Jardine Parrot: Breeding, Feeding, Advice, Info Sheet
Jardine Parrot – Poicephalus gulielmi
IN THIS BLOG POST
Jardine Parrots, also known as Jardine’s Parrots or Red-fronted Parrots (Poicephalus gulielmi), are known for their striking appearance, intelligence, and gentle nature. If you are considering breeding Jardine Parrots, it’s essential to provide them with proper care and nutrition to ensure their health and the success of the breeding process. Here is some advice on feeding and breeding Jardine Parrots:
Breeding Advice
- Age and Compatibility:
- Ensure that both birds are at least 3-4 years old, as this is when they typically reach sexual maturity.
- Choose a compatible pair by observing their behavior to ensure they get along well. Look for signs of mutual grooming and affection.
- Breeding Environment:
- Provide a spacious and stress-free environment. The cage should be large enough to accommodate the pair comfortably, with space for a nesting box.
- Place the cage in a quiet, undisturbed area to minimize stress.
- Nesting Box:
- Provide a suitable nesting box measuring about 12 x 12 x 18 inches. Ensure the entrance hole is large enough for the birds to enter easily.
- Line the box with non-toxic wood shavings or coconut fiber as nesting material.
- Breeding Behavior:
- Observe signs of breeding behavior, such as increased mutual preening, courtship displays, and mating.
- The female will typically lay 2-4 eggs, which she will incubate for about 26-28 days.
- Chick Care:
- After hatching, the chicks will be fed by the parents. Ensure the parents have plenty of nutritious food to support their increased energy needs.
- Monitor the chicks’ growth and development, but avoid excessive handling in the early days to prevent stress.
- Post-Breeding:
- Allow the breeding pair to rest after raising a clutch before considering another breeding cycle to prevent exhaustion and stress.
Feeding Advice
- Balanced Diet:
- Provide a balanced diet consisting of high-quality pellets, fresh fruits, vegetables, and a limited amount of seeds.
- Fruits and vegetables should make up a significant portion of their diet. Offer a variety such as apples, carrots, leafy greens, bell peppers, and berries.
- Protein and Calcium:
- Increase protein intake during the breeding season. Offer foods like cooked eggs, legumes, and sprouted seeds.
- Ensure adequate calcium is available to support egg production and chick development. Cuttlebone or calcium supplements can be provided.
- Vitamins and Minerals:
- Consider using a vitamin and mineral supplement, especially during breeding and molting periods, to ensure optimal health.
- Fresh Water:
- Provide fresh, clean water at all times. Check and change the water daily to prevent contamination.
- Avoid Toxic Foods:
- Avoid feeding avocados, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, onions, and garlic, as these can be toxic to birds.
Conclusion
Breeding Jardine Parrots requires dedication and attention to their nutritional and environmental needs. Providing a balanced diet, a suitable breeding environment, and proper care will help ensure the health of both the parents and their chicks. If you are new to breeding or have specific questions, consulting with an experienced breeder or avian veterinarian can provide additional guidance and support.
By David Dennison
Years ago there was a lot of interest in all three recognised subspecies of the Jardine’s parrot. The demand and interest seems to have waned over the years, possibly due to the fact that they have turned out to be fairly reliable breeders and are not as much in demand as pets as the plentiful African Greys.
Recently newcomers to aviculture, and to parrot breeding in particular, have asked that we publish an article on these parrots for their information. Newcomers to our hobby are the future of our hobby and we welcome them to, what we hope for them, will be a lifelong interesting and satisfying hobby.
Jardine Parrot species
The nominated specie of Jardine’s Parrot is Poicephalus gulielmi gulielmi. This subspecie is known as the Black-winged Jardine. Some of our males had almost pure black wings; there is just the faintest edge of green to the otherwise black feathers, creating faint green scallops. These birds were all males. The females showed a broader green edge to the black feathers, giving them a more scalloped look.
The males showed some red-orange above the beak, whereas the females showed this colour from the beak well onto the head. The green of the body we found to be a rich forest green, which was different from the green of the Lesser Jardine (Poicephalus gulielmi fantiensis) which we found to be a lighter emerald green. The Lesser Jardine also had a broader appearance. The Lesser also seems to have more orange on the head in both sexes than the Black-wing or the Greater Jardine. And it is noticeably smaller in body size.
The Greater Jardine parrot (Poicephalus gulielmi massaicus) we found to be about the same size as the Black-wing Jardine but there are individual variations. To us the main difference was the beak. The Black-wing Jardine has a very robust beak, reminiscent of a Cape Parrot, whereas the Greater Jardine has a smaller beak, giving the bird a neat, more proportioned look. The Greater Jardine, like the Lesser Jardine, has a broad green edge to the black feathers on its wings, which gives it a scalloped effect on the wings. Another slight difference when comparing the Black-wing and the Greater, was that the green of the Black-wing was a darker shade than that of the Greater.
Breeding
Our captive bred babies reached sexual maturity in their third year, and we found them to be reliable parents. When we needed babies as pets, we removed them from the nest at between two and three weeks of age. At this point they proved easy to rear using Avi-Plus Handrearing. This is the same as Avi-Plus Handrearing Phase 2. Once fully feathered they can be fed Avi-Plus Handrearing Phase 3 until weaning.
When it came to breeding, we only used one type of nest box, an upright box 450 mm x 300 mm x 300 mm with a 100 mm entrance hole at the top. Other breeders report using other types of nest boxes successfully, such as L-shaped boxes, “garingboom” and horizontal boxes. So I do not think they are very fussy with nest selection.
A lot of our success with these parrots was probably due to feeding. You need to ensure that there are adequate minerals, trace elements and vitamins in the diet and as with African Grey, try to ensure that there is 0.9% to 1.0% available calcium in their diet. This, alone with adequate levels of vitamins A and D, will ensure that your hens lay eggs with a good shell and that the babies are strong and do not suffer from rickets (bent bones).
Feeding
Jardine Parrot were fed a soft food consisting of maize, peas, wheat, Avi-Plus complete maintenance pellets or breeder pellets, depending on which was appropriate, and some sunflower seed. To this we added a variety of chopped vegetables. Today one can buy a pre-cooked mix from Avi-Products to which you just add hot water, stir and feed.
We housed our birds in suspended aviaries 2.7 m X 900 mm x 900 mm with two thirds of the cage covered and one third open to the sun and rain. This was the only way we kept them but other breeders have bred them in walk-in aviaries of the same length and longer and bred successfully. Me personal view is that the aviaries we had should be the minimum size if one is going to keep the hen there year after year. The hens need exercise it they are to lay and breed normally and a smaller aviary will not give them enough space to fly.
Jardine Parrot Info Sheet
| Name: |
| Jardine’s parrot |
| Scientific name: |
| Poicephalus gulielmi |
| Also known as: |
| Red-fronted parrot |
| Distribution: |
| Endemic across wide areas of Africa. |
| Male/Female: |
| There is no visual sexual dimorphism between the male and female – a DNA test is required. |
| Life Expectancy: |
| May exceed 60 years, but most captive birds live about 30 years. |
| Nest box: |
| Vertical box 10” x 10” x 20” (25.4cm x 25.4cm x 51cm). |
| Clutch: |
| The eggs are white and there are usually three or four in a clutch. |
| Incubation: |
| The female incubates the eggs for about 27 days and the chicks leave the nest about 80 days after hatching. |
| More info: They are particularly playful, intelligent, and affectionate. Some speak very clearly, and imitate other birds expertly. Their size, temperament, and voice makes them good candidates for apartment dwellers, when compared to larger, louder birds. ON CITES II |
Where to Adopt or Buy a Jardine Parrot
Online rescues, adoption organizations, and breeders where you can find Jardine Parrots include:
More Bird Species and Further Research
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