Meet the extraordinary African Gray parrots!

African gray parrots with their good looks, keen intelligence, ability to imitate sounds and learn words make for very attractive, interactive and sociable pets.

There are hieroglyphics that shows Egyptians kept African Gray parrots as pets. These unusually intelligent birds were popular among the Greeks and Romans also. If you choose one of these great members of the parrot family for a pet you want to continue the royal tradition of the likes of Henry VIII King. These parrots have been treasured pets for over 4000 years!

This particular species of parrots have been the subject of extensive studies and scientific experiments to prove their native intelligence. This intelligence has been compared with a 3-6 year old child as well as dolphins and chimpanzees.

It has even proved that African Gray parrots have a strong reasoning ability. They associate human words with specific meanings and are also able to apply abstract concepts such as shapes, colors, numbers and much more.

There are two subspecies of this type of parrot, Congo African gray and Timneh African Gray. Congo African Grays are to learn speak more slowly. They usually start in their second or third years of life, while Timnehs start sooner.

The average size of African Gray Parrot weighs about a pound. The sport beautiful gray feathers, white patches around the eyes, and beautiful, bright red tail feathers. The beak is dark gray. Sizewise the average 13-18 inches long and their wingspan is generally 18-20 inches.

Since the species is a native of the African continent, and gets plenty of sunlight in nature, it is a good idea to let them spend time in the sun. Otherwise the time their feathers can become boring. You can always buy a full spectrum light and leave it to them for a few hours a day.

Some of the properties that make them so attractive as pets is their intelligence and sociability. Because of this, they need plenty of mental stimulation and social interaction. You have to spend time with them and ensure that they get plenty of exercise.

African gray parrots must cages with plenty of room to move around and spread their wings. Their cage should also be placed in an area that gets enough activity to give them some stimulation. Isolation is one of the worst things that just these birds may experience. 

If you place it in a corner and it will give your bird a sense of security, a sense of sheltered on two sides. If not in a corner or alcove, then at least put it against a wall.

You want them to have a broad range of toys that encourage various types of activities and problem-solving. African gray parrots enjoy shredding paper and it makes a cheap toy that is easy to replace. You can just use plain old black and white newspaper. 

If you buy an African Gray you must be careful to introduce it to the new environment. Try to keep things much the same as possible in the first and gradually make the necessary changes slowly over time. If your parrot becomes emotionally stressed may develop behavioral problems such as feather plucking.

To maximize their health and longevity, you want to have to feed a proper diet. The basis of their diet should be a commercially prepared, high quality pelleted food. Organic food is best when they are free of chemicals and pesticides that can have a negative effect on your bird's health.

These medium sized birds with their sharp intelligence, and make loyal and loving companions. So if you are looking for a rewarding experience as a pet owner you should definitely consider African Gray parrots.