World of Birds: African Greys Parrots

Main Information

Length: 33 cm long.

Average Weight: From 400 to 500 grams.

Wingspan: From 46–52 cm.

Average Life: 50-80 years.

Best Nutrition: variety is the key, fresh veggies and fruits, seeds & pellets.

Vocals: They rather whistling than talking. Males are the best.

Popularity: Western Africa (Ghana, Zaire, Congo, Cameroon).

Sexual Maturity: 5 to 7 years.

Egg Incubation Time: 17 to 24 days.

Eggs: Average laid 1 to 5.

Average cost: $600 to $2000.

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Details :

African Greys are found in the rain forests of central and western Africa.
Healthy greys can live from 50 to 80 years.
Temperature range from high 60′s F to high 70′s F is ideal. They like humidity and a range of 35% to 50% is good. Locate a grey away from direct sun, heat and air conditioning sources. Cage size varies according to the size of the bird, but generally a cage size of 20 X 24 is the minimum recommended size with at least 3/4 inch bar spacing. Perch size from 1 inch to 2 inches in diameter.
African Greys can be hardy eaters and will generally eat what you eat. As a rule, feed your grey fresh fruits and vegetables, cooked vegetables, cooked chicken, no salt nuts, cooked eggs, low salt crackers and of course a high quality kibble or pellet food made specifically for the African Grey. Never feed your bird avocado or chocolate.
An African Grey with a fully developed set of flight feathers is very fast in the air. Their flight patterns resemble a dove in flight.
Always take your grey to an avian vet for any medical treatment. Avian vets are trained specifically to work with exotic birds whereas a general practicing vet may not be familiar with their needs and treatments.
young, hand-fed and well socialized Congo African Grey can range from $600 to $2000, plus cage, toys and food costs.

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Read more .....

Most breeders and most bird experts contend that the African Grey parrotis the most intelligent bird in the parrot family. Studies have shown that African Grey parrots have an uncanny ability to mimic human speech. Other studies also show that African Grey parrots not only mimic sounds and human words, they also know how to use the words in the right context.

If you are a new African Grey owner and are excited about teaching your African Grey to speak, here are some useful tips that you can take. Don’t worry, the steps are easy enough for you to do and even easier for you parrot. However, be mindful that African Grey parrots start talking at about 18 months. Don’t rush a baby parrot into talking full sentences .....
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1) Develop trust with your African Grey parrot, first and foremost. You cannot expect a parrot to learn much if he does not trust you. In the wild, African Grey parrots are considered prime meat for certain predators. You, being larger than your pet, could be considered a predator by the pet that you love. To keep him from being distrustful of you, play with him every day. This will show your pet that you do not mean him any harm.

2) Choose a certain time each day to train your African Grey parrot to speak. This should be the time of the day when your parrot is relaxed. Don’t even attempt to teach him how to talk when he has a new toy or he is busy eating. Your efforts to teach him new words will prove worthless.

3) Take your African Grey parrot to a location away from his cage. The unfamiliar surroundings will make your parrot feel less familiar and could respond positively to your instruction. Also, when your parrot is in his cage, he can do what he usually does inside his cage and not focus on what you are trying to make him do.

4) Start teaching your African Grey parrot to say simple words. Don’t start with difficult words the first time. You can start with words that are names of things that your pet usually interacts with every day. These may include water, food, or any other favorite item of your pet. The connection that your parrot makes with the word and the actual object could make saying their names easier for your African Grey.

5) Armed with the chosen word for the day, prepare treats to give to your pet if he repeats the word you are trying to teach him. The reward could be his favorite food. Each time he says the desired word, reward him with the treat. This will make your parrot want to repeat the word over and over again just to get a hand on those yummy treats.

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Following the five steps in teaching your African Grey parrot to talk are sure-fire ways to get your pet to talk in no time! However, if your pet seems unwilling to learn, don’t get frustrated. You have more days to come with your pet parrot. Just be patient and continue teaching him. Sooner or later, he will start speaking.

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