African Grey Parrot Facts

There are distinct differences between the two African Grey Parrots - the Congo and the Timneh.

The most obvious is the huge difference in size between the two parrots. Timneh's are significantly smaller than Congo parrots.

African Grey parrot facts are:

- African Grey parrots have a bright red inner tail
- Their fluffed up feather defense mechanism is quite unique
- Their intelligence far surpasses all other parrot varieties
- African Greys are the best speakers among all the parrots combined
- They can reproduce whole phrases and sometimes even whole sentences
- Most African Greys live longer than their owners
- They chew a lot!
- African Greys are true friends for life provided you train them well

The most well known fact amongst all the other African Grey parrot facts is that African Greys are much more intelligent and understanding than other parrots...

Though training these birds can be difficult, African Grey Parrots usually form very good bonds with their owners and can be very good at learning tricks and talking.

Most African Greys in the wild tend to spend most of their lives with one partner. Though this may not be applicable in cases where African Greys are flocked together in confined spaces, they generally express strong monogamous tendencies at all times. In the wild they're known to nest in tree holes.

Another interesting fact is that the most important defense mechanism amongst African Greys is the habit of fluffing up their feathers to look scary to predators. They do this when the are stressed and this is their natural reaction to threats of any kind, which in captivity could even be the fact that another animal has entered the room. Now that you know the basic African Grey parrot facts, you might understand them well enough to decide whether you want to buy one or not.

African Grey Parrot - Things To Know

Buying a baby African Grey is an important decision that one cannot afford to take lightly. It's a commitment that can sometimes last a lifetime. Since African Greys are birds with very long life spans, you need to consider the fact that they may be around much longer than you. It's almost like choosing a pet for life.

Since African Grey babies bond intensely with their owner, it's not easy to give them away either. It is possible that you can help them develop cognitive and speech skills that can match 5 year old human children at times. So you can understand how difficult it would be to give them away. African Greys tend to hurt themselves or become overly stressed if they're separated from their owners.

If you're buying a baby African Grey parrot, you'll mostly get one that's at least 4 months old. If your African Greys have hatched at home, you will need to take great care of them.  Like any small bird the are susceptible to drafts and the like so you need to find out how to look after them properly before they hatch. You will need to feed them special formulas, put them in brooders and generally care for them really well if you expect them to survive beyond the first few weeks.

There are many sources of parrot facts and information online where you can read up about taking care of your baby African Grey. Since these birds require a lot of attention, love and care, it's a good idea to read up a lot before actually deciding to buy them. But if you've done your homework and decided that a baby African Grey Parrot is what you want, you can be sure of a fun filled lifetime bird owning experience.

About Baby African Gey Parrots

A baby African Grey parrot can be a source of infinite joy for its owner if it is properly cared for. Unfortunately, if you're a first time bird owner, it's best to stay away from buying a baby African Grey. These birds require a lot of care and attention. If you're not familiar with the behavior of African Grey parrots, you will have a tough time handling the babies.

Usually, African Grey baby parrots are cared for by their parents well beyond the time they start flying. Baby African Greys are usually not sold to new owners before this point of time, which is about 12 weeks. However, if your baby African Grey was born at home to your pet African Grey, you've got some serious information to brush up on before attempting to rear them all by yourself.

Characteristics of a Baby African Grey Parrot

Baby African Greys are not grey when they're born. They're pink when they hatch. They develop their trademark grey color, black beaks and red tails only when they start growing feathers. Usually when you buy a baby African Grey from a pet shop, it's safe to assume that it's at least 12 weeks old. That's about the perfect time to wean baby African Greys from their mothers.

Some special needs of baby African Greys are:

- Day old chicks are really tiny, weigh less than 18 grams and require extreme care in handling
- Tiny African Grey Babies need special formula, care and a warm place to inhabit
- They're very cute when they're born. However, they tend to look weird for the first three weeks
- They need to be trained from an early age. At least from when they are 12 weeks old

If you have looked around and felt that an African Grey is the parrot for you then make sure that you get it from a reputable breeder.  Here is some more information about how to choose a good African Grey parrot breeder to buy from.

More About The African Grey Congo Parrot

The Congo African Grey Parrot is one of two kinds of African Grey parrots that currently exist. The other African Grey parrot variety is called "Timneh African Grey" parrot. Both varieties of African Grey parrots carry remarkably similar physical and behavioral characteristics. However, the African Congo Grey parrot is much larger than the Timneh. The color of the African Grey Congo parrot is also lighter than the Timneh variety which is slightly darker by nature.

The Congo African Grey parrot originates from regions of central and central western Africa. Native African Congo Grey parrot populations are concentrated around the South East of Ivory Coast till Western Kenya. They're also found in Northwest Tanzania, the Southern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Northern parts of Angola. The African Grey Congo parrot is currently also found across many parts of the world due to extensive breeding and their wide popularity as pets.

The Congo African Grey parrot is a high maintenance bird. If you're not the kind who would pet your bird, cuddle it and say a lot of nice things to it, an African Congo Grey parrot probably isn't for you. However, if you love doing these things, Congos can be a source of great joy.

This parrot is a very sweet bird. It can learn to adjust to its environments and its owner's likes and dislikes. It is however very important to buy your parrot when it is young as the older ones can be hard to train.  Young parrots do need extra care in the beginning but it will be worth it to have a bird behaving the way that you would like and to create a friendship from the beginning.

So if you've decided that you're going to buy a Congo African Grey parrot after all, you've made a wonderful choice. These parrots are one of those rare birds that live a very long life. It is common for many Congos to outlive their owners because of their long life spans. Overall, the African Grey Congo parrot is one of the world's most loved pet birds because of its learning abilities and amazing intelligence.

Congo African Grey Parrot Characteristics

The African Congo Grey parrot is known to be very mischievous and playful in nature. It's also one of the most intelligent species of birds known to mankind. It is said that when you buy an African Grey Congo parrot, you buy a friend for life.

That statement is largely true. Congo African Greys have: 

 - A playful and mischievous nature
- Very high levels of intelligence
- An ability to learn and perform relatively complex tasks
- Amazing speech skills
- An ability to understand and respond to human speech
- Very long lives
- Stress up very easily
- Grey feathers, black beaks and red inner tails

While Congo African Greys are easily stressed, they're also emotionally dependent on their owners. This simply means that Congos need your attention a lot more than other species of birds. This is a significant factor for most people in deciding whether to buy a Congo African Grey or not. They're simply 'high maintenance' creatures in terms of time and effort.

African Grey parrots can become very affectionate with the right owners and will follow them around the house.  Because of this parrot owners do need to have toys in the cage to keep the parrot occupied when they are away.  Talking parrot toys are excellent because the help stop the parrot being lonely.

African Grey Parrot - The Timneh

The differences between Timneh and Congo African Grey Parrots.



First off, the Timneh African Grey Parrot is much smaller than the Congo. This automatically means you get a smaller, cuter, easier to maintain bird than the Congo. Though the Congo has its own specialties, the Timneh mostly learns tricks and speech parts faster than Congos do. This is partly due to their more docile nature and sharper observation skills. Simply put, the Congos are the wilder cousins of the Timneh.

Timnehs don't particularly expect to be cuddled but they expect some sort of cuddling from their owner on a regular basis to feel good about themselves. This can be simply a head scratch, but it needs to be done once in a while to let your Timneh know it's safe and loved. Since they're highly intuitive beings, Timnehs learn to predict their owners behaviors and sometimes even play pranks on you when you least expect it.

Some of the unique features and behaviors of a Timneh African Grey Parrot are:

- They're smaller than Congo Grey Parrots.

- They are more intuitive in nature and are able to follow complex forms of communication

- They need a lot of toys because they keep playing. It's a way they learn.

- It's after all an African grey. Timnehs too chew a lot.

- Timnehs can become stressed more easily and need extra care.

The first sign that your Timneh African Grey Parrot is stressed or scared is that he flares and fluffs up his neck feathers very often. In case this happens, the bird is either unfamiliar with its surroundings or expects some form of comforting from its owner. Learning to understand the signs from your parrot will help you care for your parrot in the best possible way.

The Fun Of Owning a Timneh African Grey Parrot

The Timneh African Grey Parrot is quite a high maintenance bird. They aren't really expensive to maintain, but need a lot of investment in the form of your time and care. If you're someone who just likes to stash his birds in a cage and show them off to curious visitors, please spare yourselves the horror of destroying a Timneh's life.

Timneh Greys need to be free and able to roam about a small area with a lot of toys. They like to play and are very curious creatures. Since they chew a lot, it's also advisable to leave a lot of chewable items around their play area. Looking after your favorite parrot will give you years of enjoyment.

A Timneh Grey parrot has a darker red tail than its Congo counterparts. It also has darker feathers than the Congo grey. Timnehs are also supposed to be way naughtier than Congos and are more agile when they're in a playful mood. So don't buy a Timneh if you don't like to run around chasing it at times.

Often known as the talkers of the Parrot world, Timneh African Grey Parrots are very well known as avid speakers. They pick up on various kinds of common phrases, words and sentences heard in your household and throw them at unsuspecting visitors and friends alike. So, it always pays to be extra careful while talking to your Timneh African Grey Parrot.