The African Senegal is one of the more popular parrot breeds because of its relatively small size, quietness in comparison to larger breeds of parrot and tendency to be affectionate. They are normally one person birds unless socialized early to recognize more than one member of their “flock.” Even if well socialized, your African Senegal will tend to prefer the company and attention of one household member over others. This parrot does have the ability to talk, but don’t be surprised if your bird prefers to mimic sounds over actual words. While they learn easily, it is difficult to train them to speak certain phrases. It is more likely that they will latch onto something that they like and keep repeating that.

One of the great things about African Senegals is that their dietary needs are easily met by pre-prepared parrot food mixes that are readily available at most stores that carry pet items. You will want to supplement that with foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables. In the fruit category you can give them pineapple, apricot, banana and apple. Vegetables can be dark leafy greens like romaine lettuce or spinach. They also like carrots, sweet potatoes and some types of squash. Most vegetables are okay, and your parrot will usually refuse anything that it does not need. Foods that you should specifically avoid feeding your bird are avocado and chocolate, which have both been cited as causes of death in parrots. Seed mix should be changed frequently if in a dish or a controlled dispenser used to prevent seed shells from collecting mold, dust and bacteria.

The appropriate cage size for an African Senegal varies, depending upon how much time you will actually have to handle your bird outside of the cage. If you will be handling your parrot on a daily basis for extended periods of time or multiple times a day, it is okay to have a small cage, as long as the bird can stretch its wings without the wings hitting the sides of the cage. Even if you opt to clip the flight feathers, birds need to stretch for health and self-grooming. If, on the other hand, you know that you will not have much time over the course of the day to be with your bird, you will want a larger cage equipped with plenty of parrot toys. Senegals love wooden toys that they can chew and use for beaking. (Beaking is when they scrape their beak along something either to clean off the beak or to test the strength of an object that is a potential perch. They will do this to your finger, at first, which is normal behavior.) Hanging toys are often recommended, but not all senegals enjoy that. Some do like to play with balls, just like a dog or a cat would.

Whether you have a limited amount of time or a lot of time, it is important to handle your Senegal (or any other breed of parrot) on a daily basis. Like dogs and cats, they form an emotional bond with their owners and will get depressed or irritated and begin to act out.