers of fauna recovery and species preservation that task.Likewise, it should be noted that the commercialization of these animals is illegal in some countries.

Red-tailed yaco parrot health

We have to consider various aspects that must be taken care of to keep our pet healthy and free of diseases.One of the most important factors will be feeding, as one of the most frequent pathologies in the yaco parrot will be the lack of calcium in the diet , which is called hypocalcemia, which would cause muscle weakness, tremors and seizures, as well as inability to produce eggs with a hard shell, causing retention of it.that their cage is always neat, otherwise they may suffer aspergillosis , which is caused by a fungus that proliferates in unsanitary conditions.

Due to their intelligence, the yacos may present behavioral disorders such as itching, which consists of pecking and even plucking the feathers, with the damage that this causes.To avoid them, a suitable environment is recommended, with attention and affection, food and water, as well as toys or proper entertainment.

They are sensitive to moisture and cold , being able to develop colds.To treat them you have to change them to a place of the house warmer and drier and take them to the veterinarian, who will be the one who estimates if they need pharmacological treatment.

Like many birds, gray parrots can suffer from ornithosis or psittacosis , a bacterial infection that will cause respiratory infections, conjunctivitis, sinusitis or sneezing, veterinary care being essential, since it is also a zoonotic disease, it is that is, it can be transmitted to humans.

As with other pets, to preserve the health of the yaco parrot, we must pay attention to deworming both internally and externally, as well like vaccines, which will help us avoid dangerous diseases such as polyomavirus or Pacheco's disease.

Comments

Is it possible to have a dingo as a pet?

If you live in Australia you should know that it is possible to have a dingo as a pet .If you live in another place it will be very difficult, since this Australian-style song is currently prohibited from exporting.Precisely in the continent, adopt dingo puppies and educate them as if they were dogs it has hugely popularized.But is that something positive? On the other hand, you should also know that there are other varieties of dingo in Southeast Asia, but whose characteristics differ from Australian dingoes.we add the incredible varieties that have descended from the dingo as the case of the Australian cattle herder ( blue heeler or red heeler ).If you continue reading Animals and Pets Online, you will be informed about all this and you will discover if it is possible to have a dingo as a pet Australian Dingo The wild Australian dingo dog- Canis lupus dingo -is a song that experts call the intermediate link between the first dogs and the domestic dog. The dingo is ...

Gineta: characteristics and photos

The gine or genetta genetta in European is a feral animal that inhabits the entire Iberian Peninsula and in the southern half of France.There is a theory that the ginads that populate our lands come from Africa, and were introduced by the Saracens in the eighth century, as domestic animals.Another (more modern) theory states that the Romans had ginnets in their homes to keep them free of mice. Roman ginets came from Egypt although they also had domesticated gints in Constantinople.They are tremendously predatory animals, great hunters of rats, mice and snakes. Origin Wild ginetas originally have two origins: Africa and Asia.From there they have colonized other places, basically due to the intervention of man. It was common the presence of ginetas on the Phoenician ships and ships of later cultures .Obviously, by the success in antiquity and some documents that prove it, the gin can be tamed ; however, it can hardly be considered a pet to use if one is adopted. Physical a...

Embryonic development of fish

To get into the embryonic development of fish, we must first know some basic concepts of embryology such as the types of eggs and the phases that make up early embryonic development. We can find different types of eggs , according to how the yolk is distributed and how much it contains.To begin with, we will call the cell resulting from the union of an egg and a sperm and, vitellum, the set of nutritional elements found in inside the egg and will serve as food for the future embryo. Types of eggs according to the organization of the vitello inside: Isolecite eggs : the vitello is uniformly distributed throughout the interior of the egg.Typical of poriferous animals, cnidarians, echinoderms, nemertines and mammals. Telolecitos eggs : the vitello is displaced towards an area of the egg, being opposite to The place where the embryo will develop.Most animals develop from these types of eggs, for example, mollusks, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, etc. Little center eg...

The 10 most famous cats in the cinema, do you remember them?

The cat is one of the animals that during more time has lived with the human being.Maybe because of this, he has appeared in countless stories, novels, films and television series.For that reason, in this article, we will share with you names of famous Disney cats, movies and its meaning. So, if you are a lover of cats and of the seventh art, in this post of Animals and Pets Online we review the most famous cats of the cinema .lose! 1.Garfield Garfield, one of the most well-known feline characters, is a lazy and comilon cat , who loves lasana and hates Mondays.This British orchard sorthair breed lives in a typical American house, with its owner, Jon, and the other pet of this, Oddie, a bonachon dog on the side of little intelligent. We could see Garfield for the first time in the comics , although due to its popularity, two movies have been shot in his honor, in which the protagonist is made by computer. 2.Isidoro In addition to the adventures of Garfield, the feats o...

Flying mammals - Examples, characteristics and images

Usually, when we think of flying animals the first thing that comes to us head are images of birds.But in the animal kingdom there are many other flying animals, from insects to mammals.It is true that some of these animals do not fly, only plan or have body structures that allow them to jump from great heights without damaging when they arrive to the ground. Even so, there are flying mammals that really have the ability to fly, not just plan, like bats.In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will show you the curious characteristics of flying mammals.list with photos of the most representative species. Characteristics of flying mammals At a glance, the wings of a bird and a bat can look very different.The birds have wings covered with feathers and bats with hair but, nevertheless, observing their structure we will see that they have the same bones : humero, radio, cubito, carpales, metacarpal and phalanges. In birds, some of the bones corresponding to the wrist and hand...

AIR ANIMALS - Examples and characteristics

Flying is one of the ways animals have to move , but not everyone can do it.To fly it is necessary to have physical characteristics that allow the flight.The human being, through the observation of aerial animals, has taken centuries to create a machine that flies, for example, as a bird. Only a few groups of animals have the real ability to fly, although if we see it from the perspective of the species, most of the animal species that exist on the planet fly, insects.In this article of Animal Expert we will know which are the aerial animals , their characteristics and some examples. What are air animals? Air animals are those that use flight as a mechanism of locomotion.For some animals this is their only way of moving but many others use it as an escape route in the presence of a predator. Certain animals spend the majority of their lives flying, performing all their vital functions in the air: eating, interacting with their environment and living or reproducing.For them, f...

How to cure the cracked beak of a parakeet

Parakeets are psittaciform birds originating in Australia that are very successful as pets in our homes, both for their plumage with great diversity of color and for their endearing character and easy care. As members of the order of the psittaciforms, the parakeets have a robust and curved beak, but it is not uncommon for One of our little companions is cracked, which is why we must know how to act to take care of the cracked beak of our parakeet. In this article of ExpertAnimal.com we will explain how to cure the cracked beak of a parakeet . The consequences of a cracked beak The cracked beak of a parakeet would be like a broken tooth in the human: nerve and bone endings are connected to the beak, so this type of damage is painful for our parakeet. It is important to differentiate the case of a simply cracked or cracked beak from a beak with a more serious damage, such as a fractured or amputated beak, which can cause excessive bleeding given the abundant flow blood that...

Animals that clean the aquarium

Aquariums tend to get dirty very easily.An excess of food, a direct sun, having excessive plants or algae in the water can make the water cloudy.Getting a pump or a filter is a good idea but we can also turn to fish and other animals that clean the aquarium naturally by feeding on the carron that resides in the bottom sand. In ExpertAnimal we propose a list of animals that clean the aquarium and some basic notes to know if they could fit in your fish tank.Are you ready? Keep reading and discover our proposals to choose the right one: Snails Here are some species of snails that are in general, excellent bottom cleaners of the aquarium, however you should know that they are suitable for saltwater aquariums so they will be a good option if you have saltwater fish: Tectus niloticus This type of snail is certainly large reaching about 15 centimeters so it is recommended for aquariums of superior size.It has high nutritional requirements so it will serve as a potential clea...

How long does a dog with cancer last?

Listening to the word cancer is synonymous with bad news.Just hear it, images that come to mind are a long process of medications and intensive care, radiotherapy, chemotherapy.Not only humans suffer from this disease, but also animals, as is the case with dogs. When a Pet is diagnosed with this disease, many questions arise.Among them, how long does a dog with cancer last, how it affects it, what care it needs, among others.If you are interested in all this, do not stop reading the next article. How does cancer affect dogs? Canine cancer attacks the body's cells, causing them to multiply in an uncontrolled way.After this, they divide and form more cells successively, affecting the inner organs and damaging the tissue.All this, gradually , it becomes a tumor. There are several types of cancer that are common in all dog breeds, such as: Lymphoma: attacks the lymphatic system.It is characterized by an increase in the size of the nodes found in the jaw.It is one of the...

Is the boxer a dangerous dog?

Boxers are very popular dogs but they may seem a bit intimidating, This is why some people ask themselves if the boxer is a dangerous dog before adopting a puppy of this breed.It is an athletic and powerful dog, an instinctive guardian, very protective of his family., they are not known as dogs with a tendency to aggressiveness or bad character. Are you thinking of adopting a dog and one of your options is the boxer? In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will talk about this breed and dispel your doubts, you will see that you will fall in love: The boxer's story helps us get to know him The boxer is a German breed that defined its standard in the 19th century.According to the FCI (Federation Cynologique Internationale), the predecessor of the boxer was the bullenbeisser, a molous type dog which has its origins in the Assyrian remote era, in 2000 BC The majority of dogs of moloso type, as it is the case of the great bullenbeisser (biter of bulls), were used mainl...

Animals and Pets Online

Search This Blog