Unlike many other mammals and birds, parrots live much longer. This is one of the main characteristics of pet parrots: their long lifespan, whether in captivity or in the wild. However, parrots live longer in captivity thanks to veterinary care, the absence of predators, and the abundance of food.
So, how long do parrots live?
With proper care, some breeds of parrots can live up to 80 years, particularly the larger breeds like macaws and African greys.
Smaller breeds can also live a long time compared to other birds and mammals, with lifespans of up to 30-35 years.
Still, this does not mean that wild parrots have shorter lifespans. On the contrary, some wild parrots live longer in nature than their captive counterparts, primarily due to the absence of one or more of the factors mentioned above, or simply because their owner did not adhere to the fundamentals of care and health needed to raise their parrot.
What is the average lifespan of parrots?
Some parrots can outlive their owners, while others have a shorter lifespan. This depends on many factors mentioned earlier. However, the most important factor is the breed of the parrot. Larger breeds of parrots tend to live longer than smaller breeds. Another important factor is the mental health of the parrot, and yes, parrots can have and suffer from mental health issues. In fact, most parrots are prone to developing such problems.
Aside from that, the parrot family includes over 250 species, and each species has its own lifespan. You will find the most popular breeds on this list.
Kakapo Parrot
The kakapo is a flightless parrot species native to New Zealand, and it is one of the friendliest parrots around. This personality trait has rendered it endangered. However, efforts by the New Zealand government have helped save the species after it reached a total population of less than 50 wild individuals.
There are no pet kakapos today, but in the past, when Europeans arrived in New Zealand, these parrots were kept as pets, and more often as prey. These reasons have placed them in the category of endangered species.
The kakapo can live between 40 and 80 years in the wild.
Macaws
The macaw is the large family of parrot species, and each subtype in the macaw family has its own lifespan, and in most cases, the hyacinth macaw lives longer than other macaw breeds, reaching 60-70 years in captivity due to the proper care they are supposed to receive. In the wild, hyacinth macaws can live up to 50 years.
Smaller macaw breeds have shorter lifespans. The Hahn’s macaw with a lifespan of 30 years and the mini macaw can live up to 25 years are just two examples.
Here are 14 more types of macaws:
| Breed | Average lifespan observed |
| Red Macaw | 50-70 years |
| Spix’s Macaw | 50-70 years |
| Blue and Yellow Macaw | up to 70 years |
| Red and Green Macaw | 20-60 years |
| Shouldered Macaw | 25-40 years |
| Military Macaw | 50-60 years |
| Blue-throated Macaw | up to 80 years |
| Red-fronted Macaw | 30-80 years |
| Great Green Macaw | 50-60 years |
| Blue-winged Macaw | up to 60 years |
| Lear’s Macaw | 30-50 years |
| Red-fronted Macaw | 25-50 years |
| Golden-collared Macaw | up to 50 years |
| Red-bellied Macaw | 30-40 years |
| Blue-headed Macaw | 30-40 years |
| Cuban Macaw | up to 40 years |
African Grey
The most popular type of parrot is the African grey. This breed has an average lifespan of 23 years in the wild. In captivity, it can be significantly increased with proper care to reach between 50 and 70 years.
In fact, the African grey species has 2 subtypes, the Congo African Grey, and the Timneh African Grey, which live between 40 and 60 years in captivity.
Cockatoos
The cockatoo is a large family of parrots that includes about 20 subtypes. Each type has its own characteristics and lifespan:
| Breed | Average lifespan observed |
| Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo | up to 50 years |
| Yellow-crested Cockatoo | 20-40 years |
| White-crested Cockatoo | 40-60 years |
| Western Corella | 25-30 years |
| Sulphur-crested Cockatoo | 20-40 years |
| Baudin’s Black Cockatoo | 25-50 years |
| Blue-eyed Cockatoo | up to 50 years |
| Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo | 25-50 years |
| Budgerigar | 10-14 years |
| Red-bellied Cockatoo | up to 40 years |
| Ducorp’s Corella | up to 50 years |
| Galah Cockatoo | up to 40 years |
| Gang-gang Cockatoo | 60 years and over |
| Brilliant Black Cockatoo | 20-40 years |
| Goffin’s Cockatoo | up to 40 years |
| Little Corella | 50-80 years |
| Mitchell’s Cockatoo | 40-80 years |
| Moluccan Cockatoo | 70 years |
| Black Palm Cockatoo | 80-90 years |
| Red-tailed Black Cockatoo | 45-50 years |
Amazon Parrots
The Amazon parrot family is one of the largest families. It includes around 35 subtypes of parrots. However, about 12 breeds are known to be kept as pets, and they are:
| Breed | Average lifespan observed |
| Yellow-crowned Amazon Parrot | 80-100 years |
| Yellow-naped Amazon Parrot | up to 80 years |
| Double Yellow-headed Amazon Parrot | up to 80 years |
| Orange-winged Amazon Parrot | up to 50 years |
| Panama Amazon Parrot | up to 60 years |
| Red-shouldered Amazon Parrot | up to 80 years |
| Spectacled Amazon Parrot | 40 years and over |
| Dusty Amazon Parrot | 60-80 years |
| Lilac-crowned Amazon Parrot | up to 50 years |
| Blue-fronted Amazon Parrot | up to 35 years |
| Lilac Amazon Parrot | 40-60 years |
| Black-beaked Amazon Parrot | 12 years |
Conures
Conures are a truly charming and friendly family of parrots. However, there are about 15 subtypes that are known as pets. These are:
| Breed | Average lifespan observed |
| Green Cheek Conure | up to 25 years |
| Jenday Conure | 25-30 years |
| Sun Conure | 15-30 years |
| White-eyed Conure | 25-30 years |
| Queen of Bavaria Conure | up to 30 years |
| Red-masked Conure | up to 50 years |
| Nanday Conure | up to 30 years |
| Patagonian Conure | up to 30 years |
| Half-moon Conure | 24-30 years |
| Mitred Conure | 20-30 years |
| Austral Conure | 30 years and over |
| Red-headed Conure | 35-40 years |
| Blue-crowned Conure | 20-30 years |
| Golden-headed Conure | 20-30 years |
| White-fronted Conure | 20-30 years |
Quakers
The Quaker is a small family of parrots with 4 recognized subtypes. There are no notable differences between them, and the only thing that could differ is the origin of each subtype. This breed, with proper care, can live up to 30 years. And if you have a Quaker parrot, I recommend reading an article I wrote on how to increase the lifespan of your Quaker or any other parrot.
Budgerigars
As pets, there are two different types of budgerigars. American and English budgerigars look alike and have the same lifespan, which can reach 8 years in the wild, and 15-20 years in captivity.
Lovebirds
Lovebirds are a very large family of parrots with over 30 subtypes, while pet lovebirds can be limited to 9 breeds with different lifespans, and they are:
| Breed | Expected lifespan |
| Peach-faced Lovebird | 12-15 years |
| Black-masked or Yellow-collared Lovebird | 15 years and over |
| Fischer’s Lovebirds | 12-15 years |
| Nyasa or Lilian’s Lovebirds | 10-20 years |
| Black-cheeked Lovebirds | up to 19 years |
| Abyssinian Lovebirds | 20-30 years |
| Madagascar or Grey-headed Lovebirds | 10-20 years |
| Red-faced Lovebirds | 19-24 years |
| Black-collared Lovebirds or Swindern’s Lovebird | 10-15 years |
Eclectus Parrot
The eclectus parrot is a unique parrot species that primarily feeds on juicy fruits and vegetables with small amounts of seeds and nuts, unlike other parrots that mainly eat seeds and nuts. This parrot can live up to 40 years with proper care, and possibly longer in rare cases.
Lorikeets
The lorikeet is a large family of parrots with over 50 subtypes. Yes, not all these types are kept as pets. However, there are 12 subtypes of lorikeets that are known as pets, and they are:
| Breed | Expected lifespan |
| Black Lorikeet | 18 years |
| Black-headed Lorikeet | up to 25 years |
| Black-winged Lorikeet | up to 30 years |
| Blue-tailed Lorikeet | 15-30 years |
| Cardinal Lory | 25-23 years |
| Duivenbode Lorikeet | 18 years |
| Edward’s Lorikeet | 28-32 years |
| Rainbow Lorikeet | 10-15 years |
| Red Lorikeet | 20-28 years |
| Purple-crowned Lorikeet | up to 15 years |
| Yellow-backed Lorikeet | 30 years and over |
| Yellow-tailed Lorikeet | up to 20 years |
Senegal Parrot
The Senegal parrot is another calm and charming parrot breed. This family has 3 subtypes, all sharing most characteristics, including expected lifespan. Senegal parrots live between 30 and 40 years, depending on the quality of food and care they receive in captivity.
Pionus Parrots
Pionus are a family of 5 main members that can reach up to 30 cm, with slight differences in coloration between each type. However, this family of parrots can make truly fun and adorable pets, and they can live between 25 and 40 years with proper care and a healthy diet.
Ring-necked Parrots
The ring-necked parrot is a family that includes about 14 subtypes, and each subtype has its own characteristics. When counting all the subtypes of the subtypes, the total could exceed 50. However, not all are known as pets. The most popular types of the ring-necked family are:
| Breed | Expected lifespan |
| Alexandrine Parakeets | up to 30 years |
| Indian Ringnecks | up to 30 years |
| Moustached Parakeet / Java | up to 25 years |
| Plum-headed Parakeet aka Plumheads | 10-18 years |
| Rose-ringed Parakeet | 25-30 years |
| Grey-headed Parakeet | 15-25 years |
Parrots
The parrot is a family of about 18 species of small parrots that can reach a size of about 15 cm. This breed is similar to quaker parrots, but the two are not related. Parrots can live between 15 and 20 years as pets, but their lifespan is much shorter in the wild.
Caique Parrot
The caique parrots have only 2 subtypes, the white-bellied caique with a lifespan of 25-40 years. The other subtype is the black-headed caique whose lifespan can also reach 40 years. However, this longevity can primarily be achieved in captivity with proper care.
Why do parrots live so long?
The functioning of a parrot’s body is really different from that of most mammals. Their high resting glucose level, body temperature, ability to fly, and higher metabolic rate are the reasons why parrots live longer than many other birds. And in many cases, a parrot can outlive its owner if it receives the care and diet it needs.
However, these are the essential elements for a parrot to live long; other factors like a good healthy diet, safety, and mental stimulation that will keep the bird in good mental health are all needed for a parrot to live long.
There is no guaranteed age for all these species. The species included in this article are mostly pet parrots and some rare and endangered species. There are still many species whose lifespan is unknown.
The lifespans mentioned in the tables above are generally possible with proper care, many of these breeds will live much shorter lifespans in captivity due to their owner’s lack of experience.
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