Grey parrot

Lore & Background

The grey parrot is native to equatorial Africa, including Angola, Cameroon, the Congo, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda. It favours dense forests but can also be found at forest edges and in more open vegetation types. Grey parrots are mainly frugivorous, eating fruit, nuts, seeds, and sometimes flowers, tree bark, insects, and snails. They are monogamous breeders that nest in tree cavities, with the hen laying three to five eggs and incubating them for 30 days while being fed by her mate. Young leave the nest at 12 weeks of age. In the wild, they may imitate a wide variety of sounds; two greys recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had a repertoire of over 200 different calls, including imitations of other bird songs and a bat. Humans are the largest threat to wild populations. The species is also hunted for meat and body parts used in traditional medicines. In October 2016, CITES listed the species under Appendix 1, the highest level of protection.

Reader's Guide

The grey parrot is significant both as a highly intelligent bird species and as a popular companion parrot prized for its ability to mimic human speech. Its cognitive abilities have made it a subject of study, and captive individuals have been shown to display communicative competence, using human language appropriately for social situations. The species is also notable for its conservation status: once common, it has undergone rapid decline due to the pet trade and habitat loss, leading to its classification as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The 2016 CITES Appendix 1 listing regulates international trade, and in 2021 Kenya held an amnesty for owners to obtain permits, after which ownership without a permit became illegal. The grey parrot's legacy includes both its role as a beloved pet and as a symbol of the threats facing wild parrot populations. Its need for extensive social enrichment in captivity highlights the challenges of keeping such intelligent birds, with feather plucking affecting up to 40% of captive individuals. The species remains a subject of ongoing taxonomic discussion, with the Clements Checklist recognizing two subspecies and the IOC classifying the Príncipe grey parrot differently.

Did You Know?

• In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, two wild grey parrots recorded while roosting had a repertoire of over 200 different calls, including nine imitations of other wild bird songs and one of a bat.
• In January 2024, keepers at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park in England moved a group of eight swearing parrots into a larger group to 'dilute' their profane mimicry.