Subsecies: Two major subspecies are recognized, the “Congo” Gray and the “Timneh” Gray, although other subspecies probably exist.
Average size: To the average person, the African Gray would be considered an “average-sized” parrot, similar in size to most species of Amazon parrots. Average length is 33 cm from beak to tail.
Distinguishing Characterisitics: The Congo Gray is a silvery-gray color with a bright red tail. The Timneh is also grey, but is usually smaller in size and has a deep maroon tail.
Range: Original range is central Africa, from the west coast, to just west of the eastern coast.
Habitat: Found primarily in the lowland forests of their range, however, they will venture into savannah woodland and open country to feed.
Primary Foods: Seeds, nuts, fruits and berries, found mostly in treetops.
Breeding: Variable breeding season, but typically lay three eggs.
Other Notes: The African Gray Parrot is a very popular pet parrot and was once collected and imported into the United States in huge numbers. This intelligent parrot is still collected in the wild, but, as with other wwild parrots, is no longer brought into the U.S. in significant numbers. These birds are still sold to other countries, however.
The most famous African Gray Parrot is “Alex,” owned by Dr. Irene Pepperberg. Alex has learned to identify objects by name, color and number. Much literature has been written about parrot intelligence because of Dr. Pepperberg’s work with Alex. You can find more information about Alex on the internet.
African Gray Parrots are also known as some of the best “talkers” of the parrot world. It is important to note, however, that most parrots seem to simply mimic sounds they hear, not truly understand their vocabulary. (Alex has showed that this is not true of all parrots!) African Grays can imitate not only the sounds of human voices, but also other sounds like phones ringing, microwaves beeping and dogs barking.
Despite their intelligence (or perhaps because of it), Grays are not the ideal pet for most people. They require a tremendous amount of attention. They may be a smart as 3-year-old human children and thus require as much care as a young child. They can not be left in their cages all the time to become bored or lonely, or they may adopt bad habits such as feather-picking (or other self-mutilation).