SPOTLIGHT PARROT…….. AFRICAN
GREYS:
The African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus)
is the largest parrot found in Africa. Wild
greys range throughout central and western
Africa and can be found in western sections
of east African countries. They live in
primary and secondary rain forest, forest
edges and clearings.
There are two types of African grey parrots.
The Congo (P.e. erithacus) is the larger
of the two birds. They sport bright red
tail feathers and a black beak. The Timneh
(P.e. timneh) is smaller, its tail feathers
are more of a maroon-gray color, and its
beak includes tints of a reddish-beige color.
Both are incredibly intelligent and require
plenty of stimulation, consisting of playtime
with their humans and the use of variety
of interesting toys to play with when not
interacting with humans. Toys that provide
intellectual stimulation are good choices;
some greys enjoy untying knotted leather
laced through wood and “food”
toys like fruit/veggie skewers provide interesting
challenges.
African parrots tend to be less demanding
and less noisy than birds like cockatoos
or Amazons. However, because of their highly
intelligent nature, African greys require
more attention than most of the other African
parrots. They are not always the best choice
for a first time parrot unless you are prepared
to invest a good deal of time.
Many people prefer greys as pets because
of their ability to imitate human speech.
Wild greys communicate through shrill whistles,
squawks and screams, and often mimic other
birds and mammals. This mimicry is evident
in many pet parrots, as they imitate cats,
chickens, owls and other domestic and wild
animals.
Greys mimicry talent is not restricted
to human speech; greys readily and skillfully
imitate many household sounds, including
microwaves, telephones, coffee grinders
and percolators, computer modems and water
faucets. More than any parrot, they seem
to use words and sounds in context, rather
than just mimic speech.
Moderately noisy, African greys generally
don’t engage in early morning or early
evening screamfests, like some parrot species.
They can be loud though, emitting a shrill,
cutting peep if they feel ignored or annoyed.
While they have a reputation for not being
as cuddly as other birds, that may depend
on how greys are brought up and who is doing
the cuddling. They often cuddle with their
favorite person. They should be socialized
so that they are comfortable with many people
handling them, though.
Because wild greys spend more time on the
ground than many other wild parrots, they
are more vulnerable to predator attach.
This may explain why they seem especially
sensitive to their environment. They frighten
more easily at strange sounds, sights and
even strange foods. They seem more rigid
to their routines than many parrots, which
makes them uncomfortable with change. Don’t
allow a grey to stick to a schedule too
rigidly. Vary things within a broader pattern,
so your bird doesn’t become too inflexible,
which can lead to behavior problems later.
African greys have a tendency to feather
pick or feather chew, sometimes from boredom,
stress or dietary problems. About a third
to a half of their diet should consist of
a variety of vegetables, both cooked and
raw; a third should be formulated pellets
and, for the remainder, some nuts, seed
and a bit of fresh fruit.
Some greys are prone to low blood calcium.
So in addition to feeding veggies with plenty
of vitamins A, K and E, include calcium-rich
foods. Good food choices include sweet potatoes,
squash, broccoli, green peas, carrots, green
beans, almonds, walnuts, apples, cantaloupe,
mango and grapes. You can occasionally treat
your grey to some rice, pasta or a little
lean meat.
The cage should be large enough so that
the bird can spread its wings without touching
the sides. For an African grey, the minimum
requirements are 24 by 24 by 28 inches,
with bar spaces no smaller than ¾
of an inch and no larger than 1 inch. Include
perches of varying sizes and shapes in the
cage. Horizontal bars on part of the cage
are ideal as well so they can climb around
– something greys are apt to do in
the wild regularly.
Grey Stats:
Congos weigh 435 to 500 grams and measure
13 inches from head to tail. The Congos
territory has been limited to Western Kenya,
northwestern Tanzania and in central Africa
to the Gulf of Guinea Islands. It has also
been seen in the south as far as northern
Angola.
Timnehs weigh about 300 to 375 grams.
They are smaller, at 9 inches long. The
Timnehs territory has been limited to Liberia,
Sierra Leone, Southern Guinea and on the
western Ivory Coast.
Maximum life span – 40 to 60 years
Sexual Maturity – 6 to 7 years of
age.
Reprint from Birds USA 2004/5 – Out
of Africa by John Geary and Bird Talk June
2004 – What Do You Say, GREY? By Anastasia
Thrift
.
