What You Should Know About African Grey Parrots
African Grey Parrot
African Grey parrots must be one of the greatest species of parrots. They are scientifically known as the Psittacus Erithacus and they came from Central Africa. The Congo and the Timneh are the two main types of African Grey parrots. Between the two, the Congo is the larger specie. The Congo is also known for its bright tail feathers that usually come in red. On the contrary, the Timneh has dark-colored feathers for its tail. When exactly the first African Grey parrot came to be, no one really knows for sure. But story has it that Henry VIII owns one for a pet.
An African Grey parrot can grow up to fourteen inches in height. While the Timneh are usually twelve inches or shorter, they have better intelligence level than the Congo. And intelligence is a good enough compensation for their not as bright feathers.
African Greys are social birds. Out in the wild, they flock with bird of the same specie both for safety and for reasons of existence. These parrots need other birds to maintain the emotional wellness. And because these birds stay together as a group, they had grown to learn how to read the minds and the emotion of other birds in their group. This is also true with humans. If they were around humans much, they would feel what they are feeling and react to it accordingly.
And so if you want to take an African Grey parrot as a pet, you have to devote time and attention to it. Regular interaction with this bird is essential. Without companionship, they get bored and unhappy. Prolonged loneliness could lead to feather picking and an aggressive behavior.
If you really want to take care of one, make sure that you keep it company. African Grey parrots are not so good at keeping to themselves. They always long for a satisfactory relationship with another being. This only means that a certain level of commitment is required from you if ever you want this parrot for a pet. Otherwise, it is best that you get yourself another specie.
As stated earlier, an African Grey parrot is very intelligent. It can perform mental tasks in the same way a four-year-old can. It can differentiate colors, numbers, and shapes with awesome accuracy.
But the sole ability that makes parrots different from other birds is their talent for talking. These birds can possibly learn several words at a time. But more interestingly, they can use the words you teach them correctly. And you will be at a wonder with their performances.
African Grey parrots can learn words fast and easy. Just train them right and you will be amazed at what they can say. The whole process of training them can even be fun and interesting. The trick is to say the word you would like to teach the bird in several ways. You can sing the words, use a high tone, a low tone, a baby voice, or any other sound you would like to imitate. Just make sure that you say it while looking at the parrot directly. This way, the bird would understand that you wanted it to mimic you.
But don't abuse this skill of your parrot. Don't teach your pet dirty and foul words then make ridicule out of your pet. To keep your parrot preoccupied while you're not around, give it several toys to play with. This way, it won't miss your company that much.
African Grey parrots are great pets. But they do require a big chunk of your time. Don't buy them if you don't think you can give that much.
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African Grey Parrot