Parrot name:
Eng. African Grey Parrot
Comon names: congo african grey parrot, gray parrot
Lat. Psittacus Erithacus Erithacus
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ORIGIN: West Kenia, Angola from the north to the south, South Congo, Northeastern Tanzania, the islands Fernando Poo and Principe. Isolated colonies can be found on the mountain Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
PHYSICAL APPEARENCE: Their most common color is ash-grey with white edgings which are most distinctive on the head. In some examples, the dominant color is dark grey, which could be connected with the place where the population settles. African grey parrots are also very rare white, albino, birds that lack pigment. In certain examples, red feathers on the greater part of the body occur. African grey parrots used to be called "fiery birds"by the natives who would esteem them dearly. The tail is short and blunt, which is the characteristic for most of the African grey parrots. Tail is 8-9.5 cm (3-4 in) in length with an intense red color. The wing length is 23-25 cm (9-10 in). The spreading on the greater part of the tail and the wings are a steady darker grey color. They have a short, strong black bill. The nostrils are small. The head profile is rounded. The iris are light-yellow,and the part around the eyes is not covered with feathers, it is a rounded shape. Their feet color is dark-grey with black nails. Their sex is not easily distinguishable and therefore difficult to determine.
The young birds have darker feathers and darker eyes. The population that settles in Nigeria has a distinctive darker color of the wing, whereas the birds from the Congo area are identifiable by their size. They are 33 cm (12 in) in size. There is one more subspecies of grey parrots called Psittacu erythacus timneh which are 30 cm (12 in) and they have darker feathers. The tail color of this subspecies is dark red-brown. This subspecies settles in the northern areas of Africa. You can also check our amazing african grey parrot pictures.
 On photo you can see normall apperiance of the african grey parrot, also somotemes called congo african gray parrot. |
KEEPING AND CARE: The Grey Parrot, regardless of the subspecies that it belongs to, must be distinguished from all other parrots when it comes to human speech imitation. They have the ability to logically connect phrases by pronouncing them at the right time. Exemples of greys talk check at our cool grey parrot videos. They can pronounce phrases like "Good morning"or "Good night" at the appropriate time. As pets, they should be kept separately so taming is much easier. It is not suprising that the birds kept in pairs are also tame. In shelters, these parrots forget their natural way of producing sounds and are capable of imitating various tunes or melodies of whistling. There are cases where the birds are never totally tame despite the fact that they learned to pronounce a number of words very easily. The cage where the Grey Parrot is kept has to be spacious enough and has to have thicker wires. The door of the cage has to be secure as they can learn to open it by themselves very easily. They love bathing. It is recommended to splash them with the water of mild temperatures once or twice a week. In this way, the feathers stay healthy and hold close to the body.
 On picture is shown tamed grey parrot. |
DIET: The main diet consists of speckled (protein) sunflower with the supplements of shelled oats, sorghum, hemp, peanuts, buckweat and pine seeds. The seeds of walnut and hazel-nuts in certain amounts (because of the high percentage of oil) could be given as sweets. Minerals and vitamins should be included as well as fruits and vegetables. The natural protein nutrition can be supplied with a small piece of boiled veal or chicken bone (the marrow is rich with proteins).
BREEDING AFRICAN GREY PARROT: In nature, they live in big flocks, at the top of the trees. They are always searching for seeds and fruits. During breeding season, pairs are separated when searching for appropriate holes in a tree. In captivity, the nest has to be at least 60 cm (24 in) deep, 30 cm (12 in) wide and 12-15 cm (5-6 in) long. The nest should be filled with small twigs or with large wood chips. A female clutches 2-4 white eggs. Incubation lasts 26 days. When the younglings are hatched, one must depart from the common nutrition and add food enriched with protein, such as eggs and ready-made protein supplements for the young birds. In shelters, cannibalism is very common.The reason lies in the fact that it is necessary to check on the condition of the birds every few days, even more often in the early stages. All pairs are not necessarily good parents; therefore, in some cases, the younglings must be fed by hand. Such birds are tamer and their socialization is easier. The ability to imitate speech is individual.
The younglings leave the nest after 11 weeks, and become independent 2-3 weeks after leaving the nest. Aviaries have to be spacious, with a lot of thick branches so while nibbling the birds can also sharpen their bill. It is recommended that aviaries consist of two parts, an outer and an inner closed part. These parrots cannot stand low temperatures and in closed areas the temperature should not reach below 5C (41F).
 On upper image we can see one baby african grey parrot hatched from the eggs a few days ago. |
AFRICAN GREY PARROT INTERESTING FACTS: They are capable of imitating a number of words and pronouncing them with understanding.
They are characterized by their great intelligence.
Very often they imitate the sounds of the person of whom they are most attached.
 Upper picture shows african grey parrots as pet. I met a lot of people who says for their "grey birds" they would never sold them for any money, never. |
They produce sounds in order to attract the attent of the person of whom they are most attached. You can listen african grey parrot sound here. When speaking in the presence of strangers, they turn their back as if they are uninterested.
They have a good memory and if they are mistreated they can be very unforgiving.
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