Description

The African grey parrot is a medium-sized, predominantly grey, black-billed parrot which weighs 400 g, with a length of 33 cm and an average wingspan of 46–52 cm. The Congo subspecies is a lighter grey, with darker grey over the head and both wings, while the head and body feathers have a slight white edge to them. The tail feathers are red. The Timneh subspecies is a darker gray and has a dark maroon colored tail as well as having a portion of their beak being light pink in color. Due to artificial selection by parrot breeders, some Congo African grey parrots are partially or completely red. Both sexes appear similar. The coloration of juveniles is similar to that of adults, but the eye is typically dark grey to black, in comparison to the greyish-yellow eyes of the adult birds. The undertail coverts are also tinged with grey. The adults weigh between 418 and 526 grams.

African grey parrots may live for 40–60 years in captivity, although their mean lifespan in the wild appears to be somewhat shorter at about 23 years.

Fun Facts

African grey parrots are momogamous breeders which nest in tree cavities. Each couple of parrots needs its own tree to nest. The hen lays three to five eggs, which she incubates for 30 days while being fed by her mate. The adults defend their nesting sites. Both parents help take care of the chicks until they can go off on their own. African grey parrot chicks require feeding and care from their parents in the nest for a prolonged period. The parents take care of them until four or five weeks after they are fledged. Young leave the nest at the age of 12 weeks. Little is known about the courtship behavior of this species in the wild.^[They weigh between 12 and 14 g at hatching and between 372 to 526 g when they leave their parents.

Diet

They are mostly frugivorous; most of their diet consists of fruit, nuts, and seeds. The species prefers oil palm fruit and also eat flowers and tree bark, as well as insects and snails. In the wild, the African grey is partly a ground feeder. In captivity, it can eat sunflower seeds, bird pellets, a variety of fruits such as pears, orange, pomegranate, apple, and banana, and vegetables such as carrots, cooked sweet potato, celery, fresh kale, peas, and green beans.They also need a source of calcium