African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus)

African Grey Parrot overview

The African grey parrot is a medium-sized, short-tailed parrot from the rainforests of West and Central Africa, gray all over except for a white face patch and a bright red tail. It is widely regarded as one of the most intelligent birds and the most accomplished mimic of human speech, which has made it one of the most popular pet parrots in the world. That popularity has been its downfall: heavy trapping for the pet trade, combined with forest loss, has emptied large parts of its range. The smaller, darker Timneh parrot of far western Africa was once treated as a subspecies and is now a separate species.

How Long Do African Grey Parrots Live?

African grey parrots commonly live 40–60 years in captivity, while wild birds are estimated to average about 20–25 years. Reliable data from the wild are scarce. In homes, lifespan depends heavily on diet and care; seed-only diets, which lead to calcium and vitamin A deficiencies, shorten many pet greys' lives.

How Much Does an African Grey Parrot Weigh?

An adult African grey parrot weighs 400–490 g (14–17 oz), about the same as a can of soup. Males and females are similar in size and cannot be reliably told apart by appearance. The related Timneh parrot is smaller, at roughly 275–375 g.

How Long Is an African Grey Parrot?

African grey parrots are about 33 cm (13 in) long from head to tail, with a wingspan of 46–52 cm (18–20 in). They are stocky, medium-sized parrots with a short, square tail, which makes them look smaller than long-tailed macaws of similar body weight.

How Long Do African Grey Parrots Eggs Take to Hatch?

African grey parrot eggs hatch after 28–30 days of incubation. The female lays three to five eggs in a tree cavity high above the ground and incubates them while the male feeds her. Chicks stay in the nest for about 12 weeks, and both parents care for them after they fledge.

What Do African Grey Parrots Eat?

African grey parrots are herbivores that eat mainly fruits, nuts and seeds, and they are especially fond of oil-palm fruit. They also eat flowers, bark and buds, and occasionally snails or insects. Flocks climb through the canopy rather than flying between branches, and sometimes raid maize fields.

Diet type: herbivore. Fruits, nuts and seeds, with a strong liking for the oily fruit of the African oil palm; also flowers, tree bark and buds, and occasionally snails or insects.

Where Do African Grey Parrots Live?

African grey parrots live in the lowland rainforests of West and Central Africa, along with forest edges, clearings, gallery forest, mangroves and wooded savanna. They roost communally in tall trees or palms, often over water, and fly out each morning in small groups to feeding areas.

Are African Grey Parrots Endangered?

The African grey parrot is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers are decreasing. Trapping for the international pet trade and loss of large nesting trees are the main causes; in Ghana, populations fell by 90–99 percent within about two decades. In 2016 the species was moved to CITES Appendix I, which bans international commercial trade in wild-caught birds.

Endangered

African Grey Parrot fun facts

• Alex, a grey parrot studied for 30 years by psychologist Irene Pepperberg, could name over 50 objects, identify colors and shapes, and count up to about six.
• Wild greys have been recorded imitating other bird species, but their talent for human speech only shows up in captivity.
• Several scientific studies rate grey parrots' reasoning on certain tasks as comparable to that of a young child.
• Young African greys have dark gray or black eyes; the iris turns pale yellow as the bird matures over its first few years.
• Bored or stressed pet greys often pluck out their own feathers, a behavior not seen in wild birds.

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African Grey Parrot FAQ

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