Psittacus erithacus

•  General info. African greys are without doubt the most popular companion parrot. But they are not the most ideal parrot for alot of people, there are other species of parrot that may be more suitable for you, your family and lifestyle. Please take a look at our breeds page to give you some idea of other species that may be more suitable. That said if you want a companion that has excellent talking ability and becomes devoted to its keepers and understand the intricacies of the Grey then this is the parrot for you.

African Greys have two sub-species one of which is called the Timneh Grey Parrot. Although some Authorities claim there are differences in the nominate race and therefore are sub species in that race. These are the Congo Grey, Angolan, Tanzanian and the Cameroon Greys. They are found over equatorial Africa in the countries of Kenya , The Congo, Tanzania , Ivory Coast and Togo . They live in Forested areas, sparsely wooded savannahs, Mangrove swamps mainly their range maskes that of the African oil palm on which they make up a bulk of their diet. African Greys are fairly common in British aviaries and among the most popular of the large Parrots kept as companion birds. They are not regarded as endangered but unfortunately some African Greys are still imported into Britain , there is no need for this. There are more than enough bred in this country to cover demand. Please do not buy these imported birds . They are wild and should remain in the wild and rarely make good companion birds.

•  Adult size. ....36cms (14in).

•  Sexing. .........The sexes are alike, although some males have larger heads and beak.

•  Talking ability. African Greys are excellent talkers, and mimics of tunes, songs and household sounds such as the telephone and door bell.

•  Life span. ....African Greys can live for 40 to 60 years possibly more.

•  Diet. ........... African Greys require a good parrot mix, a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh water daily. Vitamin, mineral and calcium supplements.

•  Pros for choosing a African Grey Parrot.

•  They are extremely intelligent,

•  Become devoted to their keepers,

•  Good talking ability,

•  Long lived,

•  Gentle, loving nature.

•  Cons for choosing a African Grey Parrot.

•  Can be fearful around un-familiar people.

•  Can be prone to plucking if bored, stressed or un-stimulated.

•  Can be notoriously one person birds.

•  They don't tend to like change.

•  Wings'n'Things Produce our own care sheet for the African Grey Parrot, please ask.

Click here to download a .pdf version.