Princess Parrot Diet

Australia's rare and beautiful Princess Parrot is known for its bright green plumage, pink throat patch, and long, tapering tail. The bird's population numbers started to decline in the early 90's due to habitat loss and poaching, but its popularity in the pet trade started to grow. That forced scientists and pet owners to learn more about the parrot's reproduction, longevity, and diet.

  1. In the Wild

    • Princess Parrots are distributed across an arid expanse in central Australia known as the Great Sandy Desert. Because of the sporadic nature of rainfall across this area, the birds often adjust their diet according to what is available, or move frequently to follow the rain. Most records indicate they feed primarily on seeds, leaves, and certain types of flowers and nectar, such as those of the Acacia aneura, or Mulga tree.

    Seed

    • Since the birds seem to be primarily seed feeders in the wild, a pet diet rich in varied seeds and grains can act to mimic this natural food preference. Millet, niger, sunflower, safflower, hulled oats, pannicum and canary seed are frequent choices. Birds kept on a seed based diet should be observed carefully to ensure that they are eating the full variety of seeds, and not simply picking out the tasty bits and discarding the rest. Food should be offered in small quantities and only replaced when the bird has eaten the whole of it.

    Pellets

    • Pellets are a secondary option for the Princess's staple diet, offering the benefit of a fully balanced diet that does need to be supplemented. Unfortunately, since the Princess Parrot's wild diet is not fully understood, as of 2010 there are no Princess Parrot-specific pellet varieties available, forcing parrot keepers to use generic parrot pellets that were not proven to provide adequate micro-nutrients for this particular bird. Additionally, some parrots reject pelleted diets initially, and may have to be slowly introduced to the new food source over time.

    Finding Balance

    • In light of the inconclusive data regarding the Princess Parrot's natural diet, many breeders opt to use a widely varied seed and fresh food diet. Nutrient rich fresh food options include broccoli, spinach, kale, carrots, sweet potato, berries, and fruit. Cuttlebone provides calcium, and sprouted seeds are an intensely nutrient-rich food source that can be easily provided at home. Small portions of these foods should be given to the bird daily but removed after a few hours before it spoils. Dietary supplements and trace minerals can be added to the bird's fresh food or to the water.

    Deficiencies

    • Pet parrots in general are prone to nutritional deficiencies because it's nearly impossible to duplicate what the bird would feed on in nature. Changes in dropping color, feather coloration, and any alterations to the beak or nails can often indicate a dietary problem. Consult with a licensed avian vet if concerns arise.