GREYS
The grey parrot is primarily shades of grey, with a white, bare skin area around the eye, and a bright red tail.
There are two types of grey parrot commonly kept as pets:
The nominate race – African Grey (Psittacus erithacus erithacus) (often referred to as The African grey, or the Congo Grey) and a subspecies: the Timneh Grey (Psittacus erithacus timneh)
The Timneh Grey Parrot has a maroon coloured tail and is of a slightly smaller build. Although there are two scientifically recognised subspecies, the appearance of the nominate race of greys differs significantly, depending on where the birds occur. 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, or Congo Greys they may think they are referring to a species of parrot, when in fact they are referring to the region from which the birds originally came. These are not subspecies.These are all one species - Psittacus erithacus erithacus.
As Pets
The African grey parrot is probably the most popular pet parrot in the UK. One can only assume that this is because of its amazing talking abilities, which are legendary. However, it must be kept 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.
These birds are not only fantastic talkers, but are also devoted to their carers and can show their intelligence in many 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 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 as well as people at an early age. This will prevent him from becoming startled at new items/individuals later on in life. Above all, it is a good idea to introduce many different people to a young bird 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 many other parrot species kept as pets.
As with all other parrot species it is recommended that you read as much about the species as possible before you bring your baby home.