Dee's World

Along with the beautiful and majestic appearance, the African Grey parrot is considered one of the most intelligent birds. Hence "Brains and Beauty".

In the wild greys feed primarily on nuts and fruit and some leafy vegetation.

The main differences between the Congo and the Timneh are their size, colouring and the colour of their upper mandible. Most would agree that their dispositions and intelligence are the same.

The Timneh is dark grey with a maroon tail and the Congo is a lighter grey with a bright red tail. The CAG's mandible is all black, while the TAG has a bone-coloured upper mandible.

Nominate and Subspecies

Congo: Psittacus Erithacus Erithacus (nominate)
Timneh: Psittacus Erithacus Timneh (subspecies)
Princeps: Psittacus Erithacus Princeps

The CAG weighs in at between 400 and 600 grams and the TAG between 275 and 350 grams. Although not commonly kept as pets, Princeps is another sub-species, found only on Principe Island (Ilha do Principe), part of the Republic of Saõ Tomé and Principe in the Gulf of Guinea.

The Princeps is darker than a CAG, but otherwise almost identical. There is some debate about whether the Princeps is indeed a separate sub-species.

Note: Other names known for african greys are Cameroon and Silver Greys .. these are in fact Congos that have been given another name.

The Latin name Psittacus Erithacus means "Parrot with a little bit of red".......

Intelligence

Most would agree that the African Grey is emotionally equivalent to a two year old child with the intelligence of a five year old child. This level of intelligence makes the grey a very demanding parrot that requires a great deal of attention and patience.

Your Grey Pet

The African Grey parrot in the right environment can make a wonderful companion parrot. If you as an owner have the time, committement and patience to raise a child then the African Grey may be the companion for you!