African Grey
Congo African Grey
Timneh African Grey
Please
note the entire site is still being built and more information and
pictures will be added daily.
Basic
information
on African Grey parrots:
Please note
that each type of bird is a different species and NOT a different breed.
Please note
that the information
below is on the Congo and Timneh the 2 recognized species of African
Grey parrots.
Endangered
Species List: The African Grey Congo and Timneh are NOT on the
endangered species list but they are listed as Near Threatened.. In the
Us the African Grey Parrot is protected by the U.S. Wild Bird
Conservation Act of 1992. The Act has made the importation of wild
caught birds for the pet trade illegal.
Life
Span for the Congo and Timneh: The life span for any parrot is up for
debate as most birds do not live over 15 to 25 in captivity but most
agree the possible life span for an African Grey is 40 + years with
good nutrition and proper medical care.
Scientific
name of the Congo: Psittacus erithacus erithacus
Scientific
name of the Timneh: Psittacus erithacus timneh
Description
of the Congo: The Congo African Grey is a mostly a grey bird, the
shades of grey vary from a medium dark grey to a light grey over the
body and wings. There head is covered in grey feathers that have white
edging. The eye area is bare with white skin. There beak and nails are
solid black, feet are gray in color. The tail feathers are bright red
but also vary in color from bird to bird.
Description
of the Timneh: The Timneh African Grey is similar to the Congo but the
Timneh is smaller in size. It also has a and a light, horn-colored
area to part of the upper mandible, dark maroon colored tail and is
often a darker shade grey.
Color
Mutations of both the Congo and Timneh African Grey:
Incomplete
Ino (mostly white, but with small percentage of melanin), Blues (white
pigment in the tail), Lutino (yellow pigment) Grizzles (soft pinkish
scalloped found in its feathers), Albino (no pigment), Parino (very
light scalloping found in its feathers), Blues (white pigment in the
tail), and a red-factor mutation, including the all-red individual.
| Red African Grey |
| The Worlds First Ever ALL Red African Grey was bred by breeder Hennie Diedericks from South Africa. |
Size - Weight for the Congo: 12 to 14
inches. They weigh about 400-650 grams
Size -
Weight for the Timneh: 10 to 12 inches. They weigh about 235 - 275
grams.
Sexing: There is no visible means of
sexing either the Congo or Timneh African Grey. They must be DNA sexed.
Age at
maturity: 2 to 4 years of age.
Distribution
of the Congo: Southeast Ivory Coast east to western Kenya and south to
northern Angola, southern Congo and northwest Tanzania; islands of
Fernando Poo and Principé; possibly isolated population in Kilimanjaro
area, Tanzania.
Distribution
of the Timneh: These birds are native to various parts of Africa
including Kenya, Uganda, Liberia, and islands off the west coast of
Africa.
Talking ability: Both the Congo and
Timneh African Grey’s are excellent talkers. In fact they are the best
in the parrot world. Although the ability to talk and mimic almost any
sound they hear is the same for both species. Some say the Timneh will
start talking earlier than the congo and is easier to teach.
Common
Behavioral Problems for both species: Socialization issues (like biting
and being fearful of new things/people) and Feather destructive
behaviors (including plucking and chewing). African Grey’s are the most
intelligent parrot in the world and with that also comes strong emotions
and needs. The African Grey is in my opinion the hardest parrot to
properly care for because of not only the physical needs but all of the
socialization and emotional needs of the species.
Common
Diseases and Disorders: Respiratory diseases, Hypocalcemia syndrome,
Circovirus (PBFD virus), Nasal blockages (bacterial, fungal, secondary
to malnutrition), Proventricular dilatation disease (PDD)
Additional
notes: Some have found that parent raised African Grey chicks are better
adjusted than those raised entirely by humans. Baby birds that receive
human handling while still in the nest tend to show fewer behavioral
problems like feather picking, fearfulness and aggression at maturity
than those that do not.
Although
there are only 2 Recognized subspecies of African Grey Parrots. Some say
there is in fact 4 subspecies of the African Grey Parrot. They say that
there are in fact distinctive differences. The first subspecies is the
Ghana from Ghana in Central America. The Ghana is said to be smaller and
to have a longer neck.. Next is the Cameroon, they say that they are
15% to 20% larger, light grey, have a larger more boxy heads and have a
brighter deep red tail.
| * Einstein the famous talking African Grey Parrot! * |
| This is parrot is so cool! He makes the best sound effects and talks up a storm! What an awesome parrot! |