Many of us fail to realize that our parrots are getting fat because feathers conceal the excess weight. Pet parrots seek out high-fat foods despite not flying regularly or exercising as much as wild birds.
A parrot is fat if the keel bone is hidden beneath two layers of flesh. Its weight should also be checked weekly because obesity leads to life-inhibiting and life-ending health issues.
If a parrot is prone to overeating, it needs a set feeding schedule. Don’t just leave food in the cage.
Why Parrots Overeat
Wild parrots rely on fatty and calorie-rich foods to support their active lifestyles.
If a parrot is kept in a cage and doesn’t exercise much, it’ll become fat. It’ll still want to eat the same quantity of food (perhaps more due to boredom), so it’ll gain weight.
Flight requires considerable energy. Parrots have a high metabolic rate, burning through their fat reserves. Consequently, parrots are drawn to high-calorie foods.
Between their active lifestyle and not always finding food, wild parrots eat what they can. Pet parrots have this ingrained attitude toward food, instinctively eating whatever is available to survive.
Why Parrots Gain Weight
The following factors cause obesity:
Wrong Diet
Seeds are inexpensive but unhealthy if eaten to excess. Parrots eat what they like (usually sunflower seeds) and ignore the rest. Seeds and nuts often contain 50%+ fat.
Vitamin A deficiencies (hypovitaminosis A) are common among parrots fed all-seed diets. Seeds are also low in calcium, leading to skeletal decalcification, weak eggshells, and fatigue.
Weak and tired parrots are significantly less active, so they gain weight.
Exercise And Lifestyle
Parrots must burn off the calories they ingest, or the excess will be stored as body fat. Wild parrots live an active lifestyle, flying tens of miles when foraging for food and exploring new areas.
In contrast, pet parrots are caged, have food provided for them, and don’t burn as many calories. A sedentary lifestyle, especially if coupled with dietary excesses, is a common cause of obesity.
Warmer Climate
Climate directly impacts a parrot’s metabolism and ability to burn fat. Parrots need a fast metabolism to maintain their core body temperature, which requires many calories.
Parrots in warmer climates don’t need to burn as much fat to stay warm. After all, the environment keeps their body temperature consistent. Parrots from colder climates burn more calories.
Hormonal
It’s normal for female parrots to gain weight (or increase in size) during the breeding season, even if they aren’t eating more food or are exercising less than usual.
During the spring, hormone levels increase when the number of daylight hours increases and food is plentiful. This results in an enlarged cloaca, oviduct, ovaries, and other sexual organs.
The reproductive organs become smaller once the breeding season concludes, making flight easier.
Parrot Species Most Likely To Be Obese
Parrots have a metabolism optimized for the local climate. If a parrot has a slower metabolism due to a hot native climate, it’s more likely to overeat.
Hot climates discourage parrots from flying and moving around as much, resulting in a sedentary lifestyle. The parrot species most prone to weight gain include:
- Amazon parrots.
- African gray parrots.
- Cockatoos.
These species can remain healthy if encouraged to live an active lifestyle and fed in moderation.
How To Tell if A Parrot Is Fat
Due to their weight distribution, it can be hard to tell if a parrot is overweight. Also, when a parrot seems too large, you may attribute that to the feathers being fluffy or ruffled.
Keel Bone
The easiest way to tell if a parrot is fat is by feeling its chest. Parrots have a keel bone that runs vertically across the middle of their chest. To the sides of the keel bone are the breast muscles.
Can you feel the keel bone protruding out more than the breast muscles? If so, the parrot’s underweight.
An overweight parrot’s breast muscles protrude past the keel bone, causing it to appear to have a divide in the middle of its chest.
A healthy parrot has a rounded chest, and the keel bone will transition into the breast muscles.
Lethargy
You can also tell when a parrot is fat by how it acts and behaves. It will:
- Tire out sooner.
- Breathe and pant heavily.
Parrots are energetic and like to move, but their excess weight makes them sluggish. They use their breast muscles to fly, and moving is more difficult when covered in fat.
Weighing
If you’re concerned the parrot is getting fat, you can perform weekly weigh-ins. Record its weight every 7 days to check if its body weight is rising.
Average Weight of Parrots
After putting the parrot on a scale, check the table below for a comparison:
| Parrot Species | Average Chick Weight | Average Adult Weight |
| Hyacinth macaws | 25 grams | 1200 to 1450 grams |
| Scarlet macaws | 21 grams | 900 to 1100 grams |
| Caninde macaws | 18 grams | 750 grams |
| Cuban Amazons | 10 grams | 240 grams |
| Yellow-crowned Amazons | 12 grams | 380 to 480 grams |
| Blue-fronted Amazons | 10 grams | 400 to 430 grams |
| Goffin’s cockatoos | 10 grams | 221 to 386 grams |
| Moluccan cockatoos | 20 grams | 850 grams |
| Palm cockatoos | 18 grams | 900 grams |
| Umbrella cockatoos | 18 grams | 600 to 700 grams |
| Greater Patagonian conures | 12 grams | 315 to 390 grams |
| Mitred conures | 11 grams | 200 grams |
| Black-headed caiques | 8 grams | 145 to 170 grams |
| White-bellied caiques | 7 grams | 165 grams |
| Dusky lories | 7 grams | 155 grams |
| Plum-headed parakeets | 5 grams | 90 grams |
Parrots are obese if they weigh 15% or more than their ideal weight.
Parrot Weight-Related Issues
The most common weight-related health problems in parrots include:
Fatty Liver Disease
Fatty liver disease (hepatic lipidosis) occurs when excessive fat cells accumulate around the liver. It’s caused by diets that contain too much fat. The condition can be reversed with a low-fat diet.
Lipomas
Lipomas are balls of concentrated fat that hang from the body. The area around the growth will be completely featherless. Once they develop, lipomas require surgical removal.
Ulcerative Pododermatitis
Cuts, scrapes, and abrasions can allow harmful bacteria to enter the body. This is most likely to happen when a parrot is obese, as additional pressure is exerted on the feet.
The signs of bumblefoot are red, scabby, ulcerated, and swollen feet. The discomfort will lead to a parrot becoming less active than usual, exacerbating its weight problem.
Atherosclerosis
When fat lines the walls of the arteries, they become less elastic and narrow due to the accumulation of plaque. This increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Parrots with atherosclerosis often bite at their feet due to the discomfort it introduces.
Arteries deliver blood from the heart to the tissues in the body. Narrower arteries could cause lameness because less blood travels to those body parts.
According to Veterinary Quarterly, atherosclerosis is among the most common causes of sudden death.
Xanthomatosis
Cholesterol crystals form under the skin and make the tips of the wings swell, sometimes until they bleed. In severe cases, the tips of the wings must be amputated.
Parrot Weight Loss Advice
Here are some practical ways to get a parrot to lose weight:
Dietary Changes
Feed birds a diet high in protein and low in calories to create a feeling of fullness. Consider switching to a scientifically formulated diet because it’s more balanced and easier to portion control.
Dietary modifications shouldn’t occur overnight, as parrots cope poorly with sudden changes. Not eating food (due to a protest) carries more risk than not eating.
Check with a vet if dietary changes are suitable, especially if a parrot has a health condition. For example, consuming more protein should be avoided if a parrot has kidney problems.
Feeding Schedule
Some parrots, especially those hand-reared, can be needy, so they’ll demand food more often.
Ensure that other household members aren’t giving the parrot food outside of regular feeding hours and there are no duplicated feeding schedules.
Consider putting food and water bowls at opposite ends of the cage to encourage movement.
Exercise Time
A healthy level of exercise is essential for weight control. Here are some things you can do:
Bigger Cage
More living space gives parrots room to explore. Parrots expend more energy by moving around more often, keeping their weight under control.
Dancing
Parrots like to dance, so playing music and teaching them to groove will keep them lean.
Playing with Other Birds
Parrots are social animals, so they may be more inclined to exercise with a second parrot.
Toys
Parrots have a destructive side. They burn calories by biting and chewing easy-to-tear items. Ensure they have something to destroy, like cardboard.
If the parrot isn’t paying attention to its toys, get new ones in case it’s bored of playing with the same things. Parrots can play with old baby toys if you have some in the attic.
