Pacific Parrotlet

1 Pacific Parrotlet Breed Overview

The Pacific Parrotlet (Pacific Parrotlet), also known as the Pocket Parrot, is relatively small among parrots. This parrot has a very good, playful, brave, and confident personality, which is why so many people keep it.

Although the Pacific Parrotlet’s talking ability is limited, with patient training it is still possible to teach a few phrases and whistles. The Pacific Parrotlet is mainly distributed along the Pacific coast of the Andes in western Ecuador to northwestern Peru.

Chinese Name: Pacific Parrotlet

English Name: Pacific Parrotlet

Latin Name: Forpus coelestis

Alias: Pacific Parrotlet

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Psittaciformes

Family: Psittacidae

Genus: Forpus

Species: Pacific Parrotlet

Described by and year: Lesson, 1847

2 Physical Characteristics of the Pacific Parrotlet

The ideal adult Pacific Parrotlet body length is about 12 cm, and the ideal adult weight about 33 g. It is praised by many bird lovers for its small size and good temperament, and more and more people keep it.

The Pacific Parrotlet’s cheeks and throat are pale yellow-green, with a blue eye-stripe behind the eye; the nape and hind neck are blue-gray; the mantle is gray-green; the upper back and lesser coverts to the shoulder are grayish brown; the lower back, rump, lesser coverts, and axillary feathers are deep cobalt blue; the primary and secondary coverts are deep blue; the outer feathers of the secondary coverts and inner feathers of the primary flight feathers are deep blue. The underparts are green, with gray on the flanks and sides of the chest. The beak is horn-colored and the eyes brown. The female, where the male has blue wings, is green, with a bluish tint behind the eyes and rump; the nape and hind neck are blue-gray; the juvenile is gray with a pale underbody.

3 Pacific Parrotlet Living Environment

Kept birds take almost no space, especially the Pacific Parrotlet, which is among the smallest of parrots. In the wild they mainly inhabit dry woodland below 1,000 m elevation. Home keeping is not troublesome—a simple, clear environment setup is enough.

A cage about 45 cm long, wide, and high is sufficient. In addition, providing some toys can make up for lonely time for these curious little ones.

The Pacific Parrotlet loves sunbathing; bathing also helps the bird maintain a healthy physique and keep its bright, lustrous plumage. It is recommended to prepare two water cups—one filled for drinking and one for bathing.

4 Pacific Parrotlet Care Knowledge

The Pacific Parrotlet has too many advantages—beauty is just one, small size just another. The key is that this bird is relatively quiet; especially a newly bought bird is shy but quickly adapts to a new environment. It is also suitable for beginners.

The Pacific Parrotlet should not be introduced and kept in conditions of large temperature swings or harsh winters; compared with lovebirds and other small parrots they are more delicate, and are aggressive toward other small parrots. If kept constantly in a small cage they easily become obese; they like to bathe.

The Pacific Parrotlet is not difficult to breed; it is recommended to breed pairs separately. They can breed year-round, usually laying 4–6 eggs per clutch, with an incubation period of 20–22 days and fledging in 4–5 weeks. Young birds mature at about 10 months, but it is ideal to wait until they are nearly 2 years old before breeding.

One more important caution: never suddenly put a newly acquired adult or young bird in with the same species or mix it with other birds. Although small, they can cause serious injury to each other or to slightly larger birds, so owners must be careful.

5 Pacific Parrotlet Feeding Guidelines

Home-kept Pacific Parrotlets often suffer from malnutrition, partly because the owner’s food does not meet the bird’s nutritional needs, and partly because the bird is too picky, leading to malnutrition. The Pacific Parrotlet’s diet deserves the owner’s attention.

Besides the usual mixed grains (such as wheat, sorghum, millet, perilla, white pumpkin seeds, hemp seed, etc.) or formulated feed, you can also provide other fresh foods such as corn, carrots, peas, cabbage, pumpkin, and green beans (no need to cook).

You can also add an appropriate amount of sprouted beans and fresh fruit.

It is recommended to blend vegetables and fruit into a liquid to use as drinking water, which can truly balance the bird’s nutritional needs. Below is information on vitamins in some blended fruit/vegetable juices for reference:

1. Vitamin C (boosts immunity): banana, strawberry, apple, mint leaves

2. Beta-carotene (prevents respiratory disease): carrot, apple, orange, bean sprouts

3. Vitamin B (keeps eyes, skin, and feathers in top condition): wheat, egg, potato, yogurt

4. Magnesium (helps relieve aftereffects of tension and stress): carrot, green broccoli, spinach, lemon, and a little salt

5. High-calcium juice (helps bone growth): milk, dark green vegetables, orange, yogurt, walnut, a little parsley

6. Potassium-containing juice (helps cellular metabolism): lemon, banana, celery, apple, white grapes, a little cinnamon powder

7. Zinc-containing juice (prevents poor pituitary and insulin secretion when the bird is startled): white grapes, apple, spinach, a little parsley

Besides unexpected help for the bird’s growth and health, these natural foods, unlike synthetic vitamins, do not harm the bird’s kidneys when eaten in excess.