Where Are Parrots Ears?

Just because she lacks the perky, pricked ears of a Chihuahua or the floppy ears of a hound dog doesn't mean your parrot doesn't have ears. After all, she learned to talk and to mimic the phone's ring by listening. It's just that Tipsy's ears aren't obvious. But rest assured: She has them, and they're located right where you'd think they should be.

  1. Natural Placement

    • Tipsy has two ears just like everyone else. They're on either side of her head, just like everyone else's. Your parrot's ears are behind her eyes, but the reason you can't see them unless you inspect her head very closely is that they don't have pinnae, the funnel-like forms that your outer ears have. They're just little holes in the sides of her head that are covered over by small feathers.

    Different Structure

    • Your parrot's ears don't have any outward appearance because she was built to fly. If she had pinnae sticking out from the sides of her head, she wouldn't be as aerodynamic. Without those ear flaps, her ear works just fine -- even better than fine, as a matter of fact. "The New Parrot Handbook," by Werner Lantermann and Matthew M. Vriends, says that although they don't have external structures on their ears, parrots have sense of hearing that is well-developed. Although different species of parrots hear at different frequencies, the "Manual of Parrot Behavior" published in 2006 says parrots can hear frequencies between 500 Hz and 10 kHz, although they hear best at frequencies between 1 kHz and 5 kHz.

    Baby Parrot Ears

    • Baby parrots hatch out of their eggs almost naked, with their feathers still inside the pinlike shafts that new feathers grow in. That would leave the baby parrots' ears uncovered and vulnerable -- if they were open. When baby parrots hatch, however, their little ears are closed. According to Rebecca Sweat's article for BirdChannel.com, the babies' ears open shortly after they hatch, once their feathers start filling in over their ears.

    Parrot Ear Health

    • Since Tipsy's ears are normally covered with feathers, it can be difficult to tell whether she has a problem with them. Watch her for physical signs that her ears are bothering her, such as scratching them, frequent head-shaking or even trouble standing or sitting up straight. If your bird does develop a problem with her ears, she may lose the feathers around them. You might notice that the skin around and in them is red; you may see discharge. Any such symptoms require that you take her to see the avian vet. You should always consult an experienced veterinarian regarding the health and treatment of your parrot.