African Greys

The African Grey parrot is primarily shades of grey. There is a white, bare skin area around the eye, and a bright red tail. 

There are two types of Grey parrot, the nominate race – African Grey (Psittacus erithacus erithacus) (generally known as the Congo Grey) and the Timneh Grey (Psittacus erithacus timneh). 

The Timneh Grey Parrot has a maroon red tail and is of a slightly smaller build.

Although there are two scientifically recognized subspecies, the Congo and Timneh the appearance of the nominate race of Greys differs significantly. Generally the farther east they occur in Africa the larger they are in size and the lighter in colour. 

When people use terms such as Ghana, Togo, Cameroon, Congo and Angola Greys, they think they are identifying a species of parrot when in fact; they are referring to the region from which the birds originally came. 

These are not SUB species, just the names that over the years we have given the birds based on the difference in appearance. 

They are all one species - Psittacus erithacus erithacus.

As Pets

The African Grey parrot is probably the most popular pet parrot in the UK. I can only assume that this is because of their amazing talking abilities, which are legendary. Keep in mind that not every Grey Parrot will, or can, talk. There are some, however, that the owners say talk within perfect context. Alex the world famous African Grey is known for his ability to count, reason, and name colours as much as a human child can.

They are not only fantastic talkers but also extremely loving and can show their intelligence in many other ways. Like all parrots Greys do need toys and a lot of attention to prevent them from becoming bored.

Provided that you play with your baby bird on a daily basis and show him/her plenty of affection you will have a happy and well-adjusted bird. Introduce him/her to many different things (toys, household items etc.) and locations at an early age. This will prevent him from becoming startled at new items later on in life. Above all it is a good idea to introduce many different people to your baby as often as you can. This will prevent him/her from becoming a one-person bird if there are more people living in your household.

African Greys have very gentle and somewhat fragile personalities. They are easily frightened and are probably more emotionally sensitive than most other parrot species kept as pets. If you treat him with respect he will undoubtedly be the best friend you have ever had.

As with all other parrot species I highly recommend that you read as much about the species as possible before you bring your baby home. If you wish please contact us and we will be very happy to recommend the appropriate literature.