Introduction to the Grey Parrot

Well, I started this Blog to kind of keep track of my day-to-day life with Cody and Cash, I guess that's the whole point of these things, kind of like a diary without being so private.  If anyone decides to read, don't be shy to criticize (constructively!), but please try to be nice and polite about it.  


So, since this is about sharing my life with Grey Parrots, for starters I will share some info about this species, so that anyone reading can get a feel about these birds if they are not familiar with them already.  By no means is this information complete.  It'll also give me a chance to break the ice without starting to talk about everyday and more personal stuff, until I get the hang of that. 

The Grey Parrot is also known by its scientific name Psittacus erithacus. The genus name Psittacus actually means parrot in Latin, while the species name erithacus is said to translate to something along the lines of "a bit of red." From what I have found, the prefix erythro=red, while acus=sharp or needle-like, probably referring to the red tail.  This tail is neither sharp nor needle like, but it's probably meant in the way that the color is well defined and in a specific area, at least that is my take on it.  The genus is monotypic, meaning it is only comprised of one species.  This parrot with a bit of red occurs in two subspecies; P.e.erithacus and P.e.timneh who is known as the Timneh Grey Parrot.  The two ssp. have separate ranges and inhabit forest and woodland habitats in Central and Western Africa.  


Here is a map to give you all a better idea:

[picture borrowed from http://www.wingscentral.org/aps/Grey.aspx]

These two different subspecies share many similarities, but are also quite different even to the casual observer.  The nominate ssp. (whom I will refer to as the African Grey) is larger and lighter is color and has a bright red tail. As you can see, the Timneh Grey has a much smaller distribution, and it is thought to be named after the Temne tribe with whom they share part of their range.  Maybe the Timne people have even kept these parrots as pets. The Timneh Grey is a bit smaller and has a darker grey plumage, as well as a darker burgundy colored tail and a horn colored upper mandible (as opposed to the solid black beak of the African Grey).

Here is a picture of my two birds that illustrates the physical differences. The bird on the right is Cash the Timneh, the other is Cody. 

  

Now, going about the internet, you will see terms such as "CAG" and "TAG" to refer to the subspecies.  These acronyms stand for Congo African Grey and Timneh African Grey.  "Congo" is kind of a misnomer, because not all "CAGs" were originally from the Congo.  The nickname was bestowed upon P.e.erithacus to differentiate the Grey Parrots with the bright red tails from the Timnehs.  It is thought that during that time, these birds were mostly being shipping in from what was the Congo, but the name stuck even through the times where birds were not from that region.  Such is why I chose to not refer to the subspecies as "Congo", as it is not really the real name of the subspecies, so to each his own.

You may also see terms like "Cameroon Grey", which does not refer to a different subspecies but rather a variant of P.e.erithacus that is said to display lighter silver plumage as well as a larger size.  African Greys may tend to get larger and lighter the more eastward their range, but it's unclear whether the Cameroon variation is actually a  regional variation or just a marketing scam.  Maybe this "line" hasn't always been kept pure even if it did exist at one point.  It seems to be agreed among many, that breeders claiming to sell "Cameroons" for much higher prices are probably just trying to trick someone out of their money by making them think they are getting something special.  A (nominate) Grey is a Grey is a Grey, regardless of where their parentage supposedly came from or the shade of their plumage.

Here is a closeup picture of Cody that shows off her light, silvery plumage. She is much lighter then any Grey I have ever met in person. You will notice that her wing feathers (primary remiges excluded) are nearly the same color as her underside feathers.  But she would not be considered a Cameroon, even by those who swear by the variant, since she is quite small (just under 400g). I am just mentioning her color to show that there can be quite a noticeable color variation among African Greys within the same subspecies.

      

Grey Parrots are among a few species of parrot that flock solely with their own kind.  They flock in large numbers that can exceed a couple of hundred birds.  They are partial ground feeders and birds inhabiting the Congo Basin and surrounding areas can often be found flocking around clearings that were made, over time, by the African Forest Elephants.  They like to nest in palm trees as well as eat the oily fruit that these same trees bear.  It is said that Greys Parrots will feed almost solely on the palm fruit when it is available.  

Many, such as myself, like to supplement their Greys' diet with some red palm oil, since it is something close to what they would eat in the wild.  But don't overdo it either, our parrots' sedentary lifestyle uses up much, much less energy then that of their wild cousins.  There are many brands out there to chose from, both targeted for people and for parrots, just make sure that the oil is actually from the palm fruit itself and not the kernel and that it is being harvested without destroying the forests.  I like to use Harrison's Sunshine Factor, and for an added bonus it comes in an opaque glass jar.  My mom always told me to buy olive oil in such a bottle so that the oil doesn't leach from any plastic and the dark glass helps protect it from light.  So, for what it's worth, I tend to apply this towards my choice for a red palm oil as well. For those of you in the USA, you can get fresh palm fruit and some other cool stuff from The Cozy Nestbox.  I can hardly wait until we Canadians can get our hands on this stuff more readily!  Well, got a bit side tracked there regarding the info on wild Greys...     

Here are two videos demonstrating the African Grey's habitat, one of which shows them among the African Forest Elephants and the other showing them eating the palm fruit.  These videos are from a great site called Arkive, where you can find tons of pictures and videos of all sorts of animals in their natural habitats.  I have yet to find a video on wild Timnehs, maybe this is due to all the crazy stuff going on in their neck of the woods (Liberia, Sierra Leone), I can't blame researchers for not wanting to venture into those forests.  If you know of any videos on wild Timneh, please share them!  So, here are the two videos, there are no disturbing images such as trapping.  You may want to turn your volume down a bit just in case for the first video if your Greys are in earshot, I don't know what all the squawking is about.  Though the vocalizations do not seem to bother my birds at all.

[African Greys foraging among the Forest Elephants - click to be taken to video]

[African Greys feeding on palm fruit - click to be taken to video]

As you can see by the videos, African Greys are not only very gregarious, but they are also parrots that flock in large numbers of only their own kind. They tend to come down to the ground in waves, while some birds stay up in the trees and serve as lookouts. They fly in unison almost like they are a single entity, unlike some other parrots that may come together just to feed and fly off as a pair or family unit.  In order for animals to be synchronized like this, they must be very in tune to one another and able to pick up on the slightest of cues and be able to react to them quickly, be it for taking off as a flock when a danger is perceived or changing course while on the wing.  This may lend itself to th African Grey's reputation as being a more nervous bird.  I don't really see my Greys are being nervous at all, but they are very aware and tend to react fast, which may give some people the impression of nervousness or turn into nervousness quickly if the bird does not feel like it's environment is secure.  People living with African Greys have said that they are often surprised by how their birds seem to "read their minds" in certain situations.  While I agree that Greys are amazing birds, I don't think of them as having "psychic abilities", but rather they are just very observant and in tune to their flock and they may tend to pick up on very slight cues from us and react to these cues appropriately.  


African Greys are also a species of parrot that produces powder down, a special type of feather that continously grows and disintegrates to supply the bird with a fine, waxy powder that it speads over it's feathers while preening. These feathers are located on the bird's flanks (on the body under the wing). African Greys also have a uropygial (oil) gland, which is relatively large compared to other parrot species.  This gland is located on the bird's back, just above the base of the tail. The oil and powder are used to help waterproof and protect the feathers as well as keep them clean. 


Here is a picture of the powder down feathers.  Though Cash was cooperative, his feathers were not, and I had trouble keeping the contour feathers back in order to see the powder down.  If you look in the circled area, between the larger feathers, you will see a couple or shorter feathers with a thicker base: these are the powder down feathers.

The dust produced by these parrots can be irritating to some people, either physically (itchy eyes, allergies, trouble breathing, etc) or psychologically (cleaning it up or seeing it on stuff bothers them, etc), and must really be taken into consideration before deciding to live with one of these birds.  A good HEPA filter is a must when living with a Grey, as much for your respiratory health as for the health of the Grey and other birds in the home. Even then, you will probably never catch all the dust.  Macaws are known for sometimes developing pulmonary hypersensitivity (sort of like asthma) because of this dust.  Great care should be taken when deciding to add a dusty bird to a home with Macaws or other South American species where either the species or the individual bird may be predisposed towards respiratory troubles.

Like all birds and Parrots, African Greys have sensitive respiratory systems and certain common household items that seem benign to us can make them very sick or even kill them.  PTFE (aka Teflon) produces fumes when heated that is deadly for birds.  Teflon coating can be found on pots, frying pans, grills, cookie sheets, muffin tins, hair dryers, space heaters, furniture ScotchGuard, and microwaves, to name a few things.  Other dangers include cleaning products; things like Febreze and other deodorisers and perfumes; hairsprays and dyes; candles (both scented and unscented); smoking; paint, varnishes and polishes; the fumes that come off from new furniture, both upholstered and glued (melamine, etc); new carpeting; anything aerosol that wasen't already mentioned; using your oven's self-cleaning feature, etc.   If in doubt, better to be safe then sorry, don't take a chance.  If it smells strong it is to be considered dangerous, but just because the fumes may be odorless to us, doesn't mean there is no danger.  Think of your Grey like a Canary in a coal mine, just because some household items do not make you get sick or drop dead, doesn't mean they will not be doing you any long-term harm.  I often wonder how good all these Febreze and plug-in things are for people in the long run.  It may seem like a pain to have to change so many household habits, but as far as I'm concerned, I like not having all sorts of chemicals around the house anyways.

I tried to get a picture of the uropygial gland, but it has proved impossible for me to hold a bird and a camera while trying to exposed the gland from under the surrounding feathers.  So, it will have to wait until I can catch a shot.  It is kind of like a wick that secretes oil that the bird rubs over it's feathers.  This  gland also produces precursers to vitamin D which are present in the oil and are activated when the bird is exposed to ultraviolet light, such as unfiltered sunlight.  Like with us, vitamin D is needed for the absorbtion of calcium.  There are full-spectrum bird lights on the market said to replicate the UV from the sun, but whenever possible nothing beats good old natural sunshine.  Never leave a bird in the sun or heat unattended or unable to seek shade if he desires, remember we can also benefit from the suns rays even in the shade.  

African Greys, like all parrots, require a nutritious and varied diet in order to stay healthy. We now have formulated diets (pellets) on the market to help us provide more adequate nutrition, but not all brands are created equal.  There are many different opinions regarding the feeding of pellets (which brands to feed, in what % of the diet, colored or not) and if it is even necessary or good to feed them at all.   I think most can agree that pellets should not be fed as the birds sole diet (as opposed to what some manufacturers suggest).  Foods to avoid completely would include avocados; caffeine; chocolate; raw patatoes, onions and yams; raw mean; very fatty, sugary or salty food; alcohol; food that may be spoiled or moldy (if in doubt, throw it out).  Sprouts and fresh foods (especially cooked) spoil fast and should not be left in the cage for more then an hour or two.  Many of these things are common sense, but if you are unsure of a food item, research it first or call your vet.  It is best to feed organic when possible, all the time if you can.  If you can't, here is a list of the foods that are most contaminated with pesticides and fungicides, and at the very least these foods should be avoided when organic is not available.  

As far as I am concerned, I think the best way to go is a naturel and fresh diet.  I feed a sprout mix almost daily (unless I miss a beat and don't have enough), along with fresh vegetables (dark green veggies and leafy greens like kale, dandelion, chard, broccoli; bright orange veggies like sweet potato, squash and carrots; etc), some cooked graines (like quinoa) and some nuts, fruit and seeds in moderation.  My birds also get some pellets almost daily, but I see them more like adding a multivitamin to round off the diet, rather then a primary food source.  My brands of choice are Totally Organic Pellets and Harrison's.  I like to order my sprouts from Mumm's, not only do they offer free shipping to Canadians with a small order (free shipping is available to the USA too, but the minimum order is a little higher), but they also have a great variety and their products have always sprouted beautifully for me.  

Living with an African Grey (or Greys!) can be a very rewarding experience, but it also requires a lot of work, time, patience and sacrifice to care for these animals.  Not to mention a sense of humor helps a lot, sometimes it's better to laugh about something then slowly go nuts!    

Our pet Greys are only a few generations removed from the wild at most, they were not born to live in a cage in a home, nor to be away from their own kind. We force this upon them and we have to understand that it takes a lot of work to keep these intelligent birds stimulated and help them feel happy and secure in this artificial world.  

There are many, many, many other things to consider when thinking of adding a Grey to your home or any other parrot.  This post is just sort of an intro to the species. There are many ressources available to you to help you learn about dangers, proper care, housing, foraging, enrichement, feeding, safety and to help you decide if a Grey Parrot may be right for your family.  Maybe I will add more about these subjects and what I have learned when I have a chance to do so.  You can check some links on the top right of this Blog, I should be adding more and more periodically.

Thanks for reading and take care. 

:)