Life Expectancy of Blue Pacific Parrotlets

Hi Sandee-can you please tell me what you have been experiencing as the most average lifespan for a blue pacific parrotlet---I have read that they can live to age 20 depending on diet...another site listed 10-12 yrs. as the norm..I did read your comments on kidney issues with the color mutations---I was not aware of that until now...thanks so much,Jane

Dear Jane:

Thank you for your email. Unfortunately, the Internet is both the best place to learn about things and the worse. Anyone with a keyboard and an opinion can be an expert and there is no way to check to see if anyone really knows what they are talking about. I have a 30 year history of working with parrotlets and have a paper trail of books, articles, seminars, founding of organizations and holding many positions with various avian organizations.

I find it interesting that people would make the claim that any color mutation parrotlet can live 20 years or more since they have only been in this country for about 15 years. The blues were not imported into the US until 1997 so it is impossible for anyone here to have experience with keeping these birds that long. I got my first wild-caught normal parrotlets back in the early 1980’s. We obviously did not know how old they were since they were wild caught adults but I do know that I routinely kept them at least 15-20 years, therefore I could make the claim, based on my own experience, the birds lived 20 years or more. Unfortunately, that is rarely the case with normal parrotlets anymore – I find their lifespans are now about 10-15 years. As for the mutations, it will take at least another 10-20 years before anyone can claim direct knowledge of their lifespans but based on the empirical date regarding normal parrotlets, they most likely will not live more than 10-15 years and because they are mutations, its probably less than that. But again, that is my opinion extrapolated by my own direct knowledge and experience as well as consulting with pet owners, breeders, zoos, vets, biologists and researchers around the world.

Hope this helps!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
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