Caring For an African Grey Parrot
Like toddlers, African grey parrots can become bored quickly and require plenty of stimulation to avoid problems with their behavior. They can become destructive or shout if they don't get enough stimulation.
Highly intelligent, they are the best mimics of all parrot species and can understand human speech. The trade in pet animals and habitat destruction are the main threats to them.
Feeding
The dietary requirements of African greys differ from other large psittacines. Although they are omnivores in the wild, they are more attracted to seeds over vegetables and fruits.
In captivity they are more likely to eat fruits and leafy greens rather than seeds. It is also essential to monitor the quality and quantity of their diets as they are susceptible to excess weight and calcium deficiency. Pellets or complete crumbles are suggested to make up 75% of a parrot's daily diet.
Ideal diets should consist of pellets, seeds and freshly prepared food items. A good ratio would be 60% pellets, 10% seed and 30% fresh foods. Some of the best options are spinach, kale silverbeet, pak choi, broccoli, carrots and sweetcorn. Also, native plants and sprouting grasses such as dandelion leaves sweetcorn and endive are good choices. However, you should avoid cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and cauliflower as they are rich in oxalic acid. This could hinder the absorption of calcium into the body.
Nuts are a rich source of nutrients to a diet, but they should be fed sparingly because of their fat content. They are rich in protein, healthy fats, as well as vitamins and minerals.
The rest of your diet should consist of a mix of vegetables and fruits. Avocado is harmful to psittacines. Other foods that are toxic include chocolate, alcohol and coffee and raw potatoes. Similar to parrots, if a bird eats too many berries they may suffer from yeast problems in their digestive tract.
A balanced diet is an excellent way to keep an African grey parrot content and healthy. It is essential to monitor the bird's weight, and to introduce new foods in small amounts. It is beneficial to weigh the bird daily to ensure that any changes can be observed and quickly corrected. Offering the bird regularly water is an excellent idea too. This will help prevent dehydration and bacterial infections. It is also essential to remove any food that is not eaten from the cage or play area since it can spoil and lead to health problems for your parrot.
Training
Parrots are highly intelligent and can easily learn to speak, though it may take days or even weeks to repeat the words they hear. A highly-trained parrot can also respond to cues and do simple tricks. These activities keep the bird's brain stimulated and prevent them from becoming bored. grey african parrot of boredom can be detrimental to behavior, such as feather picking or destructive chewing. These problems require professional intervention.
It's important to avoid bonding too strongly as a pet that becomes too attached to one can become territorial and agressive towards others. This could be extremely dangerous for children, elderly people or those suffering from allergies. To avoid this everyone in the household should spend some time every day with the parrot in various ways. This will help the bird become more comfortable when touched by everyone in the family and decrease the likelihood that it will develop an overprotective behavior.
A parrot that is bonded to one person will typically begin pecking and biting at other family members or visitors when they attempt to pet it or even touch it. To prevent this from happening, family members should each take turns rubbing the bird or putting it into its cage. If a parrot is displaying aggressive behavior it should be returned to its cage for some time and not handled until it is calmed down.
During the petting sessions be aware of the areas that are referred to as "blood feathers" or "pinfeathers." These feathers have a blood supply and can bleed when they are brushed against. If a blood feather is found to be exposed, it must be immediately clipped and replaced with a new feather.
Family members should also be taught to greet and say goodbye to the bird. The bird should also be taught to identify food items or toys. This will make it easier for the bird to learn to speak, and will allow it to communicate with other family members without needing to be physically present.
Health
While the African grey is among the most intelligent parrots around the world, it can become bored and engage in destructive behavior in the absence of toys or other opportunities to stimulate its mind. It also requires a lot of mental stimulation to avoid self-mutilation and feather picks as well as excessive screaming. Parrots aren't cheap to acquire - the initial costs are expensive and they need constant new toys that will be destroyed quickly, plus food. They can also be susceptible to infections, which could be costly to treat.
These highly social birds need plenty of interaction with their human counterparts, which includes hours of playtime that includes games or puzzles, as well as lessons. To stay strong and healthy they should exercise for hours a day and out of their cage. The cage should be large enough for them to move around freely and spread their wings. It should be clean, safe and constructed from non-toxic materials. It should include a variety of perches, with different heights and textures so that the birds can change between them. A roost is also required, which is usually a wooden post or concrete perch in the corner of the cage.
The parrots should always have clean water available and this should be changed daily. They should be fed a variety of dark leafy greens and vegetables and should limit their treats to 10 percent of their diet. They should be offered a wide range of nuts and seeds as well. High-quality, formulated pellets or granules should constitute around 75% of the food.
The majority of parrot disease issues are caused by a long-term nutritional imbalance. Minor issues can result in poor growth, poor plumage quality or breeding performance. More severe changes could manifest themselves as specific disease-related entities. Many of these are preventable through regular check-ups by an avian veterinarian and proper diet management.
You can also read about how to care for yourself.
African greys require mental stimulation and lots of attention in order to be content. If a bird is bored, it could display negative behaviors like aggression, self-mutilation, or feather picking. It is crucial to conduct regular veterinary exams, fecal screening and vaccinations performed to ensure that your pet is healthy.
African greys are monogamous and form a dedicated pair bond which incubate eggs for up to 30 days, and caring for the babies until they reach 10 weeks of age. They are able to fly and are among the most intelligent species of birds. They can live for a long time and often outlive their owners, making them a popular pet worldwide.
They are extremely adaptable and can adapt to many different environments. However, they prefer a natural setting with plenty of trees and perches. They can use their feet to balance and perch - with two faces back on each foot and two facing forward on each foot, exactly as humans do. Their beaks are short and have an upper mandible with a curvature that fits neatly over the lower to help them crack open nuts and seeds, and their powerful grip can rip through wood and bark.
In the wild, African greys will eat fruits, nuts seeds, dark leafy greens as a part of their balanced diet. However, seeds should make less than five percent of the total diet and should be supplemented by high-quality formulated pellets and crumbles that reduce the emergence of pickiness. Additionally, buy african grey should be offered a variety fresh vegetables, fruits and cooked beans and lentils. Fresh water should be available and cage maintenance is essential on a regular basis. If the diet is not complete, supplements such as vitamin D or calcium may be required.
The World Parrot Trust is working tirelessly to protect Grey & Timneh Parrots and their habitats. However, their numbers are declining due to illegal trade. They are protected under the Endangered Species Act and the Wild Bird Conservation Act in the United States and receive the most protection under CITES (International Trade in Species Controlled). Discover more about these amazing parrots in our parrot dictionary!