The Senegal Parrot (Poicephalus senegalus) originates from central western Africa where they live in moist woodlands and on the edges of the savannahs. They are the most commonly owned bird of the poicephalus genus. The Senegal Parrot is a wonderful choice for many people as a companion bird. They have all the positives of their larger, more expensive cousins in a smaller, easier to live with package. Senegals can be very affectionate yet independent. Their clownish personalities can entertain anyone. They have some ability at mimicry and yet are relatively easy to teach to keep their noise level tolerable. When raised with care and guidance the Senegal parrot can be one of the most enjoyable, easiest to live with members of the parrot family.

If these birds are on a quality diet and receive enough full-spectrum light (UV-B) they will develop a dark black mask across their eyes as they mature. There are three subspecies: 1) Poicephalus senegalus senegalus - have a yellow colored belly, 2) Poicephalus senegalus versteri - have a reddish colored belly which has caused some to refer to them as 'Red Senegals', 3) Poicephalus senegalus mesotypus - have a deep orange belly.

Red-bellies are playful outgoing birds. These birds love attention, but don't demand it, especially as they grow older. They tend to become more independent as they reach sexual maturity. Although generally sweet birds, adult males may become aggressive during breeding season. While they are not great talkers, they have some limited mimicking ability.

Red-bellied parrots are small stocky parrots, one of the smallest Poicephalus . You can easily tell the sexes apart. The male has a deep orange belly patch and under-wing patches; the female has a blue green body color. The head, neck and upper chest is gray-brown, tail and flight feathers are gray and rump is blue.

Red-bellies are very playful and energetic. Environmental enrichment is important. They should always be provided with toys, wooden blocks that can be chewed, and branches from non-toxic trees. In order to ensure safety, companion birds should not be allowed unsupervised freedom in the home as they often encounter toxins or dangerous items. Young birds should be socialized to many people and exposed to a variety of situations such as new cages, toys, visits to the veterinarian, handling by friends, wing and nail clips, etc. to avoid fear of novel situations.

Jardine's parrots love attention but are not generally too demanding. As they reach sexual maturity (at 3 to 4 years old), they tend to become more independent. Adult males may become aggressive during breeding season. While Jardine's are not great talkers, they have some limited mimicking ability.

Also known as red-headed parrots, the birds are not common in the marketplace but are being bred more frequently as pets. They can live as long as 30 years, although 15 to 20 years is probably a more common life span.

The Meyer's Parrot, also known as the "Brown Parrot" or "Meyer Parrot," is quite popular in aviculture and is luckily more moderately priced than some of the larger parrots. If you are a fancier of parrots but are intimidated by the large size and cost of some of the larger breeds, the Meyer's Parrot might be the perfect breed for you. It is reported to have a softer voice than many of the larger parrots, though they are still moderately noisy birds overall.

The Meyer's Parrot is known to be more active when it does not think it is being watched. Like most parrots they love to chew, and wood is a favorite. The Meyer's Parrot is quite popular among breeders and is second only to the widely kept Senegal Parrot. Its popularity will come as no surprise to those already familiar with the wonderful Meyer's Parrot.

The African Grey Parrot is a relatively large sized parrot. They are great talkers and often have a wonderful personality. They have a high intelligence and they are generally thought to be the best mimics of all parrots. Pet owners often refer to their relationship with their hand reared pet African Greys as being "like having a five-year-old child".

There are two subspecies: the Congo African Grey Parrot and the slightly smaller Timneh African Grey Parrot. As their names, both subspecies are predominantly grey. They have dark grey wings and a pale grey rump. A featherless rim of skin around the eyes is whitish to light grey. The head and neck feathers have paler margins, giving that part of the body a scalloped appearance. The Congo African Grey's tail is red and the Timneh African Grey's is dark maroon.