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Description
:thumb632670303:
The African Grey Parrot has a history with humans dating back to ancient times, a fact that is no wonder to today’s grey owners. With plumage like a regal suit of armor, luminous, ever-watchful eyes and a vivid crimson tail, the grey's alluring beauty has held our favor for centuries as a companion bird. But beyond good looks, it's this bird’s intelligence and personality that keeps us hooked.

Aviculturists have two recognized sub-species for African Greys:
The Congo African grey is by far the favorite of the two subspecies; it is larger and its feathers are more prominently scalloped, and it has a bright scarlet tail that reaches full coloring at maturity.

:thumb587403605: The Timneh African grey is smaller with a deeper grey body, a lighter colored beak, and tail ranging in color from maroon to charcoal. The Congo is often said to be more aloof while the Timneh can be more of a family bird. Both types make equally good pets, and neither should be considered superior over the other.

:thumb647983976: :thumb340387786:

Although this parrot is a favorite among seasoned bird keepers and novices alike—perhaps the second most favored bird next to the popular budgerigar—this is not a bird that comes with a thin instruction manual. To keep your pretty grey pet happy and healthy, there are things you and your family should know and things you must be prepared to do.

:thumb619265911:

:thumb553726371: Fact: African Greys are emotional. The sensitivity of the African grey is unrivaled among companion birds, with the possible exception of the cockatoo. This sensitivity is part of their charm, but as with other intelligent creatures, their heightened ability can also lead to easy boredom, which will lead to behavioral problems if their needs are not met. A grey's first reaction to anything unexpected or unusual in his world is generally one of alarm or mistrust. Introduce your bird to new things, new people and new situations with patience, concentrated assurance, consistent security, and parental affection. The best behaved African greys are ones that have been socialized while young. Take your grey along with you everywhere you go, and encourage supervised handling by different people.

:thumb457908871: :thumb25486791: :thumb632670621: :thumb639691394:

Fact: Greys are socially needy birds. Flock is everything to them. In the wild, African greys spend every hour of the day close to their mates, in a single-species flock that can number in the hundreds to even thousands. An African grey will want to be housed in a central part of your home, where it can watch everything that is going on. Your grey will want to be involved in all family affairs; to eat when you eat, to watch Netflix with you on the couch, to take a sauna bath in the steam from your shower, and to sleep when you sleep.

:thumb625878506:

Greys are enthusiastic eaters and reliable sleepers. Their diet should be varied, containing plenty of calcium and vegetables. They should rest up to 12 hours a day or more. They love their food, and they love their naps! After eating they generally settle down for a short nap. After a rest, they are energized and need to PLAY!

:thumb527814660: :thumb455287029:

Offer your grey a variety of playthings and rotate some of them every month, introducing new toys gradually. Don't expect anything new to get played with right away, it can take weeks or months for the bird to acclimate itself to the new object. Noise-making and swinging toys tend to take a back seat to "foot" toys, chew toys, and puzzle toys, but it varies a bit from bird to bird. Try all types of playthings out to see what your bird enjoys, and don't feel obligated to invest in strictly store-bought toys, either. A grey's favorite toys can be simple household items, too, such as washed, empty coke bottles with a few beads inside, or old keys on a ring, or paper towel cylinder rolls. See our December journal for a bunch more play time ideas.

Play with your bird so he learns what toys are for and can amuse himself when you have to be out. Our laughter makes them happy. Chuckle and whistle to your grey as you play, and practice associating words with objects. Birds learn best when you make the learning fun.

Being such brainy-birds, their minds need regular workouts too. Speech training is a fun activity for both you and your grey. In this department the species excels. Most African greys begin talking young and many will learn to speak a few words or phrases before they hit 6 months of age. An African grey will learn our language at the level of a human toddler, often picking up words without being taught. They learn by listening to us, and by mimicking our behaviors. They can learn to associate words with concepts, items, and people. They will speak the name of the person they wish to be with, they will ask for affection, activities, toys, foods and drinks by name, they will say good night at bedtime and good morning when you uncover their enclosure. They will also cuss you out when you displease them.

No one ever said taking in a bird with this amount of intelligence and sensitivity would be easy! It takes a lot of time, thought and effort, and ideally some advance knowledge of how to care properly for birds in general. You may want to wait until you have some experience with other birds before you undertake the responsibility of a superbrainiac parrot with a lifespan of up to and possibly over 50 years.

To sum up, though African grey Parrots come with a list of inherent behaviors and requirements, how you raise your bird is the most important factor determining how you and your feathered companion get along. Because a grey is so very emotional, you must examine your own lifestyle and ask yourself whether this type of bird will be a good addition to your family, or whether you will both be unhappy living together. The potential is there for both outcomes. Really think hard before purchasing a grey, and try to be as honest with yourself as possible. If you've already had experience with other parrots, if you are willing to make a lifelong commitment to a 4 year old child—that's about the grey’s intelligence and emotional level—a child who will never grow up, but who will always remain as difficult, but also as endearing, then maybe the gorgeous grey is the bird for you.

Great Grey Links!
==================================

General Species info: www.beautyofbirds.com/africang…

Articles by Dr. Irene Pepperberg, teacher and colleague to the famous "Alex" - lafeber.com/pet-birds/author/i…

Support a University African grey research program - www.vriendendiergeneeskunde.nl…

Source material for this article: animal-world.com/encyclo/birds…
betterwords.typepad.com/birdvi…
lafeber.com/pet-birds/species/…

Thank you to all our grey-t artists, photographers and bird parents that contributed their works to this group and made this article possible. See more amazing greys in our FEATURED gallery all this month!

Heart — Description
:thumb632670303:
The African Grey Parrot has a history with humans dating back to ancient times, a fact that is no wonder to today’s grey owners. With plumage like a regal suit of armor, luminous, ever-watchful eyes and a vivid crimson tail, the grey's alluring beauty has held our favor for centuries as a companion bird. But beyond good looks, it's this bird’s intelligence and personality that keeps us hooked.

Aviculturists have two recognized sub-species for African Greys:
The Congo African grey is by far the favorite of the two subspecies; it is larger and its feathers are more prominently scalloped, and it has a bright scarlet tail that reaches full coloring at maturity.

:thumb587403605: The Timneh African grey is smaller with a deeper grey body, a lighter colored beak, and tail ranging in color from maroon to charcoal. The Congo is often said to be more aloof while the Timneh can be more of a family bird. Both types make equally good pets, and neither should be considered superior over the other.

:thumb647983976: :thumb340387786:

Although this parrot is a favorite among seasoned bird keepers and novices alike—perhaps the second most favored bird next to the popular budgerigar—this is not a bird that comes with a thin instruction manual. To keep your pretty grey pet happy and healthy, there are things you and your family should know and things you must be prepared to do.

:thumb619265911:

:thumb553726371: Fact: African Greys are emotional. The sensitivity of the African grey is unrivaled among companion birds, with the possible exception of the cockatoo. This sensitivity is part of their charm, but as with other intelligent creatures, their heightened ability can also lead to easy boredom, which will lead to behavioral problems if their needs are not met. A grey's first reaction to anything unexpected or unusual in his world is generally one of alarm or mistrust. Introduce your bird to new things, new people and new situations with patience, concentrated assurance, consistent security, and parental affection. The best behaved African greys are ones that have been socialized while young. Take your grey along with you everywhere you go, and encourage supervised handling by different people.

:thumb457908871: :thumb25486791: :thumb632670621: :thumb639691394:

Fact: Greys are socially needy birds. Flock is everything to them. In the wild, African greys spend every hour of the day close to their mates, in a single-species flock that can number in the hundreds to even thousands. An African grey will want to be housed in a central part of your home, where it can watch everything that is going on. Your grey will want to be involved in all family affairs; to eat when you eat, to watch Netflix with you on the couch, to take a sauna bath in the steam from your shower, and to sleep when you sleep.

:thumb625878506:

Greys are enthusiastic eaters and reliable sleepers. Their diet should be varied, containing plenty of calcium and vegetables. They should rest up to 12 hours a day or more. They love their food, and they love their naps! After eating they generally settle down for a short nap. After a rest, they are energized and need to PLAY!

:thumb527814660: :thumb455287029:

Offer your grey a variety of playthings and rotate some of them every month, introducing new toys gradually. Don't expect anything new to get played with right away, it can take weeks or months for the bird to acclimate itself to the new object. Noise-making and swinging toys tend to take a back seat to "foot" toys, chew toys, and puzzle toys, but it varies a bit from bird to bird. Try all types of playthings out to see what your bird enjoys, and don't feel obligated to invest in strictly store-bought toys, either. A grey's favorite toys can be simple household items, too, such as washed, empty coke bottles with a few beads inside, or old keys on a ring, or paper towel cylinder rolls. See our December journal for a bunch more play time ideas.

Play with your bird so he learns what toys are for and can amuse himself when you have to be out. Our laughter makes them happy. Chuckle and whistle to your grey as you play, and practice associating words with objects. Birds learn best when you make the learning fun.

Being such brainy-birds, their minds need regular workouts too. Speech training is a fun activity for both you and your grey. In this department the species excels. Most African greys begin talking young and many will learn to speak a few words or phrases before they hit 6 months of age. An African grey will learn our language at the level of a human toddler, often picking up words without being taught. They learn by listening to us, and by mimicking our behaviors. They can learn to associate words with concepts, items, and people. They will speak the name of the person they wish to be with, they will ask for affection, activities, toys, foods and drinks by name, they will say good night at bedtime and good morning when you uncover their enclosure. They will also cuss you out when you displease them.

No one ever said taking in a bird with this amount of intelligence and sensitivity would be easy! It takes a lot of time, thought and effort, and ideally some advance knowledge of how to care properly for birds in general. You may want to wait until you have some experience with other birds before you undertake the responsibility of a superbrainiac parrot with a lifespan of up to and possibly over 50 years.

To sum up, though African grey Parrots come with a list of inherent behaviors and requirements, how you raise your bird is the most important factor determining how you and your feathered companion get along. Because a grey is so very emotional, you must examine your own lifestyle and ask yourself whether this type of bird will be a good addition to your family, or whether you will both be unhappy living together. The potential is there for both outcomes. Really think hard before purchasing a grey, and try to be as honest with yourself as possible. If you've already had experience with other parrots, if you are willing to make a lifelong commitment to a 4 year old child—that's about the grey’s intelligence and emotional level—a child who will never grow up, but who will always remain as difficult, but also as endearing, then maybe the gorgeous grey is the bird for you.

Great Grey Links!
==================================

General Species info: www.beautyofbirds.com/africang…

Articles by Dr. Irene Pepperberg, teacher and colleague to the famous "Alex" - lafeber.com/pet-birds/author/i…

Support a University African grey research program - www.vriendendiergeneeskunde.nl…

Source material for this article: animal-world.com/encyclo/birds…
betterwords.typepad.com/birdvi…
lafeber.com/pet-birds/species/…

Thank you to all our grey-t artists, photographers and bird parents that contributed their works to this group and made this article possible. See more amazing greys in our FEATURED gallery all this month!