Care for African Grey parrot - Health conditions of African Grey Parrots that might appear and how to take care of an African Grey Parrot

The African Grey parrot is one of the most sociable, charming and intelligent birds that one can have as a pet and companion, it is considered by many scientists that they poses the intellect of a three year-old human child. And if you’re attracted by these wonderful creatures and considering to get one as a pet then you’ll need to get knowledgeable about them and their needs before jumping into the responsibility of owning one.

First of all you should know that there are actually two species, or rather sub-species of African Gray, the most common is the Congo African Gray and the other is the Timneh African Grey. The Congo African Grey has red tail feathers and is slightly larger than the Timneh Grey while the Timneh Gray is considered to be darker than the Congo Grey. Temperament wise there is a definite difference between the two sub-species the Timnehs being considered much more laid back when compared to the Congo Grey.

Regardless of their sub-species, the African Grey in general has a lifespan of about thirty to fifty years it all depends on whether or not you get the bird from a young age and how you raise it. In order for an African Grey to lead the longest life possible it needs to be well cared for and protected from stress factors and diseases, and being well cared for implies quite a few things.

First of all their living space, they’ll need a cage which is large enough to allow them to spread their wings and ideally it should be made out of stainless steel since that will certainly last a lifetime and resist their powerful beaks. Make sure that you clean their cage at least once a week in order to prevent bad smell and poor hygiene causing problems.

One extremely important factor in caring for an African Grey is its diet. Just because it’s a parrot it doesn’t mean it can only live on seeds and pellets, the African Grey will need to get certain vitamins and minerals from fresh fruit and vegetables. Even when it comes to the pellets you need to make sure that you’re feeding your parrot organic pellets, because most of the others will contain ingredients that will be toxic when consumed for a long period of time. Make sure you feed your parrot a healthy mix of organic seeds and pellets as well as brightly colored fruit and vegetables which ideally should be from an organic source as well.

Possibly the most crucial factor in caring for an African Grey, besides its diet, is interacting with its owner and its environment; being such intelligent and sociable creatures they will require constant attention from their owner, because they like it when people talk to them, this is crucial to the well-being of an African Grey. Also they will need to have a wide range of toys at their disposal to play with when their owner isn’t there to talk to and interact with them.