Parrot with the longest life expectancy

[niraj]

Hello,

There is a lot of material available on the internet regarding life-spans of parrots. However, most are conflicting with each other.

The four longest living parrots are said to be Macaws, Cockatoos, Amazons and African Greys.

Instances of all the above breeds can be found where claims have been made that they live upwards of 80 years in captivity. However, it is needless to state that they are exceptions.

Therefore, I request experts and owners in this forum to shed some light on which species has realistic estimates on the longest life expectancy among the above four in their experience and knowledge.

Thank you.

 

[SilverSage]

Well, they are species not breeds

If I remember right the oldest bird on record is a sulphur crested cockatoo, and I think Cookie the Major Mitchels cockatoo is over 80 as well.

The thing is, we still don’t know a lot about birds, really. And even what is known is rarely practiced. The healthiest bird would eat a huge variety of fresh food based on his species and the changing season, get plenty of exercise from flying, never encounter household toxins, and have extremely healthy parents. He would also be weaned properly and have regular quality vet care.

Since I have just described maybe 5% or fewer of pet parrots, it’s really hard to know who would naturally live the longest because the fact of the matter is that even birds with all that sometimes die mysteriously.




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[GaleriaGila]

When I got the Rickeyird, his expectancy was 30. Now my world-class certified avian vet "broke the news" to me that he may well live another 15-20! Joking... I love that little monster! Genetics plays a big part... he's one generation out of the wild, so very genetically robust, whereas my vet speculates that more desirable/common parrots may be poorly-bred or inbred in SOME CASES, contributing to shorter lives. To all that stuff... add diet, environment, and LUCK, and... there's no really good recipe for predicting. You asked a realloy good question for which I don't really have a good answer!

 

[itzjbean]

I heard of a 60-something cockatoo recently celebrating their birthday at a zoo. Can't remember what species it was or where but cockatoos are apparently quite long lived.

I will reiterate Silversage's post, there really is no way to tell what bird specifically will / can live the longest. The species you mentioned all have (predicted) life-span of 40-80 years roughly, with birds commonly outliving their human owners it can be a challenger to really determine age as birds are rehomed so frequently. I was following a scarlet macaw (aged around 40 years) and it had just been to the vet for a checkup but then was perching on a curtain rod one day and had a stroke/fell off and broke its neck when it fell. This bird had a great diet and excellent loving owner, but hey, things just happen...

 

[Soyajam]

I have read accounts of both Sulphur Crested cockatoos, and Galahs (Rose-breasted Cockatoos) celebrating their 80th birthdays.

I know cockatoos can regularly live to 80 (and the outliers up to 100) but many perish early in captivity with heart/liver issues (thanks to fatty diets) and PBFD in the wild (it's rife in Australia in the suburbs)

I don't have much experience in macaws and greys so I'm going to go with cockatoos for the time being

 

[niraj]

Thank you very much for your kind responses.

The following article sheds some light on realistic lifespans where Macaws contrary to popular belief are said to live around 30-35 years realistically. This article considers Amazons as the longest living.

https://www.pbspettravel.co.uk/blog/parrot-lifespans-long-parrots-live/

However, another article (link given below) is from a person who has a first hand experience in zoo has documented African Grey as the longest living

Long do Birds Live? Record Ages for Parrots, Canaries and other Birds

Is there an another way to look at it? Instead of looking at the maximum life span, should we look at minimum life expectancy as there are exceptions in all species going upto 80-100? Can anyone shed some light what a Macaw or a Cockatoo or an Amazon routinely lives upto a particular minimum age and the highest figure among those minimums may be considered the longest living instead of the other way round.

 

[niraj]

I am posting one more link to an article which states that contrary to popular belief, Macaws do not live upto 75. They start showing signs of aging at 40 and a 50 year old Macaw is considered a very old bird.

Large Macaw Parrots, Types of Large Macaws, Large Macaws as Pets

 

[SilverSage]

Is there a reason this particular topic is of such interest to you?

Consider this; I’ve met people who were “old” at 40; with all sorts of “old people illnesses” and wrinkly skin.

My own great uncle was “young” at 95; clearing brush by hand on a mountain among other things until a couple of years before he died at age 99. Which of these is normal?

I’ve seen “old” cockatiels at age 10; stiff joints, poor feathers, loosing eyesight, coordination, and body mass. I’ve seen “young” cockatiels in their mid 20s; active, alert, healthy! Which of these is the norm?

As far as minimum lifespan there is no such thing; living things die. Birds are injured, poisoned, get infections, have congenital organ defects... living things can die at any moment. My own precious Glorie died mysteriously at 3 years old despite having a life full of love, exercise, excellent diet, safety, and regular vet care, yet a friend of mine has 3 cockatiels nearly as old as I am.

To really get a handle on lifespans we need centuries of data from wild populations (which would require the extremely traumatic process of capturing and tagging them as well as re-capturing most likely several times in the future) as well as actual documentation over the next few hundred years of captive parrots. It’s a huge undertaking.


But why does it matter? Isn’t our goal each to give our parrots the best and longest life possible? What impact does the exact ranking of longevity have on our choice of parrot? I’m not saying it isn’t an interesting question, just that we need a few hundred more years of data to accurately answer it


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[niraj]

Thank you for your response. I would simply say it is great to have a companion parrot live with you as long as you are alive which is not possible in dogs or mostly any other pet.

As far as documenting life spans is concerned, a great effort has been made In this regard published by the Zoological society of London (link below):

https://eurekamag.com/research/010/937/010937820.php

I request all to have a look at it and give your valuable comments.

Thank you

 

[Kiwibird]

Personally, I don't think we really know yet the maximum lifespan or even true "average" lifespan of parrots. Many parrots back in the day died much younger than they should have (despite seeming old for a pet) due to poor diet and lack of knowledge by vets on parrot healthcare. So if a bird can endure the trauma of being removed the wild and caged, live to 45 or 50 on a crap diet, exposed to toxins in their environment (like smoke or candles or teflon) and with little/no vet care, then how long will our current "generation" of parrots hatched in captivity in the past 20/30 years who have diligent owners with access to all the current care guidelines and experienced avian vet care live? I suspect MUCH longer than their predecessors and in much better health for longer. I think captive bred large parrots may actually have longer potential "average" lifespans than humans. Their wild caught parents have already proven they can live as long as/longer than us not receiving ideal care. Imagine how long these feathery monsters will live WITH proper care

 

[ToMang07]

From 2014...

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leLc7Uj6UH8"]Meet Duster, the 89-year-old Umbrella-Crested Cockatoo - YouTube[/ame]

 

[SailBoat]

Personally, I'm interested in the WHY you ask!

Any of the mid-larger range of Parrots you presented can easily out live an Adult Human. And, at the same time, pass in as few as 10 to 20 years.

Of late, there has been a crash in the life span of Companion Parrots. Very early death resulting from over-breeding and inbreeding resulting is crumbled DNA potential not supporting even a limited life span. Incompetent weening /starvation of the chick. Not allowed to Fledge resulting in the underdeveloped Cardiovascular system, which includes the air-sacks (lungs) and flight muscles. Inappropriate, poor to dangerous diet base, which in conjunction with the above weakens them further. Locked in overly small, empty cages and Death comes early.

Again, any of them are likely to easily out live you! Or, die an early death. The answer lays in the Why of your question and whether YOU know how to make the correct choice to assure the 'best' chance! But, there is no assurance!

I have strongly recommended allowing an Adult Parrot to choose its Human! Those rehomed Parrots have brought great happiness and created deep long lasting bonds. And, when they pass, you can live in the joy of being Loved deeply by a truly remarkable creature that can and does share in the relationship!

 

[Scott]

Thank you for your response. I would simply say it is great to have a companion parrot live with you as long as you are alive which is not possible in dogs or mostly any other pet.

As far as documenting life spans is concerned, a great effort has been made In this regard published by the Zoological society of London (link below):

https://eurekamag.com/research/010/937/010937820.php

I request all to have a look at it and give your valuable comments.

Thank you

An interesting study! I remember King Tut at the San Diego Zoo!!

While zoos can be a bastion of proper care, in the early days nobody knew enough about parrots to give what we would consider proper handling. Their only advantage was a stabilized environment, (for better or worse) freedom from predation, and consistent feeding.

 

[Jottlebot]

There is a scarlet macaw called Poncho (or is she a green wing? Can't actually remember...) at Becks Pets and Exotics in Shrewsbury who has just celebrated her 102 birthday. She used to live in Hollywood and has been in a fair few films. While I have no doubt her care has been excellent for as long as she's been with Becks, I would imagine that just as a result of being a captive parrot 100 years ago, her previous diet was not what it could have been. Genetics all the way I would suggest for her!

 

[dhraiden]

Based on what I've read (including the links in this thread), I'd say very conservatively you can expect to have a longest-lived companion in the form of some species of Cockatoo, probably (slightly, again conservatively estimating) edging out Macaws just a bit, without knowing much about the subtle differences in lifespans between the various species, or the factors contributing thereof.

Give whichever bird you ultimately decide to create a home for the best care you can, and enjoy your time together

Excellent reading material provided, and comments - the important take-away being that replicating, albeit imperfectly, psittacines' natural environment in our homes to better provide engagement, stimulation, and nourishing diets should be our aim. The jury is out on whether "stimulation" would encompass our pretending to prey on our fluffs to get them their exercise , but it is inarguable that natural selection pressures generally winnow the weak and leave only the fit to reproduce. Our modern avian trade and breeding practices will surely produce an outcome different from that nature has crafted, but it is not for certain if it will be 'superior'.

 

[niraj]

Based on what I've read (including the links in this thread), I'd say very conservatively you can expect to have a longest-lived companion in the form of some species of Cockatoo, probably (slightly, again conservatively estimating) edging out Macaws just a bit, without knowing much about the subtle differences in lifespans between the various species, or the factors contributing thereof.

Give whichever bird you ultimately decide to create a home for the best care you can, and enjoy your time together

Excellent reading material provided, and comments - the important take-away being that replicating, albeit imperfectly, psittacines' natural environment in our homes to better provide engagement, stimulation, and nourishing diets should be our aim. The jury is out on whether "stimulation" would encompass our pretending to prey on our fluffs to get them their exercise , but it is inarguable that natural selection pressures generally winnow the weak and leave only the fit to reproduce. Our modern avian trade and breeding practices will surely produce an outcome different from that nature has crafted, but it is not for certain if it will be 'superior'.

Thank you. It would be great if other members and experts would also give a definitive answer, may it be based on their experience or on research.

More than one credible source have given Cockatoos an edge as far as lifespan is concerned. However, which sub-species in Cockatoos has the edge over all others is not clear. Having said that, a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo in Hobart completed 100 years a few years back and received greetings from the Queen ( link below )

Fred the cockatoo turns 100: Queen sends letter to Hobart wildlife sanctuary - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

However, I would be happy if someone can counter my conclusion to the effect that Amazons or Macaws have an edge over the Cockatoos.

 

[SailBoat]

Okay, I can do that regarding Amazons. But first and with detail, Why the Question?

 

[Kiwibird]

I think it's a little odd to be asking for a "definitive" answer on a topic with insufficient data to draw any definitive conclusions. This entire discussion is just conjecture based on personal experience or things people have heard second or third hand. Any quick google search will tell you that traditionally the largest cockatoos (including black cockatoo species not commonly found in the pet trade) and hyacinth macaws are considered to have the longest "average" lifespan in captivity. That is what is generally accepted in the parrot community today, but it's likely to change in the future as we learn more. There are also several reasons that may lead one to the conclusion that the largest cockatoos and macaws being the most long lived under ideal conditions not actually be the case. Comparing characteristics of other species, it could well be parrots such as amazons, African greys, smaller cockatoos and the more common macaw species could actually have the longest average lifespans in optimal conditions. It is also possible that despite hailing from different parts of the globe that their longest possible lifespan overlaps between several species making no one species THE definitively longest lived. Parrots have simply not been kept as "domesticated" pets to truly know much more than they can be and often are extremely long-lived creatures and that they can match and occasionally surpass the longest lived individuals of our species.

 

[niraj]

Okay, I can do that regarding Amazons. But first and with detail, Why the Question?

The simple answer is the desire of most pet owners of having their companion pet live as long as they are alive. It is not possible with most mammal pets and there parrots have an edge.

When we discuss life expectancy, accidents and diseases cannot be taken into consideration. The other factors have to be taken as remaining constant. When we say life expectancy of humans is say 79, we don't say - some people die in accident at 25 or die of diseases at a young age. An estimate has to be made with a view that other factors would remain constant. Further, here the question is life expectancy in captivity and not in the wild. It is extremely difficult to ascertain the same in the wild. But it is very much possible in captivity as the links I have posted suggest.

 

[SilverSage]

I personally hope every single one of my pets dies before I do so that they are not uprooted and placed in jeopardy by me not being here to care for them anymore. Sure I have detailed plans for them after my death just in case, but if I’m dead I won’t be able to oversee the transition.

Also, these species you are talking about aren’t just different colors of the same bird. Sure I look forward to decades upon decades with my African grey, but I would be MISERABLE sharing my whole life with most Amazons and cockatoos. Macaws would be sort of a middle ground for me. The fact (or rather, the assumption) that one species will live longer than another is not a good reason to bring that bird into your life.

Even the lowly cockatiel can live 30 years; that would put me about retirement age. My grandparents both went into nursing homes years before they died and they would not have been allowed to take pets with them, so it’s fortunate that they didn’t still have an extremely intelligent, emotional vulnerable specialty pet that most people don’t know how to take care of, isn’t it?





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