African Grey Parrots (A Note)

For the full blog post on African Greys typical needs, and the responsibilities etc, please read post below. 

African Grey Parrot (in natural environment)

Here I wanted to make note of something that I failed to mention in my previous post.  






African Greys are wild animals.


Wait what? 


How do we define domestic animals? Dictionary.com: an animal, as the horse or cat, that has been tamed and kept by humans as a work animal, food source, or pet, especially a member of those species that have, through selective breeding, become notably different from their wild ancestors.

The first domestic animal that might come to mind is the dog. Dogs, first descended from wolves, have lived in close companionship with humans for thousands of years. There appearance is notably removed from their wild counterparts. Human selective breeding has differentiated them greatly, from the chihuahua (my least favorite dog...=w=) to great danes. 

Dog and Wolf (note the differences!)

  So I was watching a documentary on studies done on wolves and dogs to differentiate them based on intelligence, obedience, cooperation, fierceness etc. Through a series of tests that I think I'll leave to a later post...


Conclusion? Thousands of lines of domestication has bred good-tempered dogs more likely to listen to a human, an in-born respect for the two legged primate. Wolves, not so much. I think I should also mention wolves aren't as fierce as one might think. They don't kill unless they're hungry. And they are probably as wary as you are of them. So as long as you don't look too much like lunch, you're probably fine.

That's why wolf-dog hybrids are a cause for concern. The poor animal is left with an identity crisis. But the details of that are for a later post. 


In the meantime, back to African Grey Parrots. 
Unlike dogs, or cats, or even horses and cows, African Greys have not seen thousands, or even hundreds of years of companionship with humans. 
This is what they look like in the wild. 



Notice how much difference there is between the one kept as pets and the ones in the wild. That's right: not that much. 


African Greys have been kept as pets by many over the thousands of years, but extensive breeding programs hasn't exactly happened. The result of that? When you bring home a Grey, you're essentially bringing home a wild animal. Although they can adapt well to a home environment given the time, too many owners have expected it of their Greys. 

Prospective owners, all too easily, bring home a Grey, excitedly planning all the words it will say, all the tricks it will learn, how cool it would be to have it ride around on their shoulder and have others gawk at them. I mean, how much work can this little bundle of grey and red take (see below post)?


While this isn't always the case of course, if one were to bring home a Grey with only those in mind, they're in for a rude awakening! 
They might find that their grey...

• Chews EVERYTHING
• Poops all over the place
• DOESN'T TALK 
• Needs LOADS of attention

And pretty soon, the bird is booted out to a sanctuary nearby. 
This isn't exactly doing the poor thing justice. A few things this failed owner failed to realize:

• Babies don't just come with their vocabulary at hand; neither do Greys, both have to pick it up from lots of interaction; on the other hand how much parrot do we speak?
• Greys chew, this is their natural behaviour
• They poop all over the place, because they need to be toilet trained
• If you notice the video above, greys don't ever get bored or too little attention with the whole flock. A Grey in home will need loads of attention! 

 

Pair of African Greys being fed

 Which is why it becomes all the more rewarding when your Grey actually wants to be with you, eat with you, sit with you, be cuddled by you... that feeling that a wild animal accepts you as a friend is like no other. It's all worth it at the end. 


A final note, and a very important note. Make sure that when you get your parrot, it is captive bred. 


What does captive bred mean? It means the parents of your to-be pet Grey was captive to begin with and not captured. 


Due to the recent rise in Grey popularity and therefore, the demand for Greys, wild capturing for the pet trade is also on the rise. The natural distribution of this species belongs in central west Africa. Due to destruction of its wild habitat and capturing, the wild population is getting smaller. 

Distribution of African Greys (and it's getting smaller)

 

 

 

Wild populations can't sustain the capturing of parrots for the trade. 


The conservation status of African Greys currently sits at near-threatened and the species is listed under appendix II. 

Appendix II is for the protection of species that, although not necessarily yet threatened with extinction, can be unless trade is prohibited or strictly regulated. Whether that will help the species has yet to be seen, however. 

A crate of Greys destined for USA. Some may die in the process.

It is crucial to note that as you may know, dear reader, African Greys are very long lived. That being said, because the pet trade most affect nestlings, wild population may see a sharp decline when the aging adults begin to die. 


Therefore, the conservation status near-threatened may  not be all that accurate. Let's hope we continue to see this in the future:

The way an African Grey should be seen.

Wanna Help? Here are links to some conservation groups and petitions aimed to protect this amazing species! 


http://www.parrots.org/ - The world parrot trust. 
http://www.parrots.org/index.php/ourwork/home/african_grey_parrot - fund specifically aimed toward the conservation of Greys
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/wild-caught-congo-african-grey-parrots/ - petition aimed at stopping this trade. At least read the little information thing that comes with it.