African Grey Parrots

Lesson 1: Parrots as Pets

Parrots Specific – The Greys

Since this course was designed to bring you as much information as possible about the African Grey parrot, the rest of the lessons will deal with that species. There are two distinct varieties of the grey parrot. One is the red-tailed grey or sometimes known as the Congo grey. These parrots are native to a broad strip of land in central Africa. They have been domestically bred for a number of years and do quite well in captivity. This grey parrot has a decidedly red tail, a bare white face patch and a solid black beak. The adults' eyes are silvery yellow. Baby greys of both kinds have black eyes. The basic feather color will vary a little from bird to bird, some being more light silver and others almost black especially on their back and wings. Not always, but a good part of the time, the birds demonstrating darker wings and backs are males. There is no way to determine, except by DNA analysis, the sex of an African grey.

The subspecies is the Timneh African grey. The Timneh’s are from Sierra Leone, parts of Guinea, the Ivory Coast and Liberia. They are the least dominate of the two varieties and are easily recognized by their size and color of tail. The tail of the Timneh is more brown than red but with a reddish cast. Their beak is black-tipped, as opposed to solid black. The rest of the beak is pinkish or horn colored. The eye color is slightly different with the Timneh’s being more silver than yellow. They, too, have the white face patch. Their feathers are darker than the red-tailed variety. Timneh’s are smaller in size and usually more playful.

Some researchers say there are three subspecies of the grey parrot. Those birds from the Gulf of Guinea tend to have darker plumage than the red-tail or better known Timneh making them an addition to the two commonly recognized groups. It would be difficult to determine whether the bird you own, or wish to own, is a Timneh or the other variety unless the breeder was confident of the region where the parent birds originated.

Both the red-tailed grey and the Timneh possess the ablity to be great talkers. Some breeders say the Timneh will talk earlier than the red-tailed. It is also reported that they have fewer of the undesirable traits found in the breed. It’s probably best to remember that each bird is a distinct individual and no one can accurately predict their abilities or future problems.

Once again I would advise you to visit a breeder of both, or each species, and discuss their differences. In the next session I will outline the pros and cons of owning a Grey parrot and point up a few more differences between the Timneh and its cousin.

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