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African Grey Parrot Information The African Grey Parrot, Psittacus erithacus, is a medium-sized parrot native to the primary and secondary rainforests of West and Central Africa. Its mild temperament, clever mind and ability to mimic sounds, including human speech, has made it a highly sought after pet for many centuries. Certain individuals also have a documented ability to understand the meaning of words. African Grey Parrots Taxonomy Kingdom: Phylum: Class: Order: Family: Tribe: Genus: Species: Psittacus erithacus The African Grey Parrot is the only recognized species of the genus Psittacus. The genus name Psittacus is derived from the word (psittakos) which means parrot in Ancient Greek. There are two recognized subspecies of African Grey Parrot (Psittacus Animalia Chordata Aves Psittaciformes Psittacidae Psittacini Psittacus

erithacus):
1. Congo African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus erithacus) 2. Timneh African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus timneh) Congo African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus erithacus), commonly referred to as CAG by parrot keepers, is larger than the Timneh African

Grey Parrot and normally reaches a length of roughly 33 cm. It is found from the south-eastern Ivory Coast to Western Kenya, Northwest Tanzania, Southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Northern Angola, including the islands of Prncipe and Bioko in the Gulf of Guinea. Adult members of this subspecies are light grey with red tails, pale yellow irises, and an all black beak. Pet Congo African Grey Parrots usually learn to speak quite slowly until their second or third year. Timneh African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus timneh), commonly referred to as TAG by parrot keepers, is smaller than the Congo subspecies and is endemic to the to the western parts of the moist Upper Guinea forests and nearby West African savannas from Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone and Southern Mali to at least 70 km east of the Bandama River in Cte dIvoire. Adult specimens are charcoal grey with dark maroon tails. The upper mandible sports a characteristic light, horn-colored area. Some bird keepers report this subspecies being able to mimic human speech at a younger age than the Congo subspecies. On the islands of Princip and Bioko you can find African Grey Parrots that are darker and slightly smaller than other greys. They were earlier recognized as a separate subspecies (Psittacus erithacus princeps) but arent any longer. Among bird keepers, they are commonly known as Ghana African Grey Parrots. You may also encounter the names Cameroon African Grey Parrot or Big Silvers when researching greys. Unlike the name suggest, these birds originate from birds captured in Congo, not in Cameroon. They are somewhat larger and lighter than other greys, but are not a subspecies.

Budgies as Pets The Budgie is one of the most loved parrots around the world. They are smart, affectionate, and beautiful. The Budgie can make a wonderful addition to any home. The Budgerigar comes in a wide spectrum of color variations and many varieties, Budgerigars can be taught to speak and whistle tunes. In fact, they are believed to be the best talkers of all birds. They can learn to pronounce hundreds of words and phrases. In fact, one California budgie is said to have had a vocabulary of 1,728 words by the time he died in January 1994. Another budgie called "Sparky Williams" had a repertoire of 8 nursery rhymes, 360 phrases, and a vocabulary of over 550 words. In fact, this little budgie became a star and 20,000 copies of his records were sold by the time he died in 1962. They are intelligent and social animals and enjoy the stimulation of toys and interaction with humans as well as with other budgerigars. A common behavior is the chewing of material such as wood, especially for female budgerigars. In captivity, budgerigars live an average of five to eight years, but are reported to occasionally live to 15 if well cared for. The life span depends on the budgerigar's breed (show budgerigars typically do not live as long as the common budgerigars) and the individual bird's health, which is influenced by exercise and diet. These little jewels are thoroughly under-priced and therefore underappreciated. They are often kept in tiny, boring cages that don't allow them to get sufficient excercise and play, as they like to do. A cage should be accommodate several perches and toys, food and water dishes -- in addition to leaving space for the budgie to fly from perch to perch.

Parrots ...
Parrots have held great fascination for me all my life. Being owned by a parrot was my dream! I set about to prepare myself and came to an inescapable conclusion. Owning a parrot requires the need to completely educate ourselves about evolved avian behavior as well as all available species specific information prior to delving into "parrot parenthood" with "both talons". Any person with the aspiration to establish a mutually satisfactory and rewarding relationship with a parrot, needs to know that these birds are only a few generations removed from their original environment and thus far from being domesticated. They are wild by nature, their behavior strongly dictated by instincts that have evolved over thousands of years. Parrots in captivity, whether wild caught or hand raised rely on us for a healthy environment, housing, nutritious foods, family interaction and socialization. By nature and by virtue of the fact that their intelligence level is that of a dolphin or a 3-year-old child we must provide them with toys, diversions and constant interaction. If handled properly, they will reward us with their trust, their "love" and become our lifes loving, charming and forever entertaining companions who never grow up. When parrots are abused, ignored or neglected they will invariably develop behavioral problems. Learning about avian behavior patterns helps us understand why they act a certain way. Why they sometimes actually resort to self-mutilation or become destructively phobic and why a strongly developed trust is vital to their mental health.

We understand how to create this trust and how to satisfy their intellectual needs. Buying a parrot is easy having a happy parrot requires hard work. With a truly committed investment of patience and understanding, the rewards are endless: Having a parrot trust you, giving you the gift of its love .is a treasure money cannot buy. It is a unique and marvelously wonderful gift!

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. [1] 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 irises 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 Prncipe and Bioko and is distributed from south-eastern Ivory Coast to Western Kenya, Northwest Tanzania, Southern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Northern Angola. 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-Bissau, Sierra Leone and Southern Mali east to at least 70 km (43 mi) east of the Bandama River 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.[2]

[edit] Longevity
Like many large parrots, the African Grey is a long-lived 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,[3] whereas the World Parrot Trust lists a longevity of 5060 years for an African Grey in captivity.[4]

[edit] Status and conservation

Timneh African Grey Parrot (wings clipped) Rarer than previously believed, it is uplisted from a species of Least Concern to Near Threatened in the 2007 IUCN Red List.[5] A recent analysis suggests that up to 21% of the global population may be taken from the wild annually, [5] primarily for the pet trade. The species is endemic to primary and secondary rainforest of West and Central Africa.[6] 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.[7] There is a positive relationship between the status of the species and the status of primary forest:[8] where the forests are declining, so too are populations of Grey parrots.[7]

Congo African Grey Parrot in a bird park 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 totalling more than 350,000 specimens from 19942003,[9] 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.

[edit] Mimicry and intelligence

Further information: Talking bird#African_Grey_Parrots Unlike other parrots, wild African Greys have been documented imitating the calls of several other species. Dr. Irene Pepperberg's research with captive African greys, most notably with a bird named Alex, 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[who?], they perform many cognitive tasks at the level of dolphins, chimpanzees, and even a human toddler.[10] Many pet Congo African Greys learn to speak slowly until their second or third year.[citation needed] Timnehs are generally observed to start speaking earlier.[citation needed] 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'kisi, who in 2004 already was said to have a vocabulary of over 950 words and was noted for creative use of language,[11] as had been Alex. For example, when Jane Goodall 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. [12] A study led by Dr. Dalila Bovet of Paris West University Nanterre La Dfense, 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. [13]

Singer Canary Species Profile Traits: The American singer canary (also known as the yellow variegated canary) is a popular song canary that is a cross between a Border canary (one-third) and a German roller canary (two-thirds). The resulting American singer canary possesses the best traits of both: the musical song of the roller and the sweet looks of the border. The combination makes this canary one of the most popular canaries in the United States. The American singer canary is a favorite among bird owners because of its pleasant, outgoing personality and its beautiful singing. It was originally bred to be both musical and attractive, and it is prized for its song, which is louder, freer and more varied than that of roller canary but softer than the border canarys more choppy song. They are good-natured, social birds that are also active, lively and hardy. Behavior/Health Concerns: The American singer canary does well in either cages or aviaries. They are on the timid side and should not be housed together with parakeets, lovebirds or other hookbills that tend to be more aggressive. Additionally, males can be territorial and should be kept separately. They like to bathe daily and should be given water to do so. Their environment should not be wet, cool or drafty, and if they are given space to sunbathe, they should also have a shaded area to protect from too much sun. Keep perches clean to avoid any foot problems.

AFRICAN GREY PARROT.

Life Span of the African Grey Parrot : 50 - 70+ years African Grey Parrot Intelligence: The African Grey is one of the most intelligent parrots and is believed by most to be the best at imitating human speech
The African grey parrot has got to be one of the most charming parrots. The African grey parrot has a wonderful character, a combination of intelligence and charm. African grey parrots have been kept as pets for over 4000 years. The Egyptians are thought to be the first to keep the African grey parrot as pets, as depicted in their hieroglyphics. The Greeks also highly valued the African grey parrot as pets, as did the Romans who kept these intelligent birds in highly ornate cages. The tradition of keeping the African grey parrot continued with King Henry VIII keeping one as a pet. Today, the African grey parrot is still kept as a prized pet. This information was taken from www.theafricangreyparrot.com At Cub Creek Science Camp we have two African Grey Parrots named Babby and Lucy they are shy and reserved but do have a range of vocalizations. They love to take peanuts from our campers during Science Camp. They do not like to talk in front of people bu t when your back is turned you may hear a voice behind you. Babby, our male, has a very deep voice while Lucy, the female, has a higher pitched voice.

Did you Know? List of Facts about Parrots Facts are statements which are held to be true and often contrasted with opinions and beliefs. Our unusual and interesting facts about Parrots, trivia and information, including some useful statistics about animals will fascinate everyone from kids and children to adults. Interesting Facts about Parrots are as follows:

Fact 1 - Definition: Parrots are usually brightly colored tropical birds with short hooked beaks and the ability to mimic sounds. There are about 250 different species Fact 2 - Parrots are described as zygodactylous. A zygodactyl bird has the first and fourth toes directed backward the second and third pointing forward Fact 3 - They have a short rounded or even tail, and some have a naked space on the cheeks such as the gray parrot, or jako of Africa and the Amazon and the green parrots of America Fact 4 - Many species of parrots, as cage birds, learn to imitate sounds, and to repeat words and phrases Fact 5 - Parrots eat seeds, nuts, fruit, buds and other plant material Fact 6 - They are highly intelligent birds Fact 7 - Parrots are found on all tropical and subtropical continents Fact 8 - Pet Parrots are popular due to their sociable and affectionate nature, their intelligence, bright colours and their ability to imitate human voices

Fact 9 - The Budgerigar is a small parrot and is the most popular of all pet bird species Fact 10 - Other parrot species that are kept as pets include macaws, Amazons, cockatoos, African Greys, lovebirds, cockatiels and parakeets Fact 11 - Lifespan: 80 years Fact 12 - Parrots are omnivores, this means they eat both vegetables and meat Fact 13 - Weight: 2.25 oz (65 g) to 3.5 lbs (1.6 kg) Fact 14 - Height: 3.5 in (8.7cm) to 40 in (100 cm) Fact 15 - They use their bills and toes for climbing

Fact 16 - Parrots are monogamous - they mate for life Fact 17 - African gray parrots are the best mimics. Wild parrots do not imitate Fact 18 - Parrots are the only birds that can bring food to its mouth with its foot Fact 19 - The biggest parrot is the Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) which grows up to 39 inches (100cm) long and can weigh almost 5 pounds Fact 20 - The smallest parrot is the buff-faced pygmy parrot (Micropsitta pusio) which is only 3.5 inches (9 cm) tall and weighs as little as 0.4oz (11,5g) Fact 21 - Parrot eggs are always white Fact 22 - There are 11 million pet parrots in the United States Fact 23 - Endangered Species: 130 species are listed as near threatened or worse by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Fact 24 - Parrots classified as 'Endangered' include those on the following list: Red-Tailed Amazon (Red-Tailed Parrot) Imperial Amazon Yellow-Headed Amazon Red-Browed Amazon Vinaceous Amazon Green-Cheeked Amazon Norfolk Island Parakeet Pink-Billed Parrotfinch Golden-Shouldered Parrot Thick-Billed Parrot Black-Eared Parrotlet Golden-Tailed Parrotlet Hyacinth Macaw Red-Fronted Macaw

Carnaby's Black Cockatoo

Fact 24 - Parrots classified as 'Critically Endangered' include those on the following list: Puerto Rican Amazon Night Parrot Fuertes's Parrot Orange-Bellied Parrot Yellow-Eared Conure Owl Parrot Lear's Macaw Blue-Throated Macaw Lesser Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo Red-Vented Cockatoo Mauritius Parakeet Glaucous Macaw

Facts about Parrots We have included a selection of trivia and interesting facts about Parrots which we hope will be of help with homework. Most of these interesting facts about Parrots are quite amazing and some are little known pieces of trivia and facts! Many of these interesting pieces of animal information and fun facts about Parrots and info will help you increase your knowledge on the subject of animals and Parrots.

African Grey Parrot Information and facts The African Grey parrot is most certainly one of the most beautiful and easiest parrots to keep in captivity. These parrots are from Central Africa, they are very intelligent and are well known for their cognitive and talking abilities. African Greys generally communicate well with their owners and are capable of developing a large vocabulary.

They grow to around 10 to 14 inches in length, and that therefore seen as a mediumsized parrot. African Grey parrots all may have two types. There is a Congo African Grey, which is light Grey and has a red tail. The Timneh African Grey is a darker charcoal Grey with a maroon tail. Generally the males are larger than the females. The males are usually 12 to 14 inches in size. Actually both sexes will the same, one way to spot the difference is female African Grey parrot have a thinner neck and narrower head. Because these parrots have a long life span may need some one will can make a longterm commitment. African Greys can live as long as 60 years. Because of their high intelligence, African Greys require an owner that is experienced and who can understand their needs. Being stimulated in an interactive environment is important, because they can easily become bored. African Greys need their intellectual needs met otherwise their boredom could turn to feather picking and other behavioral problems. Since they are so sensitive this can lead to behavioral problems. It seems that even small changes to their daily routine and surroundings can lead to an African Grey parrot becoming cranky and frustrated. In the most part these birds are typically well behaved and great pets, however there can be challenges. African gays need to be disciplined, otherwise they can get into trouble. They might chew something or bite. They can quickly pick up behaviors therefore if you unintentionally show them bad habits, it will be just as easy to reinforce good ones. Because they are very social birds, African Grey parrot's make fantastic pets. In the wild their natural instinct is to flock together. An African Grey parrot living in a home environment will usually adopt the family into their flock. It seems some of them even cuddle their owners. Even though they don't always like physical contact they seem to enjoy head scratching and petting. Most experienced African Grey owners are not bothered bythe birds very strange signs of affection. A deep sign of affection for an African Grey is regurgitation, and they will even try to kiss their owners on the mouth. It is not recommended that you allow the bird to kiss you, because humans mouths contain bacteria that is harmful to the birds The birds really do need companionship, and owners should realize the importance of understanding this. African Grey parrots have great personalities and human like qualities to. These birds have an intelligent that is unequaled by many other animals, and if you own one you

should recognize this.