What is the best age to buy an African Grey parrot?
Most experts recommend buying your African Grey under the age of 6 months, when the young are still eating baby formula, so you can grow a stronger bond with your pet. However, this is a big commitment because it means you need to raise the parrot, which is time consuming as the bird won’t mature until he’s between 4 and 6 years old.
How much are talking African Grey Parrots?
They cost in the region of $2000 to $4000, though it’s important not to just look at the price of the parrot. Make sure you meet the breeder and ask questions, don’t buy from someone who doesn’t know much about African Greys as they might not be the owner, and see how the parrot looked after so you know you buy from a reputable breeder.
How can I make my African grey parrot happy?
There are a number of ways to make your African Grey happy. The most important of these is to ensure your parrot gets 12 hours (or abouts) of uninterrupted sleep every night. This will prevent your bird from becoming irritable and reduce stress levels. Your parrot’s cage should be placed somewhere quiet during the evening and by covering it your African Grey will soon adopt good sleep behavior. Feeding your parrot the best quality food available, will also ensure your parrot stays happy. Lastly, maintain a regular cleaning routine.
How do I know if my African Grey is happy?
When your African Grey Parrot is happy and healthy it will:
- Stand upright on its perch
- Have relaxed feathers
- Be purring
- Be beak grinding
- Regularly preening
- Be head bowing
Can African Grey Parrots talk?
African Greys can remember, mimic and understand hundreds of words which make it a popular talking bird to keep as a pet. They can sometimes have small conversations, though it’s not sure how much they understand of what they are saying.
Do African GREY parrots sleep upside down?
No, they don’t sleep upside down, instead they tend to sit on one leg when they sleep, however they do like hanging out upside down especially when they are relaxing or playing. The parrots which sleep upside down are native to Asia and only sleep upside down on evergreens!
Do African Greys love their owners?
Many African greys grow to be extremely close to their owners and show a lot of affection towards them as they are quite sociable animals and highly intelligent. This happens especially when the owners are caring and give a lot of attention to their parrot.
How long do African Greys live as pets?
In captivity African Greys live a lot longer than in the wild; on average between 55 and 60 years, with one registered in the Guinness Book of Records being 72 years old. In the wild, they have a lifespan of between 20 and 35 years.
Do African Grey parrots like to be petted?
While they are quite social and can become very attached to their owners, they are not actually very affectionate and don’t like to be petted much. However, if a good bond is established, it’s likely they’re happy with an occasional head scratch, though often not much more than that.
How many hours should an African Grey parrot sleep?
They are actually very fussy sleepers and get really grumpy if they don’t get their 12 hours of sleep in, therefore it’s important to give your African Grey Parrot a quiet and dark place to sleep where they’re not disturbed.
What is the bite force of an African Grey Parrot?
Large parrots can have a biteforce of between 300 and 400 PSI which is enough to cut your skin and break your finger bones, which is why you want to be careful around large parrots and build a bond with them to avoid accidents.
Are African Grey Parrots good pets for beginners?
Large parrots are overall not the best pets for beginners because they are demanding and are a big commitment as they live for a very long time, however, if you can make that commitment and have the time to invest in your parrot to learn about keeping them and to build a strong bond, then there’s no reason why you can’t have an African Grey as your first parrot.
How many African Grey parrots are left in the wild?
It’s not clear how many African Grey’s are living in the wild today and the range of estimates is very wide, but according to experts, the estimate is somewhere between 630.000 and 13 million birds which can be found in the rainforests for Central Africa.
Are African Greys intelligent?
They are the most intelligent of all the parrots, which is why it’s easy to teach them hundreds of words, which they will be able to speak often in the correct context. While it’s not always clear that they completely understand everything they say, they do understand their owners emotional state and often speak in context.
What is the smartest parrot in the world?
The smartest parrot is the African Grey which can learn hundreds of words and phrases and can learn to talk these in context as well. While they are a demanding pet and are time consuming to raise from young, they are fantastic pets if you have, be it for a very long time.
What is the wingspan of an African Grey Parrot?
The wingspan of an African Grey is between 18 and 20 inches (45 to 50 cm) which makes it one of the larger parrots. They are between 12 and 16 inches (30 to 40 cm) high, and their weight is between 08 and 1.4 pounds.
Where do African Grey Parrots come from?
African Greys live in the rainforest in Central Africa which stretches from the Ivory Coast to Kenya, including Ghana, Uganda and Congo. While they like dense forests, they also live in the savannah, on edges of forest clearing and in coastal mangroves.
Do African Grey Parrots like to be held?
No, they don’t like to be held or petted in general. While there might be some exceptions and where they are generally very social, they are just not the petting type. You might get away with a little head scratching sometimes, but only if you have built a bond with the parrot.
Can you buy an African Grey Parrot?
Yes, you can buy them from breeders which you can find on the internet, however as with everything, caution is needed. Make sure you can see the bird in their home surroundings so you can see for yourself if the bird is looked after and how it’s behaving in their home environment. African Greys live for a long time so it’s important to buy the right one.
Are African Greys endangered?
They are listed as endangered species and its unclear how many African Greys are left in the wild. The estimate from experts ranges from 63000 birds to 13 million birds, which is a very broad estimate so it’s hard to tell how endangered they are.