African Grey Parrot

African Grey parrots are a well known for their remarkable talking ability. African Greys not only learn to immitate sounds, but they can learn entire phrases and speak in different voices. However, there is no guarantee that every African Grey will necessarily talk. With that in mind, let's take a look at the African Grey species of parrots.



There are two species of African Grey parrot:
Psittacus erithacus - Congo African Grey
Psittacus timneh - Timneh African Grey


While these two species were previously classified as two subspecies of a single species, they are now separated into two. The Congo African Grey species is the more "typical" when you think of African Grey with the majestic gray feathers and bright red tail. The Congo African Grey is the larger of the Greys and is pretty hefty for a mid-sized parrot. The Timneh African Grey is the smaller species and has darker gray feathers and a maroon colored tail. Timnehs are less common, but a good substitute for a Congo when seeking a smaller sized parrot with largely the same personality as a Congo African Grey.

The number one reason not to get an African Grey parrot is that they are powder birds. Unlike most parrots, African Greys use a powder rather than an oil to condition their feathers. This is a very fine powder that will cause dust to proliferate your entire home. Besides the additional cleaning required, this can be troubling for people with asthma or allergies. Do not consider an African Grey parrot as a pet if you or anyone in your family has respiratory conditions. Additional reasons to avoid African Greys is that they are now very expensive birds to purchase as well as to maintain. Do not get an African Grey just because you expect it to talk. These birds can be difficult to care for and you have to love their entire personality if you want to be able to fully enjoy and appreciate them.

Do African Grey parrots bite? They sure do. African Greys are pretty timid/shy compared to other parrots. This makes them more likely to be fearful of new things and changes. This can lead to biting or self mutilation. African Greys have a strong beak and can bite quite hard. The important thing is not to get mad at the African Grey for biting and try to punish for this. They do not bite out of being mean, they bite out of fear. Thus, any attempt to punish an African Grey parrot for biting only makes it more fearful and more bitey. The better solution to solving biting issues with African Grey parrots is explained here.

African Grey parrots are considered to be very intelligent birds with the intelligence compared to a 2-5 year old child. For this reason, it is imperative to challenge your African Greys intelect with toys, games, and puzzles. Parrot Wizard offers an array of parrot tricks that will not only help engage your African Grey's mind but also help build a better bond between your African Grey and you.

It is imperative to fill your African Grey cage with perches and toys. 8-12 perches are requred to help exercise an African Grey's feet and give it places to go around the cage. To avoid feather plucking and self mutilation behavior, 10-15 hanging toys for African Greys are recommended to be put in the cage at any given time. Rotate the toys by replacing a few toys a week so that in the span of 6 months, every toy has been replaced. Sometimes old toys can be cycled back in. African Grey parrots are very prone to becoming fearful of new toys. This is why it is important to engage them with new toys periodically from early on so that they do not become too set in their ways and can accept changes. Parrot Wizard has a great lineup of perches and toys to enhance your African Grey's cage and encourage better behavior.



Daily interaction outside the cage is very important for intelligent African Grey parrots. Providing a variety of different stands around your home will help you have your African Grey parrot around the house with you but without making a mess or tearing up the furniture. Parrot Wizard has tree stands, tabletop stands, and training perches to provide a comfortable, familiar place for your African Grey to sit around the house. Because these stands come as part of the NU Perches series that your African Grey can familiarize itself inside the cage, your African Grey will know it's a suitable place to go right away and be less fearful.

Read countless articles about parrot training and care from the Trained Parrot Blog and browse the complete collection of free Parrot Wizard Videos.

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African Grey parrots are super smart but also challenging! Learn from the Parrot Wizard how to train a Grey.

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