African Grey Parrot

African greys can have a lifespan of up to 80 years, so the choice to include one as a companion deserves much consideration.

We live with two congro greys, Dylon and Carlie. We purchased these birds when they were 4 months old and as I write this, they are turning 8 years old. They both were hand-fed from about 10 days old and were quite use to human interaction when they came to live with us.

Although we have never had them DNA sexed, it's very clear to us who is the male and who is the female based on aggressiveness, behavior, size, shape, personality and attitude!

African greys as adults have an intelligence level of about a 9 year old human child. Needless to say, living with a 9 year old for close to 80 years isn't for the faint of heart.

If you are considering the purchase of an African Grey, give much thought to your personal lifestyle since greys do require a lot of attention. If you are working and not at home much, a grey will not be for you.

YOU become their social outlet as they are very social in the wild, and care must be taken to spend at least an hour a day in direct contact with them (playing, etc) and at least 4-5 hours a day of nearby contact (in the same room or area of your house).

Greys left to their device, alone in a cage all day long, will become agressive, quite loud and more then likely a feather plucker (out of frustration).

African Greys by nature give off a fine white powder called dander and there is a chance you could be allergic to this. They must be misted with either pure water or a dander-down solution each day to assist with feather hydration and the removal of this dander.

When in a bad mood or threatened, a grey can and WILL bite. They do have a vicious bite and care must be taken to avoid any serious wounds (to the human). Once they learn that their beaks aren't just for cracking foods, it's best to always approach a grey with respect until you have developed a relationship with the bird.

Think of an African Grey as an intelligent can opener with an attitude!

G
reys are very observant little creatures and love a routine. Because of this, any small amount of change around the house usually prompts at least a startled stare.

When we purchased our birds we were living full time in a motorhome and traveling. Therefore, these guys learned from a very early age to adjust to different surroundings and sudden changes.

As they learned to talk, they would let us know how they felt about certain little things during our travels such as the time I hit a huge pothole in the road heading to somewhere and they bounced around a bit in their cages. Suddenly Carlie blurted out, "WHOA! What was THAT!?"

However, as a rule though greys do NOT adjust well to change. One must be careful to accept the fact that any small amount of change (such as the introduction of a new toy or moving their cage to a new location) must be done with patience and understanding.

Greys require a cage big enough whereby they can flap their wings without hitting the bars and one that has lots of climbing and playing room. Several high quality bird toys inside the cage are also a must.

Locate your greys cage away from direct sunlight, drafts, air conditioning and any heat source. A corner of the living room is a good place for a grey so long as he can see you during your daily routine.

Talk to your grey and include him in some of your routine. Ours help us get ready in the morning, prepare their food cups, play games, cook a meal, etc.

Greys love to be outside of their cages and a play perch or small tree branch shaped perch located nearby will provide your bird with lots of exercise and a place to feel as if they are in their natural environment.

Temperature and humidity are also a consideration. The greys natural environment is a mild temperature with faily high humidity. Temperatures in the 70's are fine for a grey, but if you live in a drier climate, you will want to consider a humidifier to add moisture to the air.

I
have had many parrots over the years and I would say that greys require no more or no less care then any other exotic bird of their size.

Frequent cage cleaning is a must and it is best to use either a wood chip or corn cob base mix that will absorb the droppings and any excess liquids from foods, etc. I prefer not to use newspaper but in a pinch I have used plain white paper towels as a base in the bottom catch tray.

African Greys in the wild feed on fruits, nuts, leafy materials and an occasional meaty meal.

We feed our greys lots of fruits and veggies, no-salt nut mixtures, cooked chicken and of course their staple diet of a high quality African Grey kibble mixture that we purchase online.

African Greys need a bit more protein and calcium then other exotics and we occasionally give them a Tums to add even a further bit of calcium to their diets. We purchase the fruity flavor Tums and they love them.

They are also very fond of cooked chicken leg bones (they crack the bone and eat the bone marrow), cooked beans, scrambled eggs, oatmeal and low salt crackers.

Generally a grey will eat just about anything you eat, but keep in mind anything that is unhealthy for you will be unhealthy for them. So limit foods high in salt, fats, and preservatives.

CAUTION: Never feed your grey chocolate or avocados. These foods contain a toxic substance that can be fatal to your bird.

W
hen parrots were first kept as pets, people thought they only lived a short time. This was in part because most of the soft billed wild birds only lived a few years but also because the parrots they kept died within 10 years or so. This was because the diet these parrots were being fed did not supply the necessary nutrients and the birds basically starved to death very, very slowly. Some succumbed to illness but this was in large part due to the fact that they were malnourished and their bodies couldn't fight the disease.

Today we know that many of the large parrots can live to be over 100 years of age and even budgies and cockatiels can live to be 20 or more. This is because we now know what to feed our parrots and what to avoid letting them eat.

There are lots of good things to feed your parrot, but there are a few things that you might offer that can kill your beloved feathered friend. The reasons may differ but the results are the same: death.

Foods You Must NEVER Feed Your Parrot

There are only a few things that can actually kill your parrot as far as human food goes. These are:

* Avocado
* Chocolate
* Alcohol
* Seeds of any fruit
* Raw meat
* Uncooked eggs
* Any food that may have mold or may have spoiled (including seeds)

As you can see, this is a very short list.

Foods You Should Limit

This list is a lot longer and contains people foods that won't kill your parrot quickly. However, over time, these foods will be detrimental to its health. These foods fall into three main categories. Some foods may fall in to several or even all of these categories:

Foods High In Fat

Any food that has a high fat content should be limited. In the wild, parrots eat very little fat; what they do eat is mainly from bugs and other protein sources. Now, this doesn't mean that you parrot pal can't have a taste of these foods occasionally. Think of feeding your parrot as if you were feeding a three year old child. You would let a child have a few potato chips even though they are high in fat and salt, but you would limit the quantity. With a parrot, of course, the portions are much, much smaller. If you want to let your parrot have a bite or two of a single potato chip once in a while, there is nothing wrong with this limited quantity. Just do not let it become a habit that every single day the parrot gets potato chips and don't let the quantity increase over time. Everything in moderation is the practice to be followed for this list.

Examples of these foods are:

* Potato chips
* Vegetables with lots of butter
* Fried foods
* Cream, whipped or liquid
* Cake icing
* Ice cream
* Fatty meat
* Butter sauces and cream soups that contain a lot of butter

Foods High In Salt

Too much salt isn't good for people or birds. Of course, since parrots are so much smaller, a little bit goes a long way. Some foods can simply be taken out of the food preparation cycle before salt is added to allow the parrot to enjoy a safe serving. If your parrot enjoys cooked veggies and you salt your food, then by all means take some out before adding salt. Crackers can have the salt scraped off before allowing the parrot to have the food. Many foods can be found in unsalted versions that can safely be shared with you parrot. For example, unsalted nuts are fine but eating a lot of salted nuts is not good for your feathered kid.

Some of the foods in this category are:

* Salted potato chips
* Salted corn chips
* Salted nuts
* Salted vegetables or meats
* Many prepared foods such as microwave entrees
* Salted popcorn
* Bacon, ham and other cured meats

Foods High in Sugar

Parrots can become little junk food junkies is allowed. They seem to love sweets and will insist on having a taste. Most foods with sugar are perfectly safe to allow the parrot to have a bite or even two, but limit the quantities to a very small amount and do not allow these foods every day. These are for the rare occasion rather than daily diet.

Examples of these foods include:

* Cakes
* Cookies
* Candy
* Sweetened juices
* Other sweetened drinks
* Sugary cereal
* Ice cream

Everything else that you eat, you can and should share with your parrot. The more different foods your bird eats, the better its health will be, the more vibrant the feather colors and the happier you'll be. However, use some common sense about feeding people food to parrots.

Fruits and vegetables are very good additions to the diet, preferably raw but if you parrot prefers some things cooked, that is better than not eating the food at all. Eggs, cheese, pasta, rice, potatoes (other than potato chips or French fries), pizza, noodles, bits of meat or fish and other people foods are great for you parrot. Limit the amount of meat to very small amounts because in the wild, parrots do not get a lot of meat-type protein. Some parrots LOVE a bone with bits of meat left on it to chew on and will even eat the marrow out of the bone.

Of course, fruits and vegetables are the best for the parrots and for us. But variety is the spice of life and everyone wants variety including your parrot.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Nora Caterino is a published author for BirdTalk Magazine.

Y
ou may not realize it, but certain things that you might take for granted in your daily life can be fatal to your grey.

Below is a list of items well known to be harmful or deadly to African Greys (and most all pet birds, for that matter)

1. Certain Cleaning Products. The cleaning product Febreeze has been known to kill pet birds. Always exercise caution with any fabric or general cleaning product. The odors emitted can be very harmful to your bird. Other products that can emit harmful fumes include oven cleaners, toilet cleaners, hair sprays, nail polish remover, perfumes, pesticides, bleach, moth balls, floor cleaners, spot removers and wax. We use only natural cleaning products in our home. Generally, if it smells bad to you, it could kill your bird.

2. Non-Stick Cookware. Do NOT under any circumstances cook with any non-stick cookware product. The substance found in non-stick cookware emits a gas that is fatal to pet birds (not to mention harmful to humans as well)! If you are planning on purchasing a grey or any other exotic bird, then also plan on replacing all of your non-stick cookware with either glass, cast iron or stainless steel. This includings any kitchen gadgets such as toaster ovens, waffle makers, electric skillets, etc. Teflon is definitely out when it comes to a pet bird.

3. Air Filters/Purifiers. Many air purifiers today contain a feature that will emit ozone in the room. Ozone is very harmful to birds. If you do use an air purifier in your home and it has a feature to turn off the ozone function, by all means make sure it is OFF.

4. Food Products. Never feed your African Grey chocolate, avocado, alcohol or products containing caffeine.

5. Certain Common Household Plants. These include; Amaryllis, Christmas Candle, Dieffenbachia, Hyacinth, Mistletoe, Philodendron, Poinsettias and all ivys. The best policy for a bird that may have a bit of freedom in your house is to make sure they do not go near any household plant in the area.

6. Other Pets.
Exercise caution with your grey around other animals such as a pet dog or cat. The bacteria from a dog bite or even a cat scratch can kill your grey.

It can fun to watch a young african grey interact with other pets in your household...just use caution if and when this occurs.

I
f you are fortunate enough to purchase a young, hand-fed grey, training your new friend for the most part, will become nothing more then showing him the do's and don'ts of living in your household.

Young greys will naturally 'step up' onto your finger when encohttp://i2.squidoocdn.com/resize/squidoo_images/128/draft_lens1407938module3398957photo_1329753395a.JPGuraged with a gentle push at their legs. 'Step down', being the reverse is quite natural for them as well. This is a must to get them in and out of their cages.

Beyond this, "training" becomes a personal choice and as I mentioned before African Greys are quite different then other exotic birds in that you can never really domesticate them. It is best to train yourself to honor and respect these little guys and learn to understand their needs and behavior. This will come in time, as you get use to your new friend and he gets use to you, AND your routine.

As far as talking goes, African Greys, in my opinion, are by far the best talkers of all of the so called 'parrots'. Their ability to talk and communicate comes from their superior intelligence.

These birds are capable of cognizant reasoning and thinking. They think and reason much like a human does and getting them to talk is actually quite easy.

Greys WANT to communicate with you. They will often tell you of their needs, their feelings/emotions, something they might see or even something that is funny to them.

Generally the best way to train a grey is to simply show him or her what you would like them to do.

Speaking to them as you would speak to any other encourages them to begin to talk. Start by using simple words or small phrases and try to relate the word or phrase to something that you are doing or to some event that might have meaning to the bird.

It boils down to a matter of trust, love and technique. Once you have established a bond with your bird, and he loves and trust you, all else is fairly easy.

For those who are interested in a more structured and proven way to teach your grey to talk, you should check out Chet Womachs intensive course on how to teach your bird to talk in as little as 48 hours. He shows you methods and tricks that even the professional trainers don't know exist.

Check the course out here: Teach Your Bird To Talk In 48 Hrs.