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Niam Niam Parrot
The Niam Niam or Poicephalus crassus are native to The Central African Republic, Chad, Sudan and Zaire. Poicephalus, exactly means ‘made of head’. They are similar in color and shape to the Brown headed but larger in size. They belong to genus Poicephalus, which comprises 10 species of small and medium sized parrots. Niam Niam parrots and other birds of Poicephalus crassus species are collectively distributed over much of Africa, especially south of the Sahara Desert.
Niam Niam parrots have bright green body and brown head. Their wings look striking as they have the amalgamation of both colors, green and brown. The lower area of their head, particularly around the beak is of white color. The beak is yellow colored. Their eyes are red in color and the area around them is grey. The tale of Niam Niam parrots is somewhat dark or faddish brown.
The habitat of Niam Niam parrots is moist woodland. There is also a rare possibility that the Niam Niam parrots are often misidentified as being a large Brown Headed parrot. But you can differentiate them by the fact that Niam Niam has red iris and not the grayish yellow one as the Brown Headed has.
The genus of Niam Niam parrots is marked by compact and stocky parrots, having head coloration, different from the colors of the body. These parrots have relatively large heads, square tails and moderately large bills. They are either sexually dimorphic or monomorphic as per the different species.
The Niam Niam parrots feed mainly on seeds and grains. They are supplemented by nuts, fruits and leafy stuff. They are quieter than most other pet parrots. As Niam Niam parrots are smaller in size than Macaws, Amazon parrots, African greys and most cockatoos. This helps them to make easier to keep in apartments.
Niam Niam parrots make good pets though most experts are not sure about it. But based on the behaviors of other pet parrots of their genus, they may definitely act as good pets. They are active birds and require to be kept in a cage that can admit a lot of toys. You should choose a cage which is at least 18 inches tall, 13 inches wide and 14 inches deep. It can be even more as these measurements are the minimum recommendations for a single bird.
In the cage, there should a grate on the bottom to keep your parrot away from old food and droppings. There should be natural wood perches and not joggles. Make sure that the food and water is put where they will not be soiled by muck.
Feed your Niam Niam parrot seeds or pellets. They should be given fresh fruits, vegetables and greens daily. They also love to have potatoes, whole grain breads, rice and pasta that can be given several times in a week. Fresh water, minerals and cuttlebone should be available with the bird at all times. Vitamins can be pattered on the fruits and vegetables. Keep the food in open dishes that makes the parrot easy to have it.