African Grey Parrot - The Smartest Parrot in the World

The African Grey, an extremely intelligent parrot, has good memory and mimicry, and a unique color with a silvery gray body and bright red tail.

Did you know that there is a parrot that is very intelligent, has a good memory, is a good imitator and is even compared to a 5-year-old child? Yes, that is the African Grey parrot - the smartest parrot in the world. Not only does it have incredible intelligence, but this parrot also has an extremely luxurious appearance with its characteristic silver-gray feathers combined with a bright red tail. The African parrot is not just a pet, it can also become an interesting and trustworthy companion just for you.

In today's article, let's learn all the information about African grey parrots with nicebirds to see how special they are!

Information about African grey parrots :

Origin of African Grey Parrot

Image of an African grey parrot standing on one leg.

The African Grey parrot is native to Africa, specifically sub-Saharan moist tropical forests, secondary forests and riverine areas.

In the wild, African grey parrots are distributed in the following countries:

• West Africa : Ivory Coast, Ghana, Liberia…
• Central Africa : Cameroon, Gabon. Congo, Central African Republic.
• East Africa : Uganda, Kenya,...

They are also found on Principe and coastal islands of Africa.

Currently, due to illegal trade and indiscriminate exploitation of forests, the number of African grey parrots in the wild is seriously decreasing. They have been classified as endangered - needing to be preserved in the IUCN list. Since 2017, international commercial trade of wild African grey parrots has been banned.

Classification of African Grey Parrots

Currently, African grey parrots are divided into two main types: Congo African Grey Parrot and Timneh African Grey Parrot. Specifically as follows:

Congo African Grey Parrot

Two Congo grey parrots are perched on a tree branch.

Congo grey parrots have the scientific name Psittacus erithacus erithacus, they have the following basic characteristics:

• Distribution : Throughout Central African countries such as Congo, Ghana, Gabon,...
• Size : 30 - 35 cm long, wingspan from 46 - 52 cm.
• Weight : 400 - 500 grams
• Color : The whole body is silver gray, the wing feathers are darker, the tail has a characteristic bright red color.
• Eyes : Adult birds are pale white, older birds are lemon yellow.
• Beak : Black, large and very strong.
• Conservation status : Endangered IUCN, international trade banned in wild birds.

Timneh African Grey Parrot

Timneh Grey Parrot Image.

The Timneh gray parrot has the scientific name Psittacus erithacus timneh, they have the following basic characteristics:

• Distribution : West Africa, mainly Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea
• Size : 28 - 30 cm, smaller than Congo grey parrot
• Weight : 275 - 375 grams
• Color : The fur is more gray, some individuals also have a brown shade, the tail is dark red or purple.
• Beak : Base of beak is ivory white, tip of beak is black.
• Eyes : Adult birds are white.
• Conservation status : Endangered IUCN, international trade banned in wild birds.

Behavior of African grey parrots

African grey parrot perched on the handler's hand.

African grey parrots are very intelligent birds, not only are they very good at imitating human speech, but they also have intelligence and emotions. Let's learn about their characteristics and behaviors to see how special this species of parrot is.

Outstanding intelligence

The African grey parrot is considered the most intelligent parrot in the world for the following reasons:

• Able to memorize and "parrot" hundreds of single words and simple compound words.
• Understand the context and meaning of some words.
• Can have simple conversations with owners if properly trained.
• Distinguish colors, shapes, numbers, especially the famous parrot Alex.
• Can play thinking games, observation games,...

Good communication, quick learner

African Grey parrots can imitate human voices, whistles, bells, engine sounds, and even dog barks. They can also form complete sentences using learned words and use speech to express their emotions.

However, you should note that this parrot learns fastest when it is young - under 1 year old, so you need to consider the golden time to teach and train this bird.

Have personality

Unlike many other pet birds, African Grey parrots always show a very clear personality. It tends to always bond closely with its main owner, if neglected or lack of interaction, it can become stubborn and jealous, even depressed, behavioral disorders.

Shows negative behavior if neglected

When raising an African grey parrot, you need to spend a lot of time playing and interacting with this parrot, otherwise they may exhibit negative behaviors such as:

• Plucking
• Shout, shout, scream loudly
• bite people
• Depression.

Some typical habits

Most African Grey parrots will have some typical habits as follows:

• Likes to chew and gnaw : This is a natural instinct to sharpen their beaks, so you need to provide wood and coconut fiber so they can chew comfortably.
• Curious, exploratory : Most of these parrots love to explore their surroundings.
• Routine activities : This parrot species usually eats, sleeps and acts in a clear routine, rarely missing the time.
• Stubborn : Although they are intelligent and easy to learn, most African grey parrots are very stubborn. So when teaching and training them, you need to be patient and not scold them.

Effective African Grey Parrot Breeding Techniques

An African grey parrot is perched on a horizontal wooden bar.

African Grey parrots are very intelligent so they require a lot of care and interaction. If you want your parrot to be healthy and live for 40 - 60 years, you need to know some basic techniques below.

Ideal cages and pens

The first important thing is that you need to design an ideal cage for your pets so that they can live comfortably and develop better. Specifically as follows:

• Size : Minimum 60 x 90 x 120 cm (length x width x height).
• Barrier : Distance from 1.5 - 2 cm.
• Cage material : Should use stainless steel or coated with non-toxic paint to limit rust.
• Perches : Add multiple perches of different levels so they can jump back and forth, preferably made of natural wood.
• Decoration : Add more intellectual toys, chewable wood, climbing ladder,...
• Cage location : Needs to be placed in a quiet, cool place with natural light but not too harsh.

Scientific nutrition

Next, you need to prepare a scientific diet, providing adequate nutrients for the African grey parrot to develop best. You can feed them the following foods:

• Nutritional seeds: Make up 50 - 70% of the diet, use the type specifically for parrots.
• Fresh vegetables: Carrots, spinach, kale, watercress,...
• Fresh, ripe fruit: Apples, bananas, papaya,...
• Natural nuts: walnuts, almonds, etc. feed sparingly.
• Clean water: Always available and changed daily, do not use chlorinated water.
• Taboos: Do not eat chocolate, butter, onions, garlic, alcohol, spicy foods,...

Interaction and training

To make your African grey parrot smart and active, you need to spend time interacting and training them every day, specifically as follows:

• Need to interact at least 1 hour every day.
• Perform basic training steps such as stepping up, saying single words, and following commands.
• Teach using positive methods, should use fruits, seeds as rewards, do not scold because this parrot is quite sensitive.

Hygiene and health care for African grey parrots

To help your African grey parrot always have a clean, ideal living environment, you need to clean the cage, cage and parrot regularly, specifically as follows:

• Clean the cage daily, remove feces, and wash the cage weekly.
• Clean food and water trays every day
• Parrots should be bathed 2-3 times a week.

In particular, you also need to check their health regularly through the following actions:

• Monitor your parrot's droppings, eyes, beak, feathers and activity status every day.
• When detecting unusual signs such as: parrots plucking their own feathers, crawling, diarrhea, you need to take the parrot to the veterinarian for timely treatment.

Techniques for breeding African grey parrots

If you want African Grey parrots to breed in captivity, you need to meet strict breeding and care conditions. Some information about the reproduction of this parrot species is as follows.

• African grey parrots begin breeding when they reach 3 - 5 years of age.
• It is very difficult to distinguish the gender of this parrot with the naked eye, for the most accurate information you should consult a veterinarian.
• When parrots successfully mate, the male bird will show interest and care for the female bird through affectionate behaviors such as feeding the female bird.
• After mating, the female lays 2 - 5 eggs, 1 egg every 1 - 2 days.
• The female incubates the eggs for about 26 - 30 days.
• The chicks, about 1 month after hatching, will be cared for and fed by their parents for about 8 - 12 weeks continuously, after which they will be weaned and given basic training.
• In particular, male and female birds must be paired voluntarily, not forced.

African Grey Parrot Price

African grey parrots are quite expensive, ranging from a few dozen to a few hundred million VND, depending on appearance, age, origin, speaking ability, communication, etc. You can refer to some of the following prices:

Currently in Vietnam, there are not many shops selling African grey parrots because the price is relatively high and the demand for breeding is limited. However, if you want to buy an African grey parrot, you can refer to some of the following addresses:

• Pet Me shop
• Kingdom of Parrots
• Pet school shop

Note when buying African grey parrots :

• Check the health status to ensure the parrot is healthy, has smooth feathers, bright eyes and is alert.
• Check the origin, only buy parrots with papers and quarantine.
• Do not trust cheap African grey vets sold online because the risk is very high.
• You should consult the seller carefully to know how to care for and train parrots properly.
• You can refer to parrot breeding groups on social networks such as "Vietnam African Grey Parrot Association" on Facebook to both exchange and learn experiences from people who share the same passion.

African Grey Parrot FAQ

Should I get a Congo grey or Timmeh?

If you are new to raising parrots and do not have much experience, you should choose Timnel parrots instead of Congo gray parrots.

Do African Grey Parrots Need Vaccinations?

Currently, parrots are not required to be vaccinated like dogs or cats, however you need to have regular health check-ups for your parrot.

How long does it take for parrots to talk?

On average, between 6 and 1 year old is the stage when you can teach your pet to speak, some can make sounds earlier.

Beautiful African Grey Parrot Pictures

Please enjoy some more beautiful and cool African parrot images shared below to understand the appeal of this smart parrot!

An African grey parrot eating a cucumber.

African grey parrots being trained.

Close-up of the beautiful plumage of an African grey parrot.

Two African grey parrots are courting each other.

Maika the grey parrot - the new rising idol

Above, nicebirds.net has shared with you all the information about African grey parrots , from their origin, habits to effective breeding techniques. African grey parrots are not simply ornamental birds, but they can also become your "companion" through their amazing communication skills and intelligence.

If you want to expand your knowledge about the world of birds, visit our Blog section to learn more about other types of birds!