African Greys aka Grey Parrots
General Info on the African Grey
- African Grey Species
- The Nature of Grey: Personality & Care Requirements
- African Grey Diet / Nutrition
- African Grey Diseases
- Bird Care Requirements / Tips before Buying
- Pet Bird Photos: Taz
- Are you looking for an African Grey? Click here for a listing of breeders
Overview
Provided by Dr. Rob MarshallOriginating from central Africa, the African Grey is a highly intelligent parrot and requires a committed and patient owner. Alongside the Eclectus, these birds are one of the most intelligent parrot species and possess the ability to develop a large vocabulary and communicate efficiently with their owner.
Description:
The African Grey Parrot is a medium-sized parrot between 10 to 14 inches/30cm long (Congo subspecies) of the genus Psittacus, native to Africa. As the name implies, the African Grey parrot is predominantly grey, with accents of white and a red or maroon tail depending on the subspecies, and the area around eyes is usually white. Greys, like all parrots, are zygodactyl, having 4 toes on each foot—two front and two back.
Generally, males are bigger than females being about 12-14 inches at length. There are certain differences between sexes with females having a more slender neck and a narrower head.
A white-tailed mutation has been bred in New York City - please refer to the below photo. i will email you some photos. The blue mutation turns the red tail and rump white. Since greys are grey and hence lack psittacine, they don't actually turn blue (information provided by Lien Luu - breeder of this mutation.
For additional information on african grey species, please visit this webpage.
African Greys as Pets
African Greys are beautiful, intelligent parrots, that would make a wonderful addition to any family who fully understands their capabilities and provides them with a stimulating, interactive environment. Building a relationship takes lots of love, time and patience.
| Chart provided by Dr. Rob Marshall |
| African Grey Psittacus erithacus |
| Size: Up to 45cm |
| Pet Status: Excellent |
| Talking Ability: Excellent |
| Noise Level: High |
| Lifespan: 40-60 years |
| Breeding Ability: Good |
| Number of Eggs: 2-4 eggs |
| Incubation: 21-30 days |
| Compatibility with other species: Good with other equally intelligent birds (ie. Eclectus) |
| Feeding: Seed and Fruit Eaters |
| Health Programmes: Follow the Parrot Health Programme. |
| Sexing: Cock is often larger than the hen. Surgical or DNA sexing is required. . |
Due to their highly intelligent nature, the African Grey can become easily bored and inactivity may quickly lead to behavioural problems such as feather picking. African Greys that are bored have a tendency to chews things and consistent training and a diligent owner are a must for this vivacious bird.
These intelligent birds are best suited to people who have experience with pet birds and are familiar with their ongoing care requirements.
If you fulfill his or her needs, you will have a lifelong friend - as the lifespan of an African Grey is up to 60 years. A big commitment, however, if you are a true parrot lover you will appreciate having a true friend for life.
African grey parrots are particularly noted for their exceptional talking and cognitive abilities. Irene Pepperberg's extensively published research with captive African greys, including Alex, has shown that these parrots are capable of associating human words with their meanings.They also mimick sounds and voices quite accurately. (This chart lists other good and bad talkers, and respective care requirement.)
This video shows the research on parrot intelligence with the now deceased and utterly missed African Grey, Alex. Dr. Pepperberg also gives some valuable insight into parrot behavior and tips on providing healthy mental stimulation.
Training and Behavioral Guidance:
African Greys are amongst the easier parrots to keep. This being said, they do present challenges, such as excessive chewing - especially at certain stages in their life. They do discover their beaks as method of "disciplining us" once they are out of the "baby stage" and they can generally be somewhat naughty, and it really is important to learn to understand them and to guide their behavior before an undesirable behavior has been established. Undisciplined parrots will chew on electric wiring potentially causing house fires. They regard anything in your home as a "toy" that can be explored and chewed on; destroying items that you may hold dear or are simply valuable. Even a young bird that has not been neglected and abused requires proper guidance; this becomes even more challenging when it involves a rescued bird that may require rehabilitation.
- Web Resources: I put together web resources for you to help you understand your pet bird and properly direct him. Please visit this website for valuable tips on parrot behavior and training.
- If you are, as I am, a visual learner and prefer step-by-step instructions to train your pet, I recommend:
- the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
- Stop Biting
- Perform Tricks &
- Tame ANY SIZE bird you could possibly own
- and/or try the "Teach Your Parrot to Talk" Training Course.
- the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
Diet:
In the wild, they feed primarily on nuts and fruits, supplemented by leafy matter. However, captive-bred African Greys are often fed a diet of seeds, grain, pellets and fruits / veggies. African Greys are often inflicted with calcium deficiencies, and I found it challenging to get my African Greys to eat from their cuddlebones. My solution was to scrape it over their daily soft food. This method worked well for me. Grinding up egg shells and mixing that in with the soft food is also a great way to increase your Grey's calcium consumption.
- Please also refer to:
- The Nature oF Grey: Personality & Care Requirements
- African Grey Nutrition
Breeding African Greys:
African Greys are amongst the most popular companion birds because of their talking / mimicking ability that is endearing to pet owners. The life expectancy for an African Grey is sixty to ninety years and they continue to produce for their lifetime.
As males and females look alike, it's best to have them DNA sexed to ensure that you set up true pairs. Some breeders state that they can visually sex african greys by the shape of their heads and size of the beak, but these are educated guesses at best. DNA sexing is inexpensive (around $20) - it really isn't worth taking wasting time by potentially setting up incompatible pairs.
Most breeders agree that an L-shaped box set up in a quiet area of the breeding cage / aviary works best. Suspended California breeding cages - (minimum dimensions: two feet wide by three feet high by six feet deep) - are a good choice. Visual barriers between the cages are recommended - unless there is at least two feet of space between the cages. Any closer spacing without barriers results in territorial competition with constant sparring between the males. Securely fastened and stable perches are necessary for mating. These can be 3/4 of an inch to 3 inches in diameter. The variation in width provides for exercise for the birds' feet. Also install at least one cement-type perch to help keep their nails trimmed. Place this grooming perch in an area the parrots spend a good part of their time (maybe by the feeding station).
African Greys normally mate several times a day for several weeks before the first egg is laid. A clutch may average 2 to 5 eggs. It's best not to bother the parents too much; maybe check the nesting box once a day when the parents are eating. You don't want to risk abandoned or broken eggs. The chicks should hatch 28 to 30 days later. Just before hatching, breeders note that the food consumption of the parent birds drastically increase as they physically prepare themselves for the demanding job of raising the chicks and are “stocking up” on food reserves that will be needed for feeding the chicks.
You may want to pull the chicks for hand feeding when they are about 15 to 21 days old. All chicks must be removed together. African Grey parents will not care for a single chick left in the nest. Also, they are very protective of their chicks, therefore, special precaution have to be taken when removing the chicks as the parents will be aggressive. The best way may be to use a bird net to scoop up the babies. Maybe use a magazine or books to separate the parents from the chicks. If the parents were outside the nest box (which is the best scenario) – close the nest box entrance hole off with a magazine or piece of wood, while scooping up the chicks. Weang gloves to protect the hands from the parents' attacks is not recommended, as the chicks require gentle handling and you need to be able to touch and feel them or risk dropping or accidentally hurting them in other ways.
If you are considering one of these magnificent parrots as pets, please visit the following websites for information:
- Procuring your Parrot
- Breeders:
- Michigan / South West: Silver Cloud Aviary - http://www.silvercloudaviary.com
Breeder of African Greys (TAG & CAG), Amazons (DYH, Mexican Red-Headed, Lilac- Crowned, Yellow-Naped), Cockatiels, Conures (Green Cheek [Pineapple, Cinnamon, Yellow-Sided, Turquoise and Normals] and Sun Conures), Eclectus (SI) and Rosellas (Stanley/Western) - Ship (weather permitting) - NY City: Birds New York - a private aviary located in New York City.
- Ohio, Chillicothe: Jeff & Norma Steinbrook - Exotic Kingdoms Aviary, 1049 Baum Hill Rd. Chillicothe, Ohio - Tel. 740-626-2790 between 10am & 6pm or Call Cell # 740-649-9673 - e-mail Address is loveparrots@horizonview.net - Breeder of: African Grey's Congos & Timnehs - Will Ship Weather Permitting
- Canada: Saskatchewan, Owner: Gay Noeth - Website: On AfricanWings
- Click here for more breeders. Do you breed this species and would like to be listed? Click here to see your options.
- Michigan / South West: Silver Cloud Aviary - http://www.silvercloudaviary.com
- Housing Your Bird
- The Three Key Elements to Your Bird's Health & Happiness
- Training Your Bird
- Bird Nutrition
- Parrot Products
Recommended Book: (Ratings 5 out of 5): Keeping African Gray Parrots and For the Love of Greys ... For other books on African Greys: africangreyparrots.htm. ... Please also visit the General Parrot Books webpage.
If you would like to add to or correct any of the above information, or would like to share with the AvianWeb visitors your own experiences, please e-mail the AvianWeb Webmaster.
Photo contributions and articles are welcome!
