The Red Bellied Parrot

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Red-Bellied parrots are fun, cuddly, and playful friends

Red-Bellied Parrot

Red-Bellied Parrot

The Red Bellied parrot is a fun, cuddly bird that can bring a lot of love and enjoyment to your home.

Red Bellied parrots are part of the Poicephalus species that includes Jardine’s, Meyer’s, and Senegal parrots. This species is known to be colorful, funny, fearless, loving, and a bit sensitive.

Red bellys, however, tend to be more social and talkative than the other members of this species. They are active, playful, and love to show off. Unlike other birds, they are not afraid of strangers and will continue to play and talk when guests come over. Red bellys have the personalities of larger parrots, but without the excessive cost and noise.

Red bellys are sexually dimorphic, which means that the males and females can be distinguished by physical characteristics. Males have an orange/red colored belly while the females have a green colored belly. As babies, both look alike, but they become distinguishable after 4-6 months of age.

While Red bellys can be nippy at times, once you get through the difficult stages of earning their love, it’s well worth it! They can easily become a one-person companion, though, so it’s important to socialize them with other people on a regular basis. These birds are also prone to panic attacks, so it’s important to make sure they feel safe at all times. If your Red belly gets scared and flutters away from something, don’t chase them. This can make them even more frightened. Just call to them and have them come for comfort on their own.

Red bellied parrots are also great talkers. They can make a variety of noises and sounds as well as mimic human words (sometimes even before they’re weaned!). Sometimes they will just blurt something out and surprise you! Red bellys can also learn to whistle. What’s great, though, is that they are not noisy birds. Red bellys are actually acceptable for apartment living because they do not tend to squawk or screech continuously for attention.

Red bellys do require a good-sized cage (at least 24x30x24) and lots of toys so they have enough room to climb and play as well as enough things to chew and destroy. They are goofy birds that like to hang upside down (sometimes by only one toe!) as well as lay on their backs and play with toys. They are truly entertaining to watch.

They do have a normal parrot diet consisting of pellets, seed, vegetables, fruits, and some beans and rice, so they are not too difficult to feed. It is important to have all of these as a part of the diet, though.

Red bellys are fascinating birds and make wonderful pets. If you are willing to put in the time and effort to earn their love, then this may be the right bird for you.

Fast Facts

Name Red Bellied Parrot (Poicephalus rufiventris)
Origin Eastern Africa
Size 9 in (23 cm) and 120 grams
Color Differences Males have an orange/red colored belly while the females have a green colored belly (only distinguishable after 4-6 months of age).
Average Cost $400-$600
Lifespan 25-35 years
Noise Low – They are relatively quiet as they aren’t prone to screeching or squawking for attention
Living Arrangements Because these birds are more quiet than others, they can be suitable for apartment living.
Qualities Quiet, funny, affectionate, cuddly, playful, can be nippy, can be a one-person bird if not handled by more than one person on a regular basis, love attention, eager to please, clownish, can be comfortable on their backs and roll around on the ground with their toys, like to hang upside down things by one toe, may not get along with other birds, can be prone to panic attacks, not afraid of strangers, love to show off, they are sensitive and can take time and effort for them to love you and feel comfortable with you.
Abilities Excellent – Can become very good talkers (some try to mimic human voices even before they are weaned!), mimics noises and sounds, can whistle, easy to train
Housing Requirements They need a lot of room to play and lots of toys to play with. At least a 24x30x24 cage (for a Red belly with clipped wings) would be best as well as many toys they can attack, chew, and destroy.
Interaction/Time Requirements Red bellied parrots are quite independent, but they do need to be let out of their cage at least once a day for play time and socialization. They should be socialized with multiple people on a regular basis or they can become a one-person bird.
Diet They need a diet for medium birds.
Supplies Needed They need supplies for medium birds.
See How Red Bellied Parrots Compare to Other Types of Pet Birds!

Red-Belly Videos

“Red bellied parrot”


Red bellied parrots are very playful (and stubborn!) parrots. This video is a great example of how playful and comical these parrots can be.

“TICKLE my talking Red bellied parrot”


This is a great video showcasing a talking Red-Bellied parrot. They can learn so many words!

Red Bellied Parrot Training

Red-Bellied parrots, like most medium-sized parrots, can be very nippy. You definitely need to know how to train your Red-Belly if you want him to be hand tamed and enjoy spending time with you and your friends/family. However, if you don’t know how to train a Red-Bellied parrot, you may have difficulty even getting your bird out of his cage.

For this reason, we highly recommend that you find an effective training program for your Red-Bellied parrot. Whether your parrot is new to your home or you’ve had him for years, a training program will always come in handy. We personally recommend the Bird Tricks Parrot Training Course by Dave and Jamieleigh Womach. You can see many of their videos for free to get an idea of how much they know about parrots and how they can help you train yours.

Below is one of Dave’s videos about stopping your parrot’s biting. This technique is perfect for Red-Bellied parrots. This video is a great example of how effective the training courses can be and how they are filled with a wealth of useful information for any bird owner.

This video is only the first step in getting your bird hand tamed. We highly recommend checking out the BirdTricks Training Course for taming your parrot even further.

For more information about Dave and Jamieleigh’s courses, you can visit the Bird Tricks website HERE.

Poicephalus Education

To learn more about your pet Poicephalus, we recommend these books:

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Poicephalus Gifts

Have a friend of family member who loves Poicephalus parrots? Gift them something that will truly spark joy!

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Have A Great Story About Your Red Belly?

Share your experience with others! There’s no better way to learn about a pet bird than from an owner.

Some helpful information for potential owners can be: What is the sex of your bird? Is he/she friendly? Loving? Cuddly? Talented? Messy? Loud? You get the idea!

Your comment may just help someone decide whether or not this pet bird is for them.

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