African Grey parrots are one of the most famous, beautiful, and easily cared for species of parrot. They come from central Africa and are best known for their high intelligence and ability to speak. Out of all the species of parrot, African Greys are the ones that can develop the largest working vocabulary and can almost have conversations with their owners.

The two types of African Grey parrot are the Congo and the Timneh.

The Congo is light grey with a red tail and the Timneh is a charcoal grey and has a maroon tail. As with all birds, the male is larger than the female, being about 12-14 inches in length. Female African Greys can also have a slimmer head and neck than the male.

The lifespan of an African Grey parrot is up to 60 years,

So owners must be willing to make a long-term commitment to bird ownership.

Due to their high intelligence, the owner of an African Grey must always be on their feet and finding ways to give their parrot an interactive and stimulating environment. If they are bored, African Greys have been known to turn to self-destructive habits like feather picking. Keep a daily routine when it comes to feeding and playtime and rotate out the toys that are in the cage on a regular basis.

An undisciplined African Grey can pick up bad habits like biting or chewing wires.

Socialize with your bird often and teach him good habits. Their social nature makes African Grey parrots wonderful pets. While in the wild they will flock together, in captivity they adopt their humans as their flock and will even snuggle up to their owner. They love to be petted and have their head scratched and will try to “kiss” their human on the mouth. If they really like you, they will regurgitate food for you. This may seem disgusting, but it is a sign that your bird holds you in high regard.

If your African Grey parrot becomes lonely, he will emit shrill whistles, screech, pluck out his own feathers, and start to bite.

They need companionship frequently in order to be well-behaved and friendly.

They are NOT the best pets for families with small children as children may not understand why the bird is biting them with his strong and hard beak. African Greys also use their beaks to explore their environment, almost as if it is another foot to grasp things.

African Grey parrots are the most human of parrots due to their high intelligence and ability to speak. If you want a pet that is as smart as a toddler and can provide hours of entertainment and a lifetime of love.