Introduction to African Grey Parrots as Pets

African greys are one of the most popular pet parrots. Although greys have much to recommend them as companions, they're most in demand for their famous intelligence and talking ability. But greys aren't for everyone -- with their high intelligence comes their own needs that can be difficult to meet in the average home.

Most people, when first introduced to greys, see just a relatively plain-colored, almost drab mid-size parrot and may wonder what the fuss is about. There are two varieties: the more popular is the larger, lighter-colored Congo African grey, Psittacus erithacus erithacus. Less common is the smaller, darker Timneh African grey, Psittacus erithacus timneh. The certain way of distinguishing the two is by the color of the beaks: Congo greys have solid black beaks, while Timnehs have a pale bone color on the upper mandible of the beak.

Both Congo and Timneh African greys come from the equatorial region of Africa, and live primarily in dense forest. Like many parrot species, their wild population is steadily declining from habitat loss and trapping for the pet trade, and are classified as Near Threatened by CITES. They form large flocks in the wild of up to several hundred birds which travel, feed and socialize together. Wild greys eat a wide variety of vegetable matter, but are especially dependent on palm nuts and palm fruit. They also eat other nuts, seeds, fruits, plant matter, and even grubs and other small invertebrates.

Pet African greys are, at most, a couple of generations from their wild ancestors. Greys are not domesticated and in a very basic sense, they are still wild animals. This is one of the most important aspects of living with and caring for a grey. Dogs and cats have captivity bred into them and fit naturally into our homes -- and yet still cause trouble! Greys are wired for life in the wild, and captivity is unnatural to them. Just as you wouldn't expect a Labrador to fit into the wild as well a wolf, even if raised from birth in the forest, don't expect a grey to fit easily into your home, hand-raised or not. With a dog or cat, we can usually expect them to adjust to our way of life, with a little training. With a wild animal like a grey, it's often us, the pet keepers, who have to make adjustments to our pet's way of life!

Greys have several traits that don't lend well to life in a human family. They are noisy, as all parrots are. They're not as noisy, on average, as other large parrots, but they love to hear themselves and sometimes learn loud and obnoxious noises. One of my rescued greys mimicked a smoke alarm with great accuracy! Some greys work well in apartments, and some do not -- it depends on the bird and the neighbors. Like all parrots, greys can be destructive and messy. In the wild, they spend their days searching out and nibbling everything they can get their beaks on, spilling leftovers everywhere. In the home, this mostly means they like to make toothpicks of wooden furniture, poop wherever they happen to be, and fling their food to far corners of the house. These are natural behaviors and greys must have an outlet for them -- of course, it doesn't have to be your furniture!

A grey's greatest liability, though, may be his own intelligence. In a natural setting, young greys learn the rules of the world from their flock -- what's safe, what's not, and how to deal with it. They're exposed to new stimuli all the time, so they're never bored and are constantly learning. In captivity, it's very hard to duplicate this flock learning experience. Pet greys bore easily, and without having learned how to properly deal with boredom and stress, they often develop phobias, neuroses and feather-plucking behaviors.

When choosing an African grey, it's important to look for a bird who's been socialized to a wide variety of people and experiences. Raised properly, young greys should not be overly shy of strangers -- a little cautious at first, maybe, but not frightened or growling. They should readily accept new toys within a few minutes, and be at least willing to try new foods if a friendly "flock member" shows them it's tasty. Ideally, young greys should be allowed to learn to fly and maneuver before their wings are clipped -- this basic learning process makes a huge difference in their physical and emotional balance over their entire lives.

If you're considering an older bird, and there are all too many available from owners who can't keep their pets and from shelters and rescue organizations, the most important thing is to find a bird you get along with. Older greys are more set in their habits but can still be socialized to new people, places and things -- it just takes a little while longer. If at all possible, spend some time getting to know the bird and giving each other a chance to see if you hit it off.

All greys should be treated with consideration and respect if you want them to do the same for you! Forming a relationship with a grey is not like making friends with a dog, where a treat and a pat on the head will make you a new friend for life. Relationships with greys are much more like human friendships -- in some ways, more difficult, because you speak different languages. It works best if greys are approached as equals. The getting-to-know-each-other period can last weeks or months, and just as with human relationships, I've found that my friendships with my parrots continue to grow and change over years.

And African greys usually have a lot of years ahead of them. Healthy birds who avoid accidents can easily live 40 years, and there are reports of greys living as long as 60 and 70 years. There's a fair chance your pet grey will outlive you.

To keep them healthy enough to live this long, though, requires good care and nutrition. Sadly, the vast majority of pet parrots are fed nutritionally deficient diets, either because their keepers don't know any better or aren't willing to put in the effort. Parrots in the wild eat many types of fresh, whole foods, and while we can't feed them the exact same items, we can offer them a variety of good foods. Greys should eat not just dry seed or pellets, but fresh foods daily, especially darkly-fleshed yellow and orange fruits and veggies -- these tend to be highest in nutrients. Sprouting seed is another great way to add more nutrition and variety to a grey's diet. Probably because greys are so dependent on oily palm nuts and fruit in the wild, they seem to need a bit more fats and oils in their diet than most parrots. These can be provided by giving them a nut or two everyday, and adding a few drops of olive oil to their food now and then. Greys also require more calcium than most parrots, which can be provided by feeding calcium-rich foods and perhaps using a calcium supplement.

For living space, greys should have a cage at minimum of 2 x 2 x 3 feet. This would be suitable only if the grey spends most of his daytime hours out of the cage. A better size is 2 x 3 x 3 feet or larger. Wider cages are better than tall, narrow ones.

Greys love toys. That doesn't stop some poorly socialized greys from being frightened of them. Frightened of them or not, all greys must have toys and should be offered new ones regularly. If introduced to new toys slowly and on a regular basis, even phobic greys will accept them. Each grey has his own preferences, but well-socialized greys will use and enjoy a wide variety of toys, from small toys with beads and string to large macaw toys that can be chewed and climbed on. Many greys like "thinking" and forage toys that require a little thought and dexterity to get to a treat.

If you run out of space in the cage for toys, well, that's just one reason to have a playstand or two around the house. Other good reasons are the greater opportunities for socializing and entertaining a grey. The best playstands are those that have several perches and places to hang toys, but choose whichever you prefer for your space and budget.

Greys have some other basic needs for their health and happiness. They must be bathed. Like toys, this isn't an option, even if the grey doesn't seem to like it. Greys in the wild would have no choice about sitting in the rain from time to time, and bathing is essential to feather and skin health. Some greys prefer to bathe in a shallow dish of water, others enjoy being sprayed with a spray-bottle, and still others like to shower with their keepers. However they prefer it, greys should be bathed a minimum of once a week.

After many years of keeping parrots, I've recognized the importance of getting my birds out in the sunshine and providing them proper lighting indoors. This is all the more important for greys, because they spend much of their time in the wild in full equatorial sun, unlike South American macaws and Amazons who prefer the shaded forest canopy. Most birds love sitting outside in the sunshine. This can be done safely using a secure travel cage, or harness, with supervision. Indoors, specialized avian lighting is available that provides the UV light birds need to process vitamin D. Vitamin D is necessary to absorb calcium, and poor lighting may well be a contributing factor in calcium deficiency, which is so common in greys.

Beyond everything greys need in their homes, they also need their own doctors! Finding an experienced, knowledgeable bird vet can take a little effort, but the good ones are worth seeking out and driving a distance for, if necessary. Your bird should recieve a new bird checkup soon after you bring him home, and most vets recommend yearly well-bird checkups as well.

As important as anything you can do for their physical health, greys need mental and social stimulation. That means as much interaction as your family can give a bird. Greys love to be talked to, whistled to, and generally communicated with. When they're talked to as if they were toddlers, when things are explained to them, they learn. Greys can learn to understand hundreds of words and phrases about what's going on around them, like "Do you want to go to your cage?" "Let's go see mommy!" and even conditional phrases like, "If you come here and step up, I'll give you a nut."

And, of couse, often enough, greys also learn to talk. As a general rule, the more greys are talked to, the more they understand, and the more they repeat what they hear. Not all greys talk, though. Some simply choose not to. Older birds who don't say much may expand their vocabulary if they're talked to more, or they may not. Greys who don't talk are just as capable of understanding what they hear -- talking is not an indication of intelligence, just a willingness to mimic. Greys should never be purchased primarily for their ability to talk. Talking is such a very small aspect to any particular bird's enormous personality, you'll probably find it isn't that important, anyway.

In personality, it's hard to describe greys as anything other than the thinkers of the parrot world. Everything else about any individual grey's temperament tends to be based on that. Some are quite shy, others outgoing, some love to cuddle and be near their owners constantly, others are more reserved, some are trouble-makers and constantly on the go, others are laid-back... I could go on. Each grey is wildly different from the next, but all of them think long and hard and deep about nearly everything they do and everything going on around them. Greys generally do not make lots of impulsive decisions the way, say, Amazons and macaws do. If a grey bites, he will have thought about it first, and he had a particular reason he chose to do so. All this thinking by greys can work for or against the people who live with them. Training and working with South American parrots is mostly dealing with their emotions and teaching them impulse control; in contrast, working with greys is mostly about convincing them of things, or changing their minds. Greys are very intellectual little animals!

African greys are not easy pets, nor simple to care for. They're complex beings and have complicated needs. When they live with people who understand and respect them, they can develop amazingly deep emotional bonds that may last for a lifetime. In the wrong place, though, greys as pets can be a disaster for both people and bird. This article is truly just a brief introduction to my favorite birds, the greys.

More Information Online:
The Grey Play Round Table
It's a Grey's World
African Grey Forum
The Alex Foundation

Must-read Books:
For the Love of Greys, Bobbi Brinker
The African Grey Parrot Handbook, Mattie Sue Athan & Dianalee Deter