Universally recognized as an unexcelled talker and possessing high “intelligence,” the African gray is a popular cage bird in the United States. The two best-known African gray subspecies are the smaller and darker-grey Timneh and the larger and lighter-grey Congo. Both originate in Equatorial Africa, from the Ivory Coast in the West to Kenya in the East and as far South as southern Congo. African grays can learn not only words and phrases, but can often imitate sounds they hear often, such as the telephone ringing or a door creaking. Because of their developed intelligence, these birds can associate words or phrases with regularly occurring events. However, next to large macaws and cockatoos, African grays are the greatest “feather pluckers,” which they may do when extremely bored or frustrated. So if you are thinking of owning one of these bright birds, be prepared to keep them occupied and entertained!
The African Grey Parrot comes from a broad area of Central Africa. Given the appropriate nutritional requirements in a nurturing home, African Grey's can have a lifespan of 50-70 years.
The Congo African Grey Parrot is a medium grey bird with shades of light grey on the body. The feathers on the head have brushed white edging. The eye area is of bare white skin. A solid black beak and bright red tail are the finishing touches to this magnificent parrot. Young Congo African Grey's have dark grey tips on their tail feathers. They are also known as the "Red Tailed Grey". They vary in from 12-14" from beak to tail, also can vary in weight between 400-650 grams depending on the frame of the individual bird.
Greys from Nigeria usually have dark grey wings. Congo African Grey's from the Congo region are, on average, larger in size. On occasion you might see a Grey with red feathering throughout the body, they are known as "Red Factor Greys".
The Timneh African Grey Parrot is a dark grey bird with shades of light grey on the body. The eye area is of bare white skin. They have a "bone" colored upper mandible and a dark maroon tail. The Timneh is smaller in size ranging from 9-11 inches beak to tail. Also Timneh African Grey's can vary in weight from 275-400 grams.
The Congo African Grey and Timneh African Grey as a baby parrots will have dark grey to black eyes up until they are roughly 6 months of age when their eye color starts to lighten. By the time they reach a year, their eyes become a pale grey color. At about 1.5 to 2 yrs their eyes will turn a pale straw color. And lastly at about 3-4 years of age, they will have a light yellow iris. This is one way to be able to determine an estimate of how old a baby is when visiting bird stores. Grey's usually reach maturity at about 4-5 years of age.
African Grey's have the most extraordinary flair for speech. Do not think that they are limited to speech only! They can mimic almost any sound in your home. Although most greys do not start talking until a year in age, there are many cases where they will speak earlier. They have the capacity to have a vocabulary of over 2000 words.
African Grey's have the intellectual capacity of a 5 year old child with the emotions of a 2 year old. Because of this higher intelligence, they can be demanding pets and rightly so. They require constant attention along with a stimulating environment that includes various types of toys, a large cage and a play-stand.
Generally speaking, Greys are cautious birds. They have a tendency to sit back and watch you before giving themselves up freely. They tend to not be very outgoing towards strangers. Then are very intuitive to your feelings and it is always best to approach them with a calm demeanor. Once you win the trust of an African Grey, he/she will be your best friend for life. They are very dedicated and loyal birds. |
