The African Grey Parrot

By Dee LeClerc

The African grey parrot is the smartest bird there is. As a household pet, he can fill the role of a buddy and a soul mate. An African grey is like a friend. He will love you, get angry with you, talk to you, play with you and bond with you. What more could you want from a family pet?

Scientists classify this bird as belonging to the genus and species Psittacus erithacus. There are two subspecies of the main singular species. One is known scientifically as Psittacus erithacus erithacus, commonly called the Congo African grey parrot. The next is Psittacus erithacus timneh, also known as the Timneh African grey. The central and western regions of Africa produce the Congo greys, which are the larger of the two subspecies. The Timneh greys are natives of Sierra Leone as well as the Ivory Coast area and are lighter by a few ounces. Experts in the avian field are trying to figure out if the Principe Island greys are actually a third subspecies or just a variation of one that is already established. Many individuals maintain that the Princeps is one variation of the Congo line of greys.

African greys usually have a grey or white patch of skin around the eyes as well as black feet. They all possess a wonderful, smooth grey plumage, which is soft looking. The Congos are not as dark. They have solid black beaks and dark red tail feathers when they become mature. Timnehs have darker grey feathers with some traces of maroon and taupe. They also have a beak that is two-toned.

In the wild, the African grey lives in a flock. It is the habit of this species to mate for life. This is a bond that is not broken unless death or separation occurs. Because they usually live at the tops of trees, their diet consists mostly of fruits and nuts. African greys are on alert in the wild. They have to be to keep out of reach of predators. They are very intelligent, so they have a lot of success at staying safe.

So what can you expect when you bring one of these wonderful birds into your home? First of all, your African grey is going to be like a kid for you. Typically they demonstrate the emotional maturity of a two-year-old child but the intelligence of a five-year-old. And because it is their native instinct to bond with a mate, when they're brought into a household they will do what is, for them, the next best thing: find one person in the family to become attached to.

You must take responsibility for introducing your bird to your family and gaining his trust. If you are your bird's favorite, then you must take the necessary steps to be sure he socializes appropriately with other family members. These birds must use keen observational skills in the wild. For this reason, they take great notice of their keeper's emotions. As a matter of fact, your bird will sense if you are feeling down, and he will be eager to spend some time interacting with you.

Loudness of any kind, especially shouting or anger will cause the bird to respond unfavorably. He won't enjoy having his beak tapped. Greys are considered to be flock animals, and they will expect to be treated as your equal; although he may want to be the center of attention!

If you opt to have one of these birds as a pet, you must make the same commitment to him as you would to having a brand new baby. Be prepared to raise the equivalent of a child, as African greys are considered youngsters for their first five years and won't reach maturity for at least another five after that! Greys have a life expectancy of between 40 and 50 years.

How can I get the bird to play with me? One way is to encourage him to bob and rock with you. Remember to move slowly at first as he has to build up his trust in you. A lot of people say that, when they buy their bird a new toy, they make a big show over playing with and enjoying the toy in front of the bird. That way the bird will really want the toy! Many experts think that you should keep them near you during your shared time at home. If you're in the family room, kitchen, or even in the bathroom, move his cage or perch so that he can be with you. He will get enjoyment by watching you and what you are doing, and he enjoys it if you praise him.

Perhaps the most enjoyable activity is teaching them to speak or imitate other sounds. These feathered creatures are famous for imitating everything they hear. They can mimic the human voice, and enjoy imitating other animals, as well as sound effects in its surroundings.

If you are looking for a terrific addition to your family, look no further than the African grey parrot. This bird is going to bring much enjoyment to you. - 32516

About the Author:

Secrets To Stop Treating Parrot Feather Plucking Immediately

By Westcot McLean

Feather plucking is a very stressful situation for the owner and the bird. A parrot that looks like a chicken is an embarrassment to itself and its owner and this serious behavioral problem is very hard to prevent once it has started.

Early on it's possible to detect a "feather plucker". Simply a few feathers missing or in African greys a few chest feathers that are just starting to turn into a grey down. This problem more often occurs in the upper chest area initially. At this point it is not too late, but you must take immediate action by providing lots of entertainment for your parrot. A degree of overkill is required. Use all kinds of toys available and also natural twigs such as apple, pear and freshly sprouted willow, which is soft and juicy. You should always remove leaves from willow trees as they are slightly toxic in large quantities. Move his cage into a busier part of the house where he can be entertained by the family. Even if it is just by watching them move around and talking. It may be possible to bring him out at meal times because a parrot which eats what you eat and socialises with the family is less likely to become a feather plucker, as this is normally the trait of a lonely bird.

Other illness in a hand reared baby parrot is quite rare, but action must be taken immediately if you feel that your bird is not 100%. This could be indicated by simply not adhering to his normal routines, i.e. if you feed him a certain item in the morning, say toast, if he fails to eat there may be a problem. Droppings are also a large indicator and I believe that an experienced parrot keeper can tell precisely the condition of his birds without even seeing the birds providing he can look at the droppings on a daily basis. If your bird is on a dry diet then obviously the droppings will be more solid green and white. If birds have a fruit diet this will be watery and not as solid as a bird on dry seed. If you feed your bird pretty much the same routine on a daily basis then the droppings will be easily identified as different to the previous day and therefore should causing some alarm. Very watery and dark droppings are a sign of ill health. It is always better to be trigger happy in terms of visiting your vet rather than leaving it too late. Birds deteriorate rapidly once they are ill, if you cannot maintain a level of fluid intake and food consumption.

If your parrot is indeed ill then the next problem is finding a high quality vet, and that is no easy task. Good avian vets are few and far between, and you may have to travel a long way to find one with the competencies required to treat a sick parrot. Vetinary care may require intravenous feeding so you want to make sure that you visit a high quality vet.

So there you have it in a nutshell. Making sure that your parrot does not turn to plucking means that you have to spend a lot of time with them, and make sure that they have plenty of distractions. Beyond that you must keep an eye on your bird's droppings for the first sign of illness. - 32516

About the Author:

Ask Your Parrot Breeder Before Purchase

By Coillcumhann Simpson

Ask and ye shall receive. When it comes to buying parrots if you take the time to ask the right questions of your breeder first then you will end up in a far better situation than if you just pick the parrot you like the look of. You need to take the time and do some research. Parrot breeders want to send their parrots to good homes where the owners take a keen interest in them so they won't mind the questions.

When were these birds hatched? You want a baby bird who is old enough to leave the nest. If he's not old enough a good breeder will tell you this. He'll also tell you when you can return to adopt your friend.

Do you keep a closed aviary? Optimally, your breeder tends a closed aviary. A bird raised in this environment has a lower chance of developing a disease. Many avian diseases travel through the air. That means they spread quickly.

Has the bird been tested for any diseases? This is an especially good question to ask if you discover the babies have already been sexed. Many times breeders will have these two activities performed at the same time. If the breeder answers positively to this question, then ask to see the documentation or the certificate from the lab which processed the results.

Has the parrot's sex been determined? The sex matters little when it comes to the quality of your companion pet. Both a male and a female make wonderful companions. But, to many individuals the sex of the bird really does matter. This is especially true if you're taking the bird home to be with other parrots.

Make sure that you ask what your parrot has been eating and continue this diet once you bring it home. It is very important that you don't cause a baby parrot undue stress by bringing it home and making sudden changes in its diet.

A great question to ask is whether you can see the parents of your potential pet. If the parents look healthy then the chances are greatly increased that the baby parrot is going to be a healthy bird. You will often find that a breeder keeps the parents on the same site as the babies so don't be reluctant to ask this question. However, you will likely not be able to hold these birds as they breeding parrots are less tame than others.

Has the baby been hand fed or parent raised? If the bird has not been hand fed, don't necessarily dismiss his adoption right away. It's more important that the breeder socialized the baby. - 32516

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