African Grey as a Companion Parrot

The African grey makes a great pet companion because of its attractiveness and intelligence the grey is considered to be one of the most excellent parrots to own. They seem to be the favorite amongst bird enthusiasts and are the most identifiable species even to a greenhorn parrot lover everybody knows of about them.

There are essentially two kind of subspecies that are commonly accepted and they are the Congo and the Timneh African Grey Parrot.

Either of these birds would be a good choice, however some feel that only knowledgeable bird enthusiast should keep a grey. They are highly sensitive and can be more demanding, they are bright and fascinating. So you can see where the African grey can be a very difficult parrot to own.

All of these characteristics put together can lead to behavioral problems such as plucking or chewing on their feathers. Sometimes any alteration in their daily routine can make them miserable. Congo African Grey prefers a little less disarray where as the Timneh has a more robust approach and may be better for home with a lot of people coming and going.

Grey’s are so appealing conpanions because of their quick learning and talking ability. They are considered to be one of the best talkers in the parrot family. They for the most part achieve full talking ability when they are a year old and have an exceptional vocabulary. Some Greys are able to repeat words and phrases after hearing them just once or twice. African greys are capable to mimic sounds at a much earlier age.

Dr. Pepperberg was researching and working with a brilliant grey named Alex at the Brandeis University. Alex could recognize and identify objects, colors, and shapes. He understood the concept of categories, if something was the same or different, and could even count objects. Sorry to say that Alex known as one of the most famous African Gray parrots in history died September 6, 2007 dying of unknown causes. He was 31 years old, but what a special bird. Using the teaching methods that involved repetition and rewards the way he was taught will assist your grey to follow in his footsteps.

Tribute to Alex

Don’t think for a moment that the African grey can’t be noisy; they can scream and squawk with the best of them but they don’t that as often as some of the other parrot species. They will probably learn ever sound they hear in your house, from the phone ring, the microwave buzzer to words they hear all the time so be careful with what you say around these birds. Leaving music play when they are by themselves they will even start to mimic that.

A parrot’s diet should be a variety of food and should be introduce gradually. Their diet should consist of vegetables, all kind of fruits, nuts (unsalted), high-quality seed mixture, and high quality pellets and some “people food” as well and of course fresh water every day.

They also require large cages and plenty of safe and destructible (non-toxic) toys, also non-destructible (non-toxic plastic) toys, food-finder toys, different surface and size hanging perch toys made out of fir, pine, elder or willow branches. When not provided with these things African Greys can quickly develop unpleasant behaviors and can eventually develop health problem. Introduce with care when giving them a new toy as Greys are sensitive to new things. It is really important to make changes by safely and slowly introducing it to new exciting activities and objects.

Greys are very social he craves far more love and attention that the typical parrot and requires a lot of hands-on time. They do not like extreme physical contact but for the most of them they do like their head to be scratched and maybe some petting they usually will build a special bond with one person in the house and will tolerate the others.

Owning an African Grey as a companion involves a special dedication by their owners. Greys have a long lifespan so these parrots require an owner who can make a long term commitment to them, for they can live as long as 60 years.

What a great book about a beautiful bird. 
Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Uncovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence–and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process

How to Care for Your Bird, Not Just Any Bird

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