blue headed pi

[flyingfluff]

There's a very good chance that in the next month I will bringing home a 1yr old female blue headed pionus. I have already done a good bit of research on them. I know they aren't as loud (in comparison) to other birds... like a sun conure or an amazon or macaw. They also tend to play more on their own and don't like to cuddle a hole bunch. Obviously they still need attention but they aren't as hands on, as say my green cheeks. I also know they don't have a preening gland so they need showers regularly.

I was just wondering if there is anything that I might need to know about this species before I bring one home.

Thanks!

[jenseits]

Hmm, let's see. Pionus are more prone to gout, so avoid a very protein-heavy diet. Some say that Pionus can get somewhat hormonal and have a bit of an Amazon-like personality (although I don't see that in my WC Pionus); watch for the Pionus strut and a tail flare. They can be more prone to cage territorialism/aggression, so reorganizing toys and perches and giving them a place to hang out separate from the cage can be even more important.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Congrats on your soon-to-be new addition. Pis are great birds!

[flyingfluff]

Ah, thank you very much! I had no idea they could be cage aggressive. I will definitely look out for that. You say they shouldn't have too much protein in their diet-- do you know if a pelleted diet would be okay for them? Or is there too much protein in most pellets? I know this is an issue for some cockatiels.

[KDK241]

I feed Roudybush to Monty and then supplement with a LOT of fresh foods, which he loves more anyway. I actually have to make him eat some pellets by not offering anything else or he wouldn't eat them at all and would live off of green beans and pea pods, lol. He also gets mash every few days and I put a dish of seed in his cage once a week along with a couple sunflower seeds in his foraging toys daily and an almond in the shell occasionally. I was really worried about the protein when I first got him too but since he would rather eat his fruits and veggies he made it easy for me.
Basically I feed pellets as an addition to his diet and not as a staple part of his diet...Now if I could only get the tiels to eat like him, lol.

[UtahTiels]

Hmmm not loud. You can hear mine outside with all doors and windows closed. She does like to play. But she also likes to cuddle. Every night at 630 for about an hour or so before she goes to bed. Mine is very smart. And I think she has a watch. She knows when it is time for me to come home. When dinner time is and also when cuddle time is. All withing about 5 min. She only likes me but tolerates others. As long as they don't try to pick her up. They can be taught many things. Mine does not talk well but I can understand her. I call her beak her big tooth and when I tell her to go brush her tooth. She will fly to her cage and wash it off in her dish or rub it on her perch. You are in for a fun time if you play your cards right.

[Jan]

I would not put Pionus into a classification of cage aggressive any more than any other parrot would be or could be. Like any parrot, they all vary.