African Greys are one of the most intelligent and best known parrots in the parrot kingdom world.  They have an excellent ability to mimic speech and sounds in their environments.  They are very social creatures and thrive in a calm and quiet household where all family members socialize and nurture the bird.  Although african grey parrots have a history with human for thousand of years, they have not been domesticating for long in the U.S, They are only a couple generations out of the wild. 

To keep an african grey healthy, they need interactions everyday with your family members.  They also need large cages, playgyms, good diets like veggies, fruits, pellets and seeds mixed.  Providing twice a day with fresh, clean water is essential for a healthy african grey.

African greys come from the rainforest of West and Central Africa, locate in both North and South of the Equator.  The West and North West are Cameroon and Ghana.  The larger central areas locate in Congo and Democratic Republic Congo ( Zaire). 

  They feed primary on palm nuts and fruits...in the wild.  They are flock animals that feed together to signal each other from predators like hawls & trappers.  "where the wild greys are" is a DVD of good information on wild african greys.

The distribution of Timneh and Congo african greys in Africa

African greys are mainly grey colors except having skin- like areas around their eyes & red or marron color tails.

There are two subspecies of african greys, Congo  african grey is

larger and a slightly smaller cousin is called timneh african grey. The Timneh has a dark-maroon tail and light dark beak instead of dark beak in congo african

grey.  African grey congo has a deep red tail.  African grey congo is usually

lighter gray color.

Few breeders claim to have the third or even fourth types of congo african grey.  They call them "Cameroon" ( lighter and larger silver grey) and Ghana grey and charge extra.  In reality,  there are no such a big silver Cameroon. 

Birds like other animals in a same specie.  Some are larger and some are smaller.

Red factor african grey

DNA is the best way to determine an african grey's sex. However, a male african

grey is usually larger with a flatter, broader head and a thicker beak.  Male is generally one inch bigger in size than the female. The female has a longer, more slender neck and a smaller rounded head than the male. The female also has a more eliptical shape to the eye, whereas the male's is more round. The male Congo african gray parrot usually is darker on the wings and has red feathers around the vent.

African grey cages

You should have a cage at least 32"x23"x64" with 35" inside height.  The large the cage is, the better for the bird.

Please note that you don't want to buy a tall parrot cage for an african grey.  The inside height should be between 30" to 40".  The more length and depth are better for an african grey.  The reason is african greys are falling from their perches a lot.  Our greys do fall throughout a night.  Therefore, shorter the inside height of a cage, prevent injure to a grey.  When a grey is afraid of falling, she is very fearful and if you don't understand the reason.  injured grey can pluck her feathers badly.

African greys cage set up

Always set up the cage close to your family activities but give space so your bird can see you first before you approach.  Always call her name first to let her know you are coming.  All your family members have to do the same.

If possible, set up the playgym next to her cage so she is free to go back and forth to play.  always give her plenty of food and fresh, clean water.

Toys

You should give her at least three types of toys.  A simple toy is the better.  We prefer small wooden toys, acrylic toys, a plastic circle... Please avoid ropes and complicate toys, they can trangle your birds.

 Perches 

Natural dragon wood perches are the best.  But you can also use cement perches.  They are portable so more convenients.

 African grey Diets

 We feed our birds  with:

1. Seed mix: Higgins Parrot Netherland
2. Nuts:  Higgins Boca nut no shell
3. Pellets: Medium mixed pellets of Pretty Bird, Roudybush & Zupreem Fruitblend... 
4.  Fozen veggies: We also give them frozen mixed veggies ( corn, brocoli, green bean...) - Just microvave in a bowl with water, grain and serve them warm.
5.  Fresh veggies are what they like the most: fresh corn, brocoli, green bean, green and red pepper, carrots...
6. Fruits: apple, orange, grape, blue berries, mango, star fruit...
7. Others: They also like boiled eggs, spout beans...
8. Basically every food that is good for you is best for a bird
9. Fresh, clean water bowls
10. Some breeders give their birds extra supplements.  We don't.  However, we only give them some cuttlebone or calcium for our breeding pairs after their breeding season.

It is really hard to get an african grey to eat pellets. But we always leave a lot of food options for them and slowly switch to feed them with a pellet base.

We keep separate bowls for each kind of food.  Pellets, egg food, crushed nuts and corn ( sell at Latino market)... in one bowl.  Fruits & veggies in one, mixed seed in another one and finally a large bowl of fresh and clean water.

Food that is poisonous to birds: chocolate, avocado, beverages

Avoid food: lettuce, cheese, potato, apple seed

Do

• Do always handle your african grey very slowly and gently
• Always call her name first before you approach her
• Offer treats by your hand to feed her, treats like a piece of apple, grapes, peanuts, nuts, warm rice...
• Always include her in your activities: leave a bowl of her favorite foods on a table when you read newspapers or let her on a playgym closed by.
• Break a playtime to a small session between 15-20 minutes quality time.  You should spend 3-4 times per day.
• do scratch her head gently, feeling her beak are important bond with your grey.
• do give her at least 10-12  hours of sleep per night
• do cover her cage
• give her a night light

Don't

• Don't spoil your african grey: do not spend a lot of time of your grey at once.  They are quickly over bonded to you.
• don't bother your african grey when she plays with toys.  Let her has her own time
• don't put your fingers through her cage's bars.
• don't kiss your grey, you can bring gems to your bird or being bit, finger touch substitute for that.
• no shoulder bird, allow your bird perch on a playgym, table or your hand only
• don't let your bird roam free your house.  african greys are messy birds and they love to chew.  They are not like dogs that you can teach them not to chew. 

 African greys are flock & social creatures

Because they are flock animals,  they are the most happy when are included in "your family's flock".  Therefore, they need at least a couple hours per day or more of physical interaction.  African greys in the wild do spend all day with its mate & flock.  I do think keeping two pet greys are best for them.  They interact with each other which human can not substitute.

African greys are well known for the most intelligent birds in the parrot kingdom world.  Our pets african greys do call us loudy when they are hungry or wanting attention.

African grey are extremely sensitive & shy

They do not manage change well.  For example if you go home with a new wallet or a new hat,  your african grey may be very terrified.  She would scream or try to fly away.   

To solve this problem, you should always socialize your birds, exposed him to many things as you can.  however, african greys are  always sensitive.  If you bring a new wallet home, it is best to call him first, then show the wallet to him at distance and leave it there.  When he knows, it is not a threat.  he will be calm.

one thing is sure that african greys are the best talking species of birds.  Our baby greys learn to talk as young as 2.5 months old.  Usually they learn to say" Hello" at 3 months old.  However, not all african greys talk.  Some greys have learn to whistle & mimic all kinds of sound in their environments but never talk.  My customer grey did talk until he is at three years old.  Please note that,  a well care grey most likely feel comfortatble to talk.

One of the reason why african greys pluck their feathers beacause they are trimmed so short & being fallen down like a rock.  They do severely injured themselves & their owners don't even have a clue.  An injured afrey can be very shy therefore a cage should  have more width than height.  inside height should be less than 40".

African greys are fairly quite birds.  Like other parrots, they raise their voices louder at dawn and dusk otherwise, the noisiest sound they make  like human

whistle.  They do not shriek or squawk like a sun conure for example.

African grey parrots when keeping at pets lean all the household noises like microwave's,  alarm clock's, dog barking's.  Some sounds are pleasant, some are not.  To protect your pet grey against unpleasant sounds, be sure don't say bad words when your grey around.  African grey parrots live for a long time so keep them healthy.

African greys love to showers.  Always give them a big bowl of water, they will take a bath when they feel like to.  Frequent bathing makes their feathers smooth and shining.  It is a sign of a healthy bird.

To encourage your african greys to bathe

First, get a largest, shallowest bowl, then fill it with favorite food

Second, let your birds see the bowl & familiar with it (can be a couple days)

Third, place the bowl in the highest part or top of your bird cage.

Fourth, After a couple days, fill it up with a little water

You will see your african greys will bathe there everyday.

Our breeding pairs took rain shower in a stormy, lighting weather of July in

South Florida.  They spent more than 2 hours taking shower, lighting did not

seem to scare them at all.  In the contrast, during the coldest winder days, the

temperature came down to 40 degree F, our pairs all take a bath and sometimes

 come right back to incubate their eggs. 

According to "Where the greys are" DVD, wild african greys love the clearings. 

 They all go there to bathe, socialize, eat minerals & aquatic plants even in a

danger of being trapped.

African greys do produce a white powder from their feathers.  It can be very

messy & some say they are allergic to. 

They also love to eat & throw food aroud,  those are their nature but quite

messy to clean.

Pros:

Common mistakes

• best intention sometimes not good - best to understand their behaviors

• don't spend too much time with a grey but spend 15 minutes here and there

• always trim your birds primary feathers properly at a good petshop or your vet's.

Everyone should buy and watch "Where the Wild Greys are." by Diana May.  This DVD is available through www.worldparrottrust.org.  It provides information where the greys live.  They live alongside with elephants, deer and all kinds of animals that we usually see in African plain.  According to this video,  African greys are highly social and intelligent creatures.  They fly to a clearings ( make by elephants) eating on ground on equatic plants , eating mineral in soils each moring that soak up toxic in their normal diets. ( seed, nuts, flowers...).  50 to hundred of greys go to the ground only afew minutes forage only 1 hour and fly back to the forests.

Many useful information about african greys

http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/6463/

http://www.itsagreysworld.com/home.html

http://www.africangreys.com/

Here are some You Tube Videos

PARROT INTELLIGENCE: DR. PEPPERBERG with AFRICAN GREYS GRIFFIN, ALEX & EINSTEIN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_Fpad20Zbk

Koko African Grey Talking
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0Dewltw3L0

Alex, the talking research African Grey parrot passes away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4gTR4tkvcM

African Grey Freeflight Outdoors Day 8, 9, 10 - Moab, UT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WapCpNigQGs

Revisiting Macaws flying at Fisher Towers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFDzcb8qlSM

Hyacinth Macaws, Brazil

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpDOeazJvM4

Macaw birds in the Amazon jungle - BBC wildlife
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ljm1ZmdySo

AUSTRALIA's WILD PARROTS & COCKATOOS - PBS SPECIAL - Part 1 of 2

AUSTRALIA's WILD PARROTS & COCKATOOS - PBS SPECIAL - Part 2 of 2

King Parrots - Me calling in my fine feathered friend ,Jimmy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZXPV_cvCOs