Enjoying Maximilian's to the max

The Maximilian’s Parrot (Pionus maximiliani), sometimes known as the Scaly-headed Parrot, due to the prominently-etched greyish-blue scalloping which adorns its green-bronze head-feathers, is a medium-sized, intelligent, easy-to-handle, but playful, quiet-natured parrot, and makes an ideal companion bird for bird-keepers with limited experience.

But, even though Maximilian’s are blessed with so many good qualities, including having a fair capability to mimic speech, and are not known for bouts of screeching, their popularity is on the wane. This is mainly because, greater numbers of their more colourful close relative, the Blue-headed Parrot (Pionus menstruus), are now being bred.

In addition to this, a variety of other pionus species, such as the Bronze-winged (Pionus chalcopterus), the Dusky (Pionus fuscus), and the White-crowned Parrot (Pionus senilis) are also just beginning to become more readily available. And, as a result, the more commonly-bred and once popular Maximilian’s, is now being forced to take more of a back seat, especially by those seeking a bright and colourful companion parrot.

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