Personality

Strangely enough for a bird who tends to have such a big tendency to be fearful and neurotic, the African Grey possesses the most stable temperament in the psittacide world.  As much as he can prove to be rather unruly when he is young, further down the line when he reaches maturity hiss temperament becomes calm and thoughtful. In contrast to other parrots, the Grey does not have the inclination to change his personality or behavior during the mating season, which is in my opinion a very big point in his favor.

In that respect you’ll alos be glad to learn about the African Grey’s mating call, or rather the lack thereof. In fact, this parrot does not really have a recognizable mating call per se, which is good news for the heat of spring – when hormones are raging and most parrots are screaming. However sound-wise they can still drive you crazy: African Greys can make their imitation of the microwave oven beep or other electrical appliance every bit as maddening as a repetitive mating call!

Even though they are less popular, Timneh African parrots have a less sullen character than their Congo cousins. They tend to be less nervous and more rebellious, and also more inclined to do silly things to attract their audience’s attention or simply to have fun.

Behavior

The more intelligent an animal is, the more he is at risk of developing behavioral problems, and as you know, the African Grey is extremely intelligent! For example, only attention-hungry Cockatoos engage in more severe feather plucking than Greys do, so their sensitivity has to be taken into account to avoid similar excesses.

Due largely to his sensitive nature and to his impressive intelligence, the African Grey can react in a very negative way to a clumsy educator or to a coercing training session. This is why training African Greys should never imply forcing them to do what they do not want to, otherwise it is practically certain they will develop a phobic behavior.

Greys only learn through positive reinforcement, therefore educating a Grey should draw more from child pedagogy than from dog training principles.

Socialization

Socialization is a very important consideration when rehoming an African Grey parrot.

In your first days with an African Grey, he will start to weave a very strong link with his perceived partner (be it another bird or a human) and will become totally devoted to him or her. He can become possessive with the latter and aggressive towards their entourage, and even be jealous of his favorite human so much that he will reject all the other members of the family, including other pets.

A good socialization can prevent that problem. Greys are the most gregarious of all parrots and need to feel accepted as full members of their social group (or human family). On the contrary, lack of socialization in his early days could turn your feathered friend into a neurotic adult parrot.

In a word, even if you try to socialize your bird as much as you can (and you should), remember that as they are distrusting, shy and anxious by nature, Greys will not very sociable towards strangers, and in general will not get along with children.

The bottom line

In contrast to what is often heard, the African Grey is a very affectionate bird. In his early childhood, when your Grey has not yet developed a high level of mistrust, it is necessary to handle him often and to let him live safe “adventures”, like seeing different places in the house, or meeting different people and realizing they’re not a threat. Teaching him early on that biting is not a means to communicate will also help. After this stage, your Grey will become a lot more ready to accept new humans and new objects in his familiar environment.

Yahoo Answers:

Question by Bbro55: How can I teach my African Grey Parrot not to drop seeds that I hand feed to him?
I am trying to teach my african grey parrot to eat the foods that I give to him by hand. But every time I give him like, an almond for example, he takes it from me and rubs his tongue along it, then just drops it. Actually, now he just takes it and drops it without doing anything else. Does anybody have a solution of how I can fix this? (Nothing related to starving him please)
thanks for the advice

Best answer:

Answer by M2MM
Greys are very intelligent, and I believe yours is saying “no, thank you.” Put his food in a bowl, but not too much at one time, and leave him to it. He will feed himself. If you are trying to get him interested in a treat, find a treat he really likes (usually the first thing eaten) and withhold it for his treat. Keep in mind, when he’s not hungry, even his favourite treat won’t interest him.

My Grey only drop nuts that I hand him when he’s not interested, otherwise he “hoovers” them up.

What do you think? Answer below in the comments!

Understanding African Greys Behavior and Personality is a post from:

The Different Types of African Grey Parrots

Image by Jim B L

Before you decide to purchase an African Grey parrot as a pet, it is important to know that there are 2 different types of sub-species. They are known as the Congo African Grey – with light grey feathers, deep red tails and black beaks, and the Timneh African Grey, which are smaller in size with a darker charcoal grey color, a darker maroon tail, and a colored horn beak. There is also the lesser known species known as the Ghana African Grey which is similar to the Congo but smaller in size and darker in color and then there is the rare Cameroon African Grey.

These parrots are relatively quiet birds with an average lifespan of 50 to 65 years living on a diet of fruits, nuts and vegetables. It is a good idea to socialize the birds with humans on a regular basis as they tend to be quiet if left alone and thus would only bond with their owners only. When bored, African Greys have the tendency to pluck their own feathers to amuse themselves. In cold climates, this can really affect the bird in keeping themselves warm.

The African Grey parrot is considered the most talented in the parrot family with their ability to mimic human tonality. This is the reason why they are much sought after parrots by bird enthusiasts to keep as pets and also the reason why their prices are much higher than other species of parrots. They are very challenging pets to keep as they don’t like to be petted upon, are also temperamental and may bite hard if stroked. They are lifelong buddies to their owners because of their longevity and it is not uncommon to see these parrots changing hands when their owners give up on them.

African Greys are commonly being bred by breeders for sale due to their high demand. More and more pet owners are finding the joy of keeping these parrots after watching the famous Einstein the talking African Grey parrot and of course, the late Alex as well.

Unlike cats and dogs, it is not a good idea to have African Greys around families with children as these birds bite. Their beaks and claws are sharp and can injure a child, or even older adults. Whatever species of parrot you intend to buy, remember that they require commitment and dedication to upkeep and you need lots and lots of patience nurturing them.

Video Rating: 5 / 5

Yahoo Answers:

Question by bayoubamafan: Best website for buying birds? Any suggestions?
I’m looking for a place online that I can find some sun conures and african grey parrots for sale. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Best answer:

Answer by Bob and Candi T
I would not by stuff off the internet because then are usally almost died or really sick!

Give us the benefit of your knowledge and add your own answer in the comments!

Types of African Grey Parrots is a post from:

Give your bird population the space they need to keep them happy with the large Weston Double Stack Cage.

• With two separate units each cage features one breeder box door and two stainless steel bowls to make caring for your bird a simple task.
• Two slide-out trays and a slide-out grate ease the job of cleaning.
• Each cage’s main door has three locks.
• Customize your bird cage in a variety of non-toxic bird-safe colors.
• This cage has four millimeter bar size and one-inch bar spacing.
• The Weston Double Stack Cage is a wise choice for giving your birds a durable and dependable dwelling.

Exterior Dimensions:

40W x 30D x 74H inches

Interior Dimensions (Each Cage):

40W x 30D x 35H inches

Ideal for:

African Greys Timneh Greys Cockatoos Breeding Pairs Conures Eclectus Single Macaws for Boarding Use Other Medium-to-Large birds

Retail Price: $599.99

Sale Price: $479.98

Weston Double Stack Bird Cage is a post from:

Parrots For Sale

Parrots

It is clear some people want to have parrot as pet. If you are that person, you may be anxious about getting the finest one for your personal satisfaction, care and business. Parrots are for sale all around, and selling such pet is 100% different from selling home commodities. It will need time and dedication.

This will be a guide if you want know what species you would prefer. Here are the descriptions of selected parrots perfect for sale:

1. LOVEBIRDS – very adorable little small breed from Africa, lovebirds can be tamed like common parrots except for the aggressiveness towards opposite sex, the male rubs the perch as a distinct sexual behavior, which is quite disturbing to some owners. They have to be housed in different cages. Generally, lovebirds are excellent in parenting their siblings and very good in breeding.

2. AFRICAN GREYS – More than vanity, this parrot specie is the best sound imitator from among the species. It doesn’t mean this parrot has to be on high sale just because of the talking qualities. Owners getting disappointed with non-talking African Grey specie often tends to neglect their pets afterwards.

3. COCKATIELS – Lovely because of the distinct pointed crown, this specie can learn tricks easily, very affectionate, and can live to a life span of 15 to 20 years given the proper care. The coating on its feather can cause allergies. Cockatiels have this distinct behavior when left in dark, which can cause self-injury.

4. SENEGAL PARROTS – Medium-sized specie good for apartments because of its more quiet behavior. Much adept in imitating sounds of surroundings than distinct speech of people. It is not recommended for outdoor and spacious free walks as it can fly farther and get lost.

5. PARROTLETS – Comes in tiny sizes, this specie have no problem with dark places, considered brave. The voice is quite small, best if you only tolerate chirping when bred in a small flat or room. Prone to accidents, they must be looked after all the time when out of the cage.

6. CANARIES – Specifically attributed to Canary Island, after Romans named it. Canaries have three types. Song Canaries are known for the distinctive voice and singing. Color Canaries have attractive and bright colors, making the collecting of several varieties popular to breeders. Canaries are territorial and not so sociable. From among the parrots, this specie has the sweetest voice.

The sale of parrots worldwide happens silently. It comes with interest and passion, but believe it or not, thinking about the small world you can give to these lovely birds is a journey. Living with parrots is worth a quality life.

Bird Cages For Sale Hand Made Custom Built Cages for Finches and Small Birds Size: Made to order Materials: Wire and Wood or 100% Wood Finish: All cages are finished with FDA approved non-toxic lacquer Features: – Quick access cleaning and filling – Sliding defecation board (poop) – Sliding compartmentalized trough – Outside filling of water cup – Pivoted Flip Door Price: Please Contact – very reasonably priced Location: Toronto Email: paulsbirdcages@rogers.com

Yahoo Answers:

Question by Dana: Lillac Crested Amazon Parrot for sale in southeast Kansas, but I do not know the birds value.?
I am prepared to sell our familys lillac crested amazon parrot, but I have no clue what the value of the bird might be. He is ‘middle aged’ for a parrot, somewhere in the mid- to late 40’s (average lifespan for an amazon is 90 years.) He is in apparant good health, and has been well cared for during his lifetime. We have had the bird for 11 years. He of course would be sold with his cage, toys, feeding trays and bottle, and a supply of food included. Any ideas what an appropriate selling price would be?

Best answer:

Answer by paintedrain2
Someone in my area, is selling their “Lilac Crowned Amazon”. Not sure if that’s similar or the same as the Crested. Anyways, their asking price is 0.

Give us the benefit of your knowledge and add your own answer in the comments!

Parrots For Sale is a post from:

Looking for the perfect home for your bird?

• Look no further than the Jasmine XL Bird Cage from Marvelous Pet Supplies.
• This cage features twist door locks that are easy for you to open though not so easy for your bird.
• The cage features innovative feeder cups that keep your bird from escaping while changing food.
• The frame’s design also allows you to rotate the cage for optimal viewing.
• It’s an ideal home for cockatiels parakeets conures and African Greys.
• Complete with a round cage and stand the unit can be assembled in just minutes with no tools required.
• This cage comes in a variety of beautiful colors making it an attractive addition to your home.

About Marvelous Pet Supplies LLC

• Picking out a home for your bird is easy with products from Marvelous Pet Supplies.
• The company based in Brooklyn N.Y. is dedicated to providing pet owners with top-quality bird cages that also stand alone as art objects.
• The company strives for the highest standards of design.
• Your bird deserves more than just an ordinary cage and Marvelous Pet Supplies takes that into consideration.
• Consumers are offered features such as two-toned colors cages that are easy to clean and assemble rounded skirts and patent-pending unique designs.
• Make your bird happy as a lark by picking products from Marvelous Pet Supplies.

Retail Price: $499.99

Sale Price: $409.99

Jasmine XL Bird Cage is a post from:

Food For African Grey Parrots

African Grey Parrots

African Grey parrots’ food must not be only seed, however. Such an incomplete, imbalanced diet is likely to cause illness. Seeds are high in fat and carbohydrates, and your African Grey will probably pick out its favorite seeds, making the diet even less balanced.

Most parrot experts agree that an African Grey parrots food needs can only be met with a formula diet supplemented with a variety of other foods.

Organic Pellets

What is a formula diet for an African Grey? Organic pellets. I say “organic” pellets because many of the conventional pellets have unhealthy ingredients. Some have even been noted as containing potentially toxic ingredients.

African Grey parrots’ food should never contain menadione. If the pellets you are considering for your African Grey list menadione as an ingredient, read on. The FDA requires a warning on every bag of food that contains it. That warning must read, “Person who handles needs to wear protective outfit, gloves, mask, and glasses.”

Menadione may be added to give your African Grey additional vitamin K. A better option is to provide full spectrum light for your parrot. An African Grey will get vitamin K from the light, just as it would if living outdoors.

Organic pellets also let your African Grey avoid the high quantities of sugar in colored pellets. Most African Grey parrot owners care enough about the bird in which they’ve invested so much money, that they don’t want to give it a diet that is high in sugar.

African Grey parrots’ food that is based on organic pellets will be free of contaminants that might be found in other pellets. In the U.S., government regulations force companies making organic parrot food not to use pesticides or other contaminants.

In addition to a basic, formulated pellet food, African Greys need many of the same food you eat.

1. Fresh vegetables: Offer your African Grey a wide variety of vegetables, raw or cooked. Think bright, deep colors for the most nutrition. Most vegetables that offer high nutrition to you and your family will be good for your parrot as well. Cooked legumes such as beans and lentils are good. Sprouted seeds are also good. Your African Grey will love them. To avoid contaminants such as pesticides, you may want to use organic vegetables for African Grey parrots’ food.

2. Fresh fruits: In the wild, African Greys eat fruit freely. The trick is to keep your parrot from filling up on its favorite food and neglecting pellets and vegetables. As with vegetables, choose bright, rich colors in fruit for the most nutrition. Also, purchase organic if possible.

3. Other supplemental foods: African Grey parrots enjoy cooked eggs and small amounts of yogurt now and then. African Greys are more prone than some parrots to calcium deficiency, so you may leave the egg shell on the hard boiled egg, if you wish. You should not need to give your parrot calcium supplements if you are using a good organic pellet food. You may give a few seeds as a treat, but go easy on them.

No, Thank You

African Grey parrots’ food dishes should never contain avocado, chocolate, or rhubarb. They should not contain any human junk foods or processed meats either. It should go without saying, but your African Grey should never be given anything containing caffeine or alcohol.

Water, Please

Remember, when thinking of your African Grey’s dietary needs, that it should have fresh, clean water in its cage at all times.

Helpful Tip

For healthy African Greys, be sure you clean the food and water dishes every day. If your parrot decides on an impromptu bath, wait until it is done, wash the water dish, and give it a fresh supply of water.

By: Anna Hart

Yahoo Answers:

Question by UR: Does anyone know of a good website where i could buy parrot food?
Hi,
I’m looking for a good reputable website where i could buy
Higgins mayan celestial mix parrot food,

Best answer:

Answer by Big Rigger
Try Drsfostersmith.com

Give us your answer to this question below!

African Grey Parrots Food is a post from:

The Ceana Clean Life Flight Cage offers a longer plastic base to provide a roomy flight cage-environment for multiples of small birds or one or two larger birds. Its elevated body mesh prevents seed catch-points along the bottom of the cage while lower-positioned food and water cups help keep the mess inside the cage and off your floor. Includes two plastic cups and two perches.

Retail Price: $89.99

Sale Price: $79.99

Ceana Clean Life Flight Cage is a post from:

The African Grey parrot breeder is today using many exciting and diverse methods to improve the breeding techniques for African greys.  This is encouraging smaller parrot breeders to enter the business with confidence of being successful. However, all parrot breeders need take notice of the behavior experts with regard to the best ways to rear these birds.

Two Major Factors That Need To Be Considered:

The first factor to consider is the understanding of these birds habitat in the wild, also how they interact within the flocks. By taking note of this the African Grey parrot breeder can incorporate these qualities when breeding captive birds, which will bring out the true essence of these birds.

The second factor to take into account the intelligence of the African Grey parrot, which as enabled these birds to thrive and to survive in the wild, making them true survivors. Therefore, it is important for the African Grey parrot breeder to harness and developed these traits within future generations so they will be able to adapt to the changing environment created by man.

It’s also important  to realize how complex and sensitive the personality of these parrots is, in order to preserve this within the birds they are breeding, thereby protecting the characteristics and future generations.

Besides, given the reality that the African Grey parrot is such a enchanting bird that also has a most lovable persona the breed should be fostered in the fullest possible way, and so as well as determining its breeding patterns, it is also essential to discover what correct African Grey parrot care requires.

Consequently, prior to addressing anything else, you should realize at the start that you have to acknowledge what it takes to provide suitable African Grey parrot care. This is most effective accomplished once you have the appropriate knowledge concerning the character and traits of the African Grey and to also realize what it takes to rear and keep it as a pet.

Without doubt, an African Grey parrot breeder also needs to see to it that the correct techniques of breeding are adopted, such as keeping baby parrots in cardboard containers after they have progressed from incubators. These boxes will interfere with the baby’s sight and therefore the breeder should provide it with playthings, and also feed the baby bird with freshly prepared food. These are a small example of the type of techniques a good African Grey parrot breeder should try to abide by in order to see to it that future generations of the breed thrive and develop into stronger and more intelligent African Grey parrots.

This is Zephyr or Zeph, my Congo African Grey parrot, mumbling various phrases, whistling, and talking to my dog, or rather imitating me talking to my dog, boyfriend and rabbit (their nicknames). He is six years old and remembers even his first words. It always amazes me when he blurts out some phrase he used to favor 4 years ago. But they have amazing memories. He responds to body language and situations with language too – so it’s not always about mimicking, but associating proper words with the right situation. With this video, he’s just going through the motions though – he will not speak if I’m in front of him like I said.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Yahoo Answers:

Question by gibson_sg234: What do i do about my African Grey parrot?
We’ve had an african grey parrot for just over a year now and lately he’s gone crazy.He’s screaches really loud whenever someone walks out room,gets down onto the floor and he’s biting the skirting board and any wood he can find.we have put wood in his cage and he does bite that but my family wants to get rid of him now is there anything we can do to stop him doing it.

Best answer:

Answer by wrey1
Keep him in the cage when unsupervised. When he screeches when anyone leaves the room you have to ignore this behavior so he isnt rewarded. When he is quiet and and you come in the room make sure to praise him for being a good bird.
He is screeching to get your attention, you can not acknowledge this behavior as he will be getting his way.
Make sure he is occupied in his cage with lots of toys that are switched out often.
Maybe it is best to find him a new home as birds are challenging and loud creatures and this behavior usually gets worse with age.

What do you think? Answer below!

African Grey Parrot Breeder – Learn About Caring For Your Parrot is a post from:

Some Potential Parrot Problems

Are you thinking of keeping parrots?  Then there are a few possible potential parrot problems that you should take into consideration, this may include the pets you already own, the amount of space in the home, the amount of money you have available for your extra pet, will you have enough time to spend with your new friend, the number of children in your home, are you allowed to keep pets in your apartment, and lastly, the noise levels (parrots do make a lot of noise)

Keeping a Quaker parrot can be a fantastic experience, especially when they have learned to talk, because they are great mimics on talkers once they get started there will have you in fits of laughter, and you will be able to have conversations with them making them great company.

Parrot Problems In The Home:

1.. One of the first parrot problems that you will have to sort out is the other pets in your home and so, if you already have cats, then keeping parrots in the home would not be such a good idea, though a dog might actually enjoy the company of parrots.

2.. The second of the parrot problems but you will need to think about is the amount of space in your home, we should be large enough to accommodate a parrot and its cage. You may have to consider a large cage at his floor standing, if you’re considering large parrots, such as Macaws, Amazons, African greys and the Quaker parrot, however,  Amazons as well as African Grays and Quaker parrot , while the smaller varieties of parrots that would not require a large cage including Conures, Cockatiels and Parakeets.

3.. Thirdly, you will have to make sure all the budget it off to spend on the upkeep and welfare of your parrots, and the amount you will have to pay to purchase it.  You can expect African greys and Cockatoos  to cost you between $2000 and $5000, Amazons will probably set you back between $1000 and $2000, so as you can see these birds are very expensive.

4.. Next, you have to make sure you have the time available to devote to your new pet parrot, which will  require a minimum of half an out the day to spend with it. Remember, parrots are very sociable creatures.

5.. The fifth of the parrot problems is the amount of noise that you and your family, and possibly neighbors will have to tolerate.

If you have small children in your home you will have to make sure they won’t handle the parrots in a rough way.  In fact, it will be a good idea to introduce your new parrot in a problem manner to your children, showing them how to behave and handle them.

In conclusion, makes sure that you are allowed to keep pets in your property, so check your deeds before you buy your new feathered friend.

Hopefully, you will have found this article on potential parrot problems helpful

Potential Parrot Problems is a post from: