Mini portrait: Meyer's Parrot

Meyer's Parrot (Poicephalus meyeri) is the most widespread Poicephalus species in human care after the Senegal parrot (Poicephalus senegalus). By virtue of its enormous distribution area in Africa, this species represents a large species variance, which i.a. manifests itself in different distribution of the yellow areas in the plumage as well as different colour shades. The very varied distribution of the yellow areas in the plumage should not be confused with the fact that there are also different subspecies, some of which have no - or almost no - yellow in their plumage. The specimens which have the largest and clearest yellow areas in the plumage are the most sought after by aviculturists, which is perhaps not surprising, but they seem to be sought after indiscriminately without regard to the question of subspecies. In countries such as Germany and the Netherlands, these factors are also approached much more professionally compared to Denmark, and here the individual subspecies are kept separate from each other. Moreover, it is generally my experience that the older the birds get, the larger the areas with yellow feathers can become, and at the same time that colours become deeper.

Meyer's Parrot, or Brown Parrot (Poicephalus meyeri) is a small and compact African parrot of 21 - 25 cm in length, including a short tail, and with a weight of 100 - 135 grams. Over recent years, it has become quite widespread as aviculturists have opened their eyes to these smaller, but "real" parrots, which behave like the larger parrots by e.g. holding food items in one foot during food intake and in the way they move. In addition, it has also - unfortunately - become widespread as a hand-fed single-living pet bird, where it often exhibits an unnaturally familiar, human-like behaviour.

Meyer's Parrot belongs to the genus Poicephalus, which at the time of writing according to "Howard & Moore's Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World", Vol. I, from spring 2013 as well as the latest version 4.1 (August 2018), "Errata and Corrigenda to Volume I", consists of 9 different species (here the separation of fuscicollis, suahelicus and robustus is not taken into account), of which the most known is the Senegal Parrot (Poicephalus senegalus). Today, science recognizes one species of Meyer’s Parrot - the nominate form - with associated 5 subspecies:

• Northern Meyer's Parrot - Poicephalus meyeri meyeri
• Ugandan Meyer's Parrot - Poicephalus meyeri saturatus
• East-African Meyer's Parrot - Poicephalus meyeri matschiei
• Angolan Meyer's Parrot - Poicephalus meyeri reichenowi
• Damaraland Meyer's Parrot - Poicephalus meyeri damarensis
• South-African Meyer's Parrot - Poicephalus meyeri transvaalensis

Where the nominate form comes from southern Chad and northeastern Cameroon to central and southern Sudan, Eritrea and western Ethiopia, Poicephalus meyeri saturatus comes from Uganda and western Kenya to eastern Zaire and northwestern Tanzania. The nominate form and the 5 subspecies have varying degrees of yellow colour on the forehead and nose as well as on the wings, a single subspecies has no yellow on the head at all, namely Poicephalus meyeri damarensis. The various forms all have a greyish brown upper body with a bluish green chest and a green underside and blue on the upper rump. Although these birds may appear dull at first glance, their colours on closer inspection become astonishing and beautiful, especially on the chest and thighs, which almost changes when you observe it in day light. The eyes of the adult birds are orange-red and the beak is greyish black.

A small quirk is that the nominate form was already recognized by science back in 1827, whereas the 5 subspecies were subsequently all found and described within a very short period of only 3 years, namely in the period 1898 – 1901.

Meyer's Parrots showing some of the many striking differences in the colour composition of the plumage in the subspecies of this species. Photos from the internet.

The Meyer's Parrot - with associated subspecies - has a colossal distribution area, which is estimated by BirdLife International to be as much as 10,400,000 km2 - or as much as 242 times larger than the area of Denmark (!!!) spread over a large number of African countries. It has therefore not been possible to estimate the number of individuals in the wild. At the same time, BirdLife International states that the species is generally widespread in the northern part of the distribution area, and mentions in the same connection that the population in the wild is stable, which - all things considered - means that the status of the species in the wild is assessed as belonging to the category "Least Concern”. What may be the threat to the Meyer's Parrot in the wild today is the fragmented presence in the distribution area, which is also known from a number of other wild animal species. Another threat has been that since 1981 the species has been subject to extensive international trade. Since 1981, when it was included on CITES Appendix II, international trade in 75,387 wild-caught Meyer's Parrots (Poicephalus meyeri) has been registered, cf. UNEP-WCMC CITES Trade Database from January 2005.

Compared to several other African parrots, the Meyer's Parrot is definitely an attractive bird. When you see it in flight, it looks as if the sun is reflected in all the colours of the bird, and it therefore appears like a "flying gem". When the sunlight is reflected from the bird's turquoise feathers, it can give associations to an exquisitely cut blue sapphire.

The male and female of the Meyer's Parrot are similar, however the female's plumage is not as brightly coloured and the colour pattern not as sharp as that of the male, in addition to the fact that the female's head is smaller. The female looks similar to the male and if gender identification is important (in cases of breeding with birds) then DNA testing for gender determination may be recommended.

In human care, many aviculturists find that adult Meyer's Parrots have a natural shyness that they never shed. It can, among other things, results in the fact that if you stand too close to the birds' aviaries, the birds - without any purpose - begin to continuously flit around the aviary. This behavior only stops when you walk away from the aviary. Even not calm behavior on the part of the aviculturist and the awarding of treats, such as fresh cherries, over a longer period of time, can change this fact.

In the wild, this species prefers to stay in the tall trees of the forest and in areas where there is also access to water, but it can also be seen in small flocks or in pairs near bushy vegetation along rivers. The species is not popular with local residents, especially farmers, as it can strike in flocks on many different types of crops, including corn and grain fields, where the birds are said to destroy more than they consume. In the wild, they also consume a wide range of seeds, nuts, vegetation and wild berries.

In the wild, the Meyer's Parrot is usually seen singly or in pairs, although they can often be seen in groups of 10 – 20 individuals, where food is plentiful. In human care, you can also experience the more independent nature of the birds under protected conditions, since they as domesticated pet birds are able to entertain themselves quite well alone.

The Meyer's Parrot is always on guard, but when it feels completely safe, it shows "it’s true self" and is quite lively, but in addition it is both shy and distrustful (not hand-fed birds with unnatural behavior, though). The same pattern of behavior can also be found in human care, whereas pet birds in particular can be experienced as both fun and entertaining.

Due to its gigantic range, the timing of when it breeds in the wild varies greatly. Typically, however, breeding takes place towards the end of the rainy season, which occurs in autumn in Africa. The Meyer's Parrot's nest is found in hollow trees at a considerable height above the ground. The clutch includes 2 or 3 white eggs, which are laid two days apart. Both parents incubate the eggs, and only one of the parent birds leaves the nest at a time to forage. The chicks are ready to fledge approximately 9 weeks after hatching.

This photo shows a pair of Meyer's Parrot, from which it is clear that it is difficult - or rather impossible - to tell the difference between the sexes. That is why these birds are DNA tested these days. Nevertheless, some experienced aviculturists can observe some secondary sex differences in this species, and one of these differences is that the back of the male's head is more angular, whereas the female's is shorter and more rounded. The picture therefore shows that it is the male on the left.

The observations of many aviculturists indicate that it sleeps in pairs in the nest at night outside the breeding season, but I have also had a couple where this has not been the case. You should not keep more than one pair in an aviary, as they can be quite aggressive towards each other, especially during the breeding season.

Similar to what applies to all other parrot species that are kept in human care, the Meyer's Parrot must also be fed varied. In particular, this species is fond of various types of nuts, such as Tyrolean nuts and peanuts (be very careful - of the type approved for human consumption) as well as various types of berries - not least cherries - and fruit. Varied feeding, together with continuous access to fresh natural branches from, for example, birch trees, willows and hanging willows, seems to be absolutely essential for its well-being. In this connection, it is of course important to emphasize that the natural branches must not originate from trees that have previously been sprayed with insecticides or have been exposed to other forms of pollution.

The species can tend to gain weight in human care, so you should be reluctant to feed them too much fat, unless you offer it a large aviary where it really can develop.

The Meyer's Parrot enjoys bathing, and you can either offer it a large glazed clay bowl to bathe in or shower the bird frequently. Otherwise, the birds' feathers can quickly appear "dry" and dull, which can cause them to start scratching themselves, so that the plumage can be destroyed.

The Meyer's Parrot has a behavior that is reminiscent of that which can be observed in the larger parrot species, which i.a. can be seen in the way in which they move along a perch or when they sit and consume a larger food item that is held in one of its feet during the food intake, which both seems amusing and at the same time must be interpreted as an expression of not insignificant intelligence.

Meyer's Parrots are ready to breed when they are about 3 years old and unlike before, nowadays they breed quite easily in human care, which i.a. is due to the fact that today – thanks to DNA gender tests – you can be sure to keep 2 birds of different sexes. If they are to be bred in human care, it is recommended to keep them in a spacious aviary with plenty of natural branches to sit on and for behavioral enrichment. Processing these branches will minimize boredom and provide the birds with distraction at the same time as the beak is sharpened. You can also put up natural swings ("inverted Christmas trees") on the roof of the aviary.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to see specimens of the Meyer's Parrot with plucked plumage, which can be for various reasons. This can often occur in birds during the breeding season. You should not be "lured" into buying these kinds of birds, as there is often nothing you can do about this problem.

Very young individuals can become exceedingly tame and exhibit "clown-like" behavior, which e.g. seen among the various forms of Caiques' (Pionites genus). They can be very playful, and their "antics" can quickly make the bird's owner laugh. They can find themselves dangling from a branch or some propped-up toy, and they like to hang with their heads down. They can also find themselves lying on their backs, playing with their feet. For these reasons, the Meyer's Parrot is actually one of the few African parrots kept as pets within its range.

Very young Meyer's Parrots quickly become familiar with people and can become an excellent pet for the whole family. As previously stated, this species is not as dependent on being constantly stimulated by its owner as many other parrot species, and in this context, they are therefore not as demanding to keep.

I personally do not like parrots should be kept as single-living tamed pet birds in a small indoor cage, and certainly not hand-fed birds, so most of the Meyer's Parrots that I have had have been characterized by one particular thing, namely that they are very shy, which they are from nature's side. Here I speak from experience, as many years ago I bought a small group of this species, which was imported directly from Africa. Already during the quarantine period, one could observe that these birds huddled together in the upper, farthest corner of the large quarantine cage. Especially older birds that have not been used to human contact can be incredibly shy and try to hide, a trait that they never lose, which is why some aviculturists go a long way around this species as well as other Poicephalus species.

Jorgen Petersen

Conceived/Updated: 30.11.2012 / 08.01.2024 

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If you would like to keep parrots of a certain size in outdoor aviaries in a densely built-up area of detached houses, then the Meyer's Parrot can be a good choice, a suitable bird species, as its voice is by no means unpleasant, but is kind of soft and almost melodically scrawny.