Let’s chat about Psittacus erithacus, or as it’s also known, the Grey Parrot, the African Grey, the Congo Grey Parrot, the Congo African Grey Parrot or simply the African Grey.
If you’re a bird-lover you’ll definitely recognize and know a little bit (or a lot!) about the African Grey Parrot. There are plenty of articles and websites dedicated to this beautiful and extremely clever bird. They are, after all, one of the most intelligent bird species!
Those who know will tell you that owning an African Grey, making it a part of your family can be as much of a pain in the behind as what it is a joy. These parrots are beautiful, very intelligent but at times they can be very stubborn and boisterous when annoyed or bored.
Your shoulder is NOT a very good perch for your African Grey! It could make your bird feel unsteady and insecure, especially if it’s a young bird.
Unique Character of African Grey Parrots
The unique character and intelligence of each individual bird is amazing, especially when it’s channeled towards solving a problem. When focused on something, they’ll quickly learn how to turn objects, pull or push levers, or do whatever they need to in order to achieve their goal.
It’s not uncommon for African Grey parrots to figure out how to remove their bowls or even how to open the doors of their cage. Many times they’ll manipulate someone into doing what they want or giving them what they want. It’s no wonder their intelligence is on par with that of a four year old child!
What’s even more common is them not only mimicking your words, but actually knowing when to use it. Do you swear when you accidentally drop something? Mm, your African Grey will not only use those exact words of yours to practice speaking, but also when they drop their treat or toy.
When scared or angry, their sharp beaks can draw blood and from personal experience I can tell you they are able to leave a scar if they really want to! When they’re in a ‘I-love-you…’ mood, they might start nibbling on you. If it’s a ‘I-wonder-what-would-happen-if-I…’ mood, you’ll probably end up feeling like a fool asking, “How did he know to do that?” May you never find yourself in the position of being outsmarted by your pet bird, especially not when it comes to their safety!
A quick search on the World Wide Web will produce a plethora of results about the incredible African Grey Parrot. In between all those results featuring this parrot, you’ll find plenty of articles with advice about breeding, feeding, keeping and training. Some include beautiful pictures and videos, ranging from scary to hilarious.
Have you heard about the African Grey Parrot…
Athena, one of Dr. Irene Pepperberg’s birds, enjoys presenting the research team with some interesting challenges. Since Athena knows that her love for chewing buttons off of clothing only leads to “time outs”, Athena merely asked for her toy ring and quietly started playing with it. Upon closer inspection they noticed she very sneakily moved closer and cleverly covered the button with her toy ring while she was in fact very busy (and quietly) working on that button!
Bud is an African Grey Parrot who may have witnessed a brutal killing. Bud started shouting, mimicking his (late) owner’s voice: “Don’t f–ing shoot!” The wife of the deceased was injured (gunshot wound to the head) during the shooting, but survived, became a suspect and was later convicted of the murder. (If you prefer to read about it, WOOD TV8 also published an article on their site.)
Rocco, a previously homeless African Grey Parrot, loves to chat with Alexa (an artificial intelligence (AI) service). Rocco likes to order Alexa to play romantic music for him and of course he loves to order his favorite treats. In his defense though, what parrot doesn’t like his treats? Or dancing…read more here.
Five African Grey Parrots adopted by a zoo had to be removed because they’d learned to swear at the visitors. Of course, their profanity resulted in zero complaints and plenty of laughter, which unfortunately might have triggered them into repeating the behavior. I agree with CEO Steve Nichols, I too am hoping the zoo won’t end up with 200 swearing parrots… Read more here.
Are African Grey Parrots clever or tricky?
Yes indeed, African Grey parrots are clever! I can personally testify that I’ve been duped by my own African Grey Parrots many times. For example, I’d let the dog out but I’d barely sat down again when the dog would bark to be let back in. Hmm… Or the times that my unplugged vacuum cleaner would suddenly start up “on it’s own” – I tell you, it’s pure magic in action. Oh and then there were the moments of panic when the car’s alarm would suddenly go off – for no apparent reason. Sometimes my kids would call me, yet when asked, they’d never even opened their mouths – yes, you’ve guessed it! My clever African Grey Parrots were only entertaining themselves, maybe competing about who can be the ‘cleverest of them all’ ? Ah…the joys of having African Grey Parrots as part of the family!
Do African Grey Parrots love to talk?
A few years ago I read about a flock of African Grey Parrots in the wild mimicking other birds and animals, recreating the exact sounds of the animals in their nesting and feeding areas. Researching wild African Grey Parrots has shown that they actually follow daily patterns of “conversations”. This seems to be an instinctual trait because, unless disturbed, my parrots are only quiet at night (sunset till sunrise) and again around noon when they go all quiet when taking a nap. Please note: I’m not saying they’re noisy all the time unless sleeping, I’m pointing out times where they’re not actively participating in “conversations”. I’ve also noticed that they tend to be a lot more vocal when constantly surrounded by other noises, such as the busy, incessant chattering of a few budgies or an agitated macaw, or even the noisy sounds from a nearby construction site.
The wild birds actually follow a similar pattern and their “conversations” include various loud alarm calls and contact calls. Yet another trait my tame birds share as they’ll continuously whistle in a certain manner as if asking where I am. Usually I’ll repeat their whistle to let them know where I am at that moment. They’ll repeat the call a few times (if I don’t appear immediately) before eventually settling down – usually happily “chatting” to each other. If you’re interested in another few extra tidbits about African Grey Parrots, their traits and more, you’ll probably enjoy this article, largely written by and for college students (University of Michigan, Museum of Zoology).
Is your African Grey a fussy eater? At the Max-Planck research station (Loro Parque Fundación, Spain), a few German researchers did a test with four parrot species to find out how long the birds would resist eating food they dislike and waiting for their preferred food. In the study they used African Grey parrots, great green macaws, blue-headed macaws and blue-throated macaws. Guess who won? An African Grey named Sensei – Mm, I wonder…was Sensei patient, long-suffering or simply obstinate?! Read more about the other interesting details and results of their findings.
And the bad news surrounding African Grey Parrots…
Unfortunately, the excellent mimicry skills of the African Grey combined with its intelligence and long lifespan are what makes them such popular pet-birds all over the world. Something else you may notice in the results when searching the term “African Grey Parrot” in your browser, is that there are way too many articles about this parrot being near extinct, vulnerable and/or being classified as an endangered species.
African Grey Parrots are on the IUCN’s Red List, Endangered
According to the IUCN Red List, the African Grey Parrot is still classified as Endangered as it is suspected the wild population is still decreasing in numbers. Although the trade in wild-caught African Grey parrots seems to have been reduced through trade restrictions and the obvious decrease in the availability of the wild birds, there are still other factors like habitat loss that are causing concern. The numbers of trapped and illegally traded Greys listed are astronomical: Over the course of three decades more than 1.3 million wild-caught Psittacus erithacus and Psittacus timneh were traded internationally. 48% of those were exported from Cameroon and this figure doesn’t even include the estimated 9 out of every 10 trapped birds who died before even reaching Douala airport! Citation:
As the name, Congo African Grey Parrot implies, these birds are native to equatorial Africa, from Kenya to Eastern Ivory Coast, including countries like Angola, Cameroon and Ghana. According to several sites the species had all but been eliminated from Ghana. Four months ago, this article reported that the Kenyan government had published a notice in its gazette stating that it’s now illegal to be in possession of African Grey parrots without permits. Even though the ‘dust’ around the illegal African Grey parrot trade appears to have settled, the battle has not been won yet.
Learn to read your bird’s body language: -A continuously fluffed-up bird who’s not eating well may be ill yet it’s normal if they fluff to keep warm or when they’re relaxed; -Hanging upside down in the cage is content and happy, playing; -A full-on body tremble, growling or flattening of feathers means it’s afraid; -Trembling in only the chest area usually means intense emotion, check for other signs to see if it’s love or anger before you attempt to touch it.
In conclusion
In conclusion, all I can say is that African Grey Parrots are amazing pets. But for your and the bird’s sake ( as is the case with any pet you intend to keep), you should really think about whether you’re the type of person who will be able to take care of an African Grey properly, and fulfill all of its unique needs. The truth is these parrots need so much more than clean cages, fresh water and a seed mix. They need attention, stimulation, opportunities and training to properly develop into what most people view as inherent traits of African Greys. They’re also much more than mere ‘sound recorders’ and you have to remember that, unlike dogs, these pet-birds can easily live until 40 to 65 years old.
You have to think of their future and welfare should you grow too old or your circumstances change where you’ll be unable to care for them. In my opinion, when you decide on an African Grey Parrot as a pet bird, it should be viewed as adopting another child. Once you bring the child into your home and family, you can’t just push it onto other people or organizations at a later stage. Unfortunately, that’s how and why so many bird sanctuaries started out by taking in unwanted pet birds.
Will keeping an African Grey Parrot be a burden?
Many people believe that African Grey Parrots are too cute and too clever to ever become a burden. Once again, I have to say that they can become a pain in the behind but no more so than a lot of humans we have to share our lives with! Even an adorable, cuddly baby will later enter the ‘terrible-two’ phase and the turbulent teenager stage. Even the person you love with all your heart can drive you up the walls sometimes. Having an African Grey as a pet bird is another long-term relationship you willingly enter into, so it’s a decision not to be taken lightly.
Greys have their own personalities and yes, they can be moody. Many a times I’d get a look as if asking, “Really? You want to talk with me now? Well, guess what, I don’t!” And then the bird will literally turn his head away from me! I get that look a lot, especially when I pay attention to one of the others first! Sometimes I’d be begged for a kiss only to have my lip painfully pinched by that sharp beak. Why? Sometimes I can immediately pinpoint what I did wrong, sometimes not. In the end, being honest in my feelings when interacting with them always seem to be the best, they’re very sensitive to my moods.
If you’re anxious about your bird being anxious it will become even more anxious! Similar to the way you’d treat a small child, try to soothe it with soft words, whispers or murmuring and even clicking sounds might work well too.
The Important thing to consider before deciding on an African Grey Parrot
Like I said before, owning an African Grey is entering another long-term relationship that requires effort, patience and a lot of giving and receiving to make it work. Are they difficult pets? Yes and no, after all, as I’ve mentioned earlier, they too have individual personalities just like dogs, cats and other birds. Certain traits or behaviors might be shared across the many bird species, but each pet bird is an individual. If I had the opportunity to rewind all these years, will I choose my African Grey parrots again? You bet I will. Even though they’ve bitten me, ignored me and some days tested the limits of my sanity with their loud antics, I would still keep them. The African Grey Parrot is definitely not a short-term pet and as with any pet, you’ll have to put the effort in to keep them healthy and happy.
