ABOUT AFRICAN GREYS
The African Grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus), a medium-sized parrot found in the primary and secondary rainforest of West and Central Africa.
They feed primarily on palm nuts, seeds, fruits, and leafy matter, but have also been observed eating snails. Their overall gentle nature and their inclination and ability to mimic speech have made them popular pets, which has led many to be captured from the wild and sold into the pet trade.
The African Grey parrot is listed on CITES appendix II, which restricts trade of wild-caught species because wild populations can not sustain trapping for the pet trade.
Below is a video of wild African Grey parrots in their natural habitat.
One
of the largest parrots in Africa, the African grey parrot has pale grey
plumage, with whitish edges to the feathers on the head and neck, which
give a lacy or ‘scalloped’ appearance. The flight feathers are darker
grey, the rump pale and the short tail a striking red. The beak is
black, and on the face a large area of bare white skin surrounds the
pale yellow eye .
Both male and female African grey parrots are
similar in appearance, while juveniles can be recognised by a dark grey
or black eye, grey-tinged undertail-coverts and a darker red tip to the
tail.
Like many large
parrots, the African Grey is a long-lived bird. The Animal Ageing and
Longevity Database states the longest reliably recorded longevity for
the species in captivity as 49.7 years. Also acknowledged are claims of
captive African Grey parrots reaching the ages of 73 and 93, whereas
the World Parrot Trust lists a longevity of 50–60 years for an African
Grey in captivity. The Guinness Book of World Records listed a grey
parrot that allegedly lived in captivity for 72 years as the longest
lived specimen for the species.
African Grey
Parrots are loving, playful, have the intelligence level of up to a
five-year old with the temperament of a two-year old, and bring joy and
laughter into the lives of all who have the pleasure of knowing one.
African Greys are known as the "Einstein's" of the parrot world because
of their incredible talking ability.
The
African grey parrot has a history of being kept as a pet for over 4000
years. They were kept as companions by the ancient Greeks, a custom that
was later continued by affluent Roman families who kept them in
flamboyant cages.
