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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing African grey parrots. Be sure to peck on the sub button, and thank you to Oisin Loughran for today’s request. There are two species of African grey parrots: Congo grey parrots and timneh grey parrots, though for a long time they were considered to be the same species. Today, we’ll be discussing both. African grey parrots are, obviously, grey in color, but they also come with a bright red tail. Timneh grey parrots are usually darker grey and display a more crimson tail. They also tend to have silvery colored eyes, while Congo grey parrots have more yellow in their eye color. Congo grey parrots are also slightly larger. On average, African grey parrots are just over a foot (30.5cm) tall and have wingspans averaging 20 inches (51cm) in length. They’re not so hefty either, weighing less than a pound (450g) on average. I mean, they are hollow-boned birds.

African grey parrots are found in, well, Africa... with timneh grey parrots living closer to the west coast and congo grey parrots living in more central areas. Over the years the range of these birds has diminished due to habitat loss and pressures from the pet trade. At this point, African grey parrots are endangered and sales of African grey parrots are closely monitored and must have corresponding legal documents. This is in an effort to conserve these beautiful birds in their natural habitat, though they just so happen to be some of the most kept bird species by pet owners. Perhaps because they’re exceptionally personable and some of the smartest animals scientists have studied.

African grey parrots can learn multiple words and ideas such as colors and shapes. In some studies they’ve been found to have intelligence similar to five year old children, so it’s no wonder we find them so fascinating. In the wild, this intelligence comes in handy for staying safe. African grey parrots travel in large, loose colonies with individuals sticking to family groups within the colony. Though they spend a lot of their time in trees, African grey parrots do forage for food on the ground. African grey parrots are herbivores and consume seeds, nuts, berries, flowers, bark, and fruit. When they take these foods from the ground, they will do so in small groups, leaving some members behind in the trees to help ensure there’s no sign of danger. They’ll alternate until everybody has had a chance to fill their bellies. Now that’s teamwork! If they are caught off guard, African grey parrots are taken by hawks, vultures, and monkeys as eggs and nestlings.

African grey parrots usually live in lowland forests, mangroves, and wooden savannas, though they can be found more than a mile (1.6km) above sea level. They roost in trees and seem to have a preference for taller trees specifically located on river islands. During breeding season, which coincides with the dry season, African grey parrots will nest in tree holes. These birds remain with the same partner for life and they’ll perform display flights and males will offer food to their females. African grey parrots lay an average of four eggs. Incubation takes about a month, and the babies will leave the nest within three months time. They’ll receive protection from both of their parents as they spend the next few years living with them until they’re ready form their own family groups at about three to five years of age. In captivity, African grey parrots can reach 60 years of age, but in the wild their lifespan averages about a third of that.

For more facts on African grey parrots, check out the links in the description. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files.