African Grey Parrot

Looks how to spot one

Feathered; grey body with a bright red tail

A stocky, medium-sized parrot about 33 cm long with a wingspan of roughly 46-52 cm. The plumage is soft grey, with each feather edged in paler grey or white so the bird looks gently scalloped. Head and wings are a shade darker than the body, the flight feathers darker still, and the short square tail and the feathers beneath it are a vivid red. The strong hooked beak is black, and a bare whitish patch of skin surrounds each eye. Young birds have dark eyes that turn pale yellow as they mature, which gives a rough clue to age.12

Personality what they are like

Thoughtful, observant and very bright. Greys are highly social but often prefer company and conversation to lots of cuddling, and many bond most closely with one person. They like predictable routines and a calm household, and tend to settle in best when changes are introduced gradually. They are usually quieter than many South American parrots, but they happily copy household sounds such as phones and microwaves and repeat them often.31

Daily activity how busy a day looks

High mental needs. Greys need daily time out of the cage with their people, plus a steady supply of puzzle and foraging toys that make them work for food and solve problems. Rotating toys and teaching new words or simple tasks keeps them engaged.13

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Plan for a very long commitment, since greys can outlive many owners. Give plenty of hands-on interaction every day, keep a regular routine, and offer chewable and foraging toys to satisfy a strong beak. Birds on a balanced pellet-based diet generally need no extra vitamins, but a source of calcium should be available. Regular check-ups with an avian vet are advised.312

Home where they are happiest

A roomy, sturdy parrot cage with space to climb and stretch the wings, several perches and plenty of toys. Placing the cage against a wall rather than in the middle of a busy room helps the bird feel secure. Combine the cage with daily supervised time outside it.31

Food basics what goes in the bowl

In the wild greys eat mostly fruit, nuts and seeds, with oil palm fruit and figs as favourites, plus flowers, bark and the odd insect or snail. At home a good-quality pelleted food makes a sound base, topped up with fresh vegetables, especially orange and dark green ones such as cooked sweet potato and kale, and some fruit and nuts. Include a calcium source and fresh water daily.123

Company who they like around

Very high. Wild greys live in flocks that gather at large communal roosts and split into smaller groups to feed. A pet grey looks to its family as its flock and needs a lot of daily attention and conversation; a bird left alone for long stretches will not thrive.21

The story where it all began

People have kept grey parrots for thousands of years. Egyptian hieroglyphs from around 2000 BC appear to show them as pets, and the ancient Greeks and Romans kept them in cages and prized them as talking birds. Linnaeus gave the species its scientific name in 1758. Captive breeding has gone on since the 1800s, with breeders in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Scandinavia especially active, and this has produced a range of colour varieties. In modern times the grey became famous in science through Irene Pepperberg's work with a parrot named Alex, which began in 1977 and changed how researchers think about bird intelligence. Heavy trapping for the pet trade and forest loss reduced wild numbers, and in 2016 the species was listed as Endangered and given full protection under CITES, so pet greys today should come from captive-bred stock.152

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List

Listed as Endangered since 2016.1

CITES

Moved to Appendix I, the highest level of trade protection, in October 2016.1

Taxonomy

Described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The Timneh parrot, once treated as a subspecies, was recognised as a separate species (Psittacus timneh) in 2007, so the name grey parrot now covers the Congo form only.1