The
African Grey Parrot (
Psittacus erithacus), also known as the
Grey Parrot, is a medium-sized
parrotParrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
found in the primary and secondary
rainforestRainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
of West and Central
AfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. Experts regard it as one of the most intelligent
birdBirds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s. They feed primarily on palm nuts, seeds, fruits, leafy matter, but have been observed eating snails. Their overall gentle nature and their inclination and ability to mimic speech have made them popular pets. This has led many to be captured from the wild and sold into the pet trade. The African Grey Parrot is listed on CITES appendix II, which restricts trade of wild caught species, because wild populations can not sustain trapping for the pet trade. As a pet, they must be kept entertained and busy with a person or toy or they may become stressed and begin self-destructive behavior.
The
African Grey Parrot (
Psittacus erithacus), also known as the
Grey Parrot, is a medium-sized
parrotParrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
found in the primary and secondary
rainforestRainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
of West and Central
AfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. Experts regard it as one of the most intelligent
birdBirds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s. They feed primarily on palm nuts, seeds, fruits, leafy matter, but have been observed eating snails. Their overall gentle nature and their inclination and ability to mimic speech have made them popular pets. This has led many to be captured from the wild and sold into the pet trade. The African Grey Parrot is listed on CITES appendix II, which restricts trade of wild caught species, because wild populations can not sustain trapping for the pet trade. As a pet, they must be kept entertained and busy with a person or toy or they may become stressed and begin self-destructive behavior.
Taxonomy and systematics
There are two
subspeciesSubspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
universally accepted:
- Congo African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus erithacus):
This is the nominate subspecies, larger than the Timneh at about 33 cm (13 in) long, with light grey feathers, cherry red tails, and an all black beak. Immature birds of this subspecies have tails with a darker, duller red towards the tip (Juniper and Parr 1999) until their first moult which occurs within 18 months of age. These birds also initially have grey irisThe iris is a thin, circular structure in the eye, responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupils and thus the amount of light reaching the retina. "Eye color" is the color of the iris, which can be green, blue, or brown. In some cases it can be hazel , grey, violet, or even pink...
es which change to a pale yellow colour by the time the bird is a year old. The Congo grey parrot is found on the islands of PríncipePríncipe is the northern and smaller of the two major islands of the country of São Tomé and Príncipe lying off the west coast of Africa. It has an area of 136 km² and a population of approximately 5,000. The island is a heavily eroded volcano over three million years old, surrounded by other...
and BiokoBioko is an island 32 km off the west coast of Africa, specifically Cameroon, in the Gulf of Guinea. It is the northernmost part of Equatorial Guinea with a population of 124,000 and an area of . It is volcanic with its highest peak the Pico Basile at .-Geography:Bioko has a total area of...
and is distributed from south-eastern Ivory Coast to Western KenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Northwest TanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, Southern Democratic Republic of the CongoThe Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
(DRC) and Northern AngolaAngola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
. In aviculture, it is often called a "CAG".
- Timneh African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus timneh):
These are smaller in size, have a darker charcoal grey colouring, a darker maroon tail, and a light, horn-coloured area to part of the upper mandible. The timneh grey parrot is endemic to the western parts of the moist Upper Guinea forests and bordering savannas of West Africa from Guinea-BissauThe Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west....
, Sierra LeoneSierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
and Southern MaliMali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
east to at least 70 km (43 mi) east of the Bandama RiverThe Bandama River is the longest river in Côte d'Ivoire with a length of some 800 kilometers. The south-flowing river is fed by the Marahoué, Solomougou, Kan and Nzi rivers and empties into the Tagba Lagoon and the Gulf of Guinea....
in Ivory Coast. It is often called a "TAG". As pets Timnehs begin learning to speak earlier than Congos, and are often said to be less nervous around strangers and novel situations.
Some aviculturalists recognize a third and even a fourth subspecies, but these are not distinguishable in scientific studies.
Longevity
Like many large parrots, the African Grey is a
long-livedThe word "longevity" is sometimes used as a synonym for "life expectancy" in demography or known as "long life", especially when it concerns someone or something lasting longer than expected ....
bird. The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database states the maximum reliably recorded longevity for the species as being that of a bird still alive in captivity at the age of 49.7 years. Also acknowledged are claims of captive African Grey Parrots reaching the ages of 73 and 93, whereas the
World Parrot Trust-History:When the Trust was founded in 1989 at Paradise Park in Cornwall, UK, it was decided that the main objective was to promote the survival of all parrot species and the welfare of individual birds...
lists a longevity of 50-60 years for an African Grey in captivity.
Status and conservation
Rarer than previously believed, it is uplisted from a species of Least Concern to Near Threatened in the 2007
IUCN Red ListThe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
. A recent analysis suggests that up to 21% of the global population may be taken from the wild annually, primarily for the pet trade.
The species is endemic to primary and secondary
rainforestRainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
of West and Central Africa. Grey parrots depend on large old trees for the natural hollows they use for nesting. Studies in Guinea and Guinea-Bissau have found that the preferred species of nesting trees are also preferred timber species. There is a positive relationship between the status of the species and the status of primary forest: where the forests are declining, so too are populations of Grey parrots.
The African Grey Parrot is listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This requires both that exports be accompanied by a permit issued by a national authority and that a finding has been made that the export is non-detrimental to the species in the wild. With exports totaling more than 350,000 specimens from 1994–2003, the grey parrot is one of the most heavily-traded CITES-listed bird species. In response to continuing population declines, exceeded quotas and unsustainable and illegal trade, including among range states, CITES included the grey parrot in Phase VI of the CITES Review of Significant Trade in 2004. This review has resulted in recommended zero export quotas for several range states and a CITES Decision to develop regional management plans for the species.
In the United States, importation of wild-caught Grey parrots is prohibited under the U.S. Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992. In the European Union, an EU Directive of 2007 prevents importation of this and any other "wild-caught" bird for the pet trade.
Mimicry and intelligence
Unlike other parrots, wild African Greys have been documented imitating the calls of several other species.
Dr.
Irene PepperbergIrene Maxine Pepperberg is a scientist noted for her studies in animal cognition, particularly in relation to parrots. She is an adjunct professor of psychology at Brandeis University and a lecturer at Harvard University...
's research with captive African greys, most notably with a bird named
AlexAlex was an African Grey Parrot and the subject of a thirty-year experiment by animal psychologist Irene Pepperberg, initially at the University of Arizona and later at Harvard University and Brandeis University. Pepperberg bought Alex in a regular pet shop when he was about one year old...
, has scientifically demonstrated that they possess the ability to associate simple human words with meanings, and to intelligently apply the abstract concepts of shape, colour, number, zero-sense, etc. According to Pepperberg and other ornithologists , they perform many cognitive tasks at the level of dolphins, chimpanzees, and even a human
toddlerA toddler is a young child, usually defined as being between the ages of one and three. Registered nurse, midwife and author, Robin Barker, states 'Any time from eight months onwards your baby will begin to realise he is a separate person from you...
Many pet Congo African Greys learn to speak slowly until their second or third year. Timnehs are generally observed to start speaking earlier. Both subspecies seem to have same ability and tendency to produce human speech, but vocal ability and proclivity may range widely among individual birds.
One notable African Grey is
N'kisiN'kisi is an African Grey Parrot who is thought to exhibit advanced English usage skills and other abilities.-Accomplishments:According to news reports and websites, as of January 2004 N'kisi had a vocabulary of about 950 words and used them in context, frequently in complete sentences, had...
, who in 2004 already was said to have a vocabulary of over 950 words and was noted for creative use of language, as had been Alex. For example, when
Jane GoodallDame Jane Morris Goodall, DBE , is a British primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace. Considered to be the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best known for her 45-year study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National...
visited N'kisi in his New York home, he greeted her with "Got a chimp?" as he'd seen pictures of her with chimpanzees in Africa.
A study led by Dr. Dalila Bovet of Paris West University Nanterre La Défense, published in 2011 demonstrated that African Grey Parrots were able to coordinate and collaborate with each other to an extent, to solve problems set by scientists, for example two birds pulling strings at the same time in order to obtain food - or one bird standing on a perch in order to release a food-laden tray, whilst the other then pulled the tray out from the test apparatus (both would then feed). The birds in question were observed waiting for their partners to perform the necessary actions so that their behaviour could be synchronized. It was also noted that the parrots appeared to express individual preferences as to which of the other test birds they chose to work with.
Noises
Wild African Grey Parrots frequently whistle, shriek, squeak, click, etc. The African Grey owner should expect to hear regular renditions of the microwave, telephone, alarm clocks, dripping water, wild birds, video games, and any other electronic sound that is often heard by the parrot, thus, they have also been noted for profanity even after changing owners. African birds also have the capability of mimicking and distinguishing between different voices presented to the bird.
Aviculture
Their sociability and intelligence can make African Grey Parrots excellent pets with a strongly devoted following among parrot owners. These same qualities mean that African Greys require special commitment by their owners including frequent one-on-one interaction and supervised time out of their cage. They also require large cages, a varied diet that includes fresh foods, and plenty of safe and destructible toys. When not provided with these things African Greys quickly develop unpleasant behaviors and can eventually develop health problems that are difficult to remedy (such as feather-plucking). Even the healthiest, happiest pet African Grey will generate a fair amount of mess and noise. Like most parrots, they are non-domesticated, and even a well-socialized, hand-raised and aviary bred bird is only one or two generations from a wild predecessor. Despite this, there is a long recorded history of African Greys kept by the
ancient GreekAncient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
s, wealthy
RomanAncient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
families,
King Henry VIIIHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, Portuguese sailors, and others.
Captive breeding
Mutations
Several mutations occur naturally in the wild, like the F2 Pied Mutation, which results in a broad red band across the abdomen. 1998 saw the first created Grey mutation when
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n bird breeder Von van Antwerpen and
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
partner Jaco Bosman selected F2 Pieds and created the first red African Grey.
Other mutations include:
- Albino (no pigment)
- Lutino (yellow pigment)
- Incomplete Ino (mostly white, but with small percentage of melanin)
- Grizzles (soft pinkish scalloping found in its feathers)
- Blues (white pigment in the tail)
- Parino (very light scalloping found in its feathers)
Foods toxic to parrots
- Chocolate
- Avocado
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Apple seeds (as they contain cyanide
A cyanide is a chemical compound that contains the cyano group, -C≡N, which consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. Cyanides most commonly refer to salts of the anion CN−. Most cyanides are highly toxic....
)
- Peach pit (contains cyanide)
- Cherry pit (contains cyanide)
- store-bought vegetables, possible chemicals from produce spritzers, farm pesticides/fertilizers, artificial dyes on many store-bought vegetables not listed in ingredients section
In literature
- The character 'Gerard' in Michael Crichton's novel, Next
Next is a 2006 techno-thriller novel by Michael Crichton, the last to be published during his lifetime. Next takes place in the present world, where both the government and private investors spend billions of dollars every year on genetic research...
, is a transgenic African Grey with the capability of doing math.
- The character 'Madison' in Dick King-Smith
Ronald Gordon King-Smith OBE, Hon.M.Ed. , better known by his pen name Dick King-Smith, was a prolific English children's author, best known for writing The Sheep-Pig, retitled in the United States as Babe the Gallant Pig, on which the movie Babe was based...
's novel Harry's Mad is an African Grey Parrot.
- The character 'Methuselah' in Barbara Kingsolver's novel The Poisonwood Bible
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver isa bestselling novel about a missionary family, the Prices, who in 1959 move from Georgia to the village of Kilanga in the Belgian Congo, close to the Kwilu River...
is an African Grey Parrot.
- Friendly Feathers: Life with Pierre, an African Grey Parrot by Dr. Fran Smith, illustrated by Deon Matzen, ISBN 978-0-615-22232-5
- The bird owned by the character 'Linus Steinman' in The Final Solution (novel) by Michael Chabon
Michael Chabon born May 24, 1963) is an American author and "one of the most celebrated writers of his generation", according to The Virginia Quarterly Review....
is an African Grey.
- In the book, We'll Always Have Parrots by Donna Andrews, an African grey parrot helps protagonist Meg Lanslow nab the bad guy.
- In the book, Sick as a Parrot by Liz Evans, the parrot in the title is an African grey parrot.
- Cat Marsala, the main protagonist in "Hard Christmas" by Barbara D'Amato, has a pet African grey parrot named Long John Silver.
- In the book Somebody Else's Summer, Bilbo was an African Grey Parrot who belonged to George Carr.
- The character 'Polynesia' in Hugh Lofting's Doctor Dolittle
Doctor John Dolittle is the central character of a series of children's books by Hugh Lofting starting with the 1920 The Story of Doctor Dolittle. He is a doctor who shuns human patients in favour of animals, with whom he can speak in their own languages...
children's novels is an African Grey Parrot. In the film version the character was played by a Blue and Gold Macaw.
- In Thomas Bernhard
Thomas Bernhard was an Austrian novelist, playwright and poet. Bernhard, whose body of work has been called "the most significant literary achievement since World War II," is widely considered to be one of the most important German-speaking authors of the postwar era.- Life :Thomas Bernhard was...
's play Immanuel KantImmanuel Kant was a German philosopher from Königsberg , researching, lecturing and writing on philosophy and anthropology at the end of the 18th Century Enlightenment....
, the philosopher praises his Psittacus Eritacus without end, saying that only he understands his logic.
- Mercedes Lackey
Mercedes "Misty" Lackey is a best-selling American author of fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar...
's short stories Grey and Grey's Ghost feature an African Grey parrot who has a remarkable bond with her owner.
External links