African Grey Parrot Information - Advice?

[maillet]

Hello All,

So I am looking at obtaining an African Grey within the next couple of months but I do have a couple of questions. I have experience with an Eclectus Male whom I had for a number of years who was well behaved, exceptional vocabulary for their species, and other positive indicators.

The reasons I am looking at a Grey over another Eclectus is more dietary related as well as the higher intelligence from the Greys. I enjoy the more relaxed behaviors of both species and relatively lower noise levels albeit I understand every bird is lucky and my old Ekkie may be exception to rule.

My Questions:
1. How bad is the powder down from an African Grey? Eclectus do not have barbules so there was minimal feather mess, albeit all of the soft foods made for other messes to say the least. Could anyone describe?

2. Eclectus Parrots are about 12" to 14" while Congo African Greys are 11" to 13" and Timmeh are 9" to 11". I was leaning toward a SLIGHTLY smaller breed however I was actually wondering the curvature of the claws. How often do you owners find yourself trimming nails to make it comfortable for the Grey to say sit on your arm or your shoulder without "digging in claws"

3. On a Scale of 1 to 10 how loud would you say your African Grey is? If you could also specify the breed, the age, and other factors. What times are the African Grey most vocal outside of the normal morning and dinner?

4. As I know they are one-person birds, what is the likelihood that the bird would bond with the person who stays home most of the day and rarely is interacting with Grey versus myself who would spend hours after and then before work playing games and other things? How bad is one-person vibe?

All opinions are welcome, simply wondering how different it would be versus the more communal Eclectus with very specific dietary needs.​

 

[Birdman666]

1. Nowhere near as bad as a too. Bathe the bird once a week, and dander really shouldn't be a problem.

2. Depends on the bird. I have one of the Big Un's. My "Silver Gray" is almost as big as my red fronted macaw! And is about 550 grams. I've seen them as small as 325. Coastal grays are smaller. Interior Grays are larger. So it depends on which part of Africa their parents come from. I trim nails about 2-3 times per year. Nothing unusual.

3. About a 2-3 on a 10 scale. Not very loud at all.

4. That isn't true. These are flock birds, not pair bond birds. What happens with a CAG is they generally like to get held on their own terms, and have to get to know you first. If they don't know you, the answer is usually NO. They are very cautious by nature. When in doubt, DON'T! (I've actually always thought Eckies were pretty similar in that respect. Less touchie feelie... None of that macaw rolling around on your lap stuff! Homie don't play dat!)

My CAG goes to me, my girlfriend, and my daughter. When we lived with my sister, she went to her, and her son. When he knew he was in trouble for chasing her cat around the house, he wouldn't go to her...



Yep! HOLY CRAP! No exaggeration! That is a full sized Red Fronted Macaw (and she's NOT undersized) standing next to my MONDO SIZED CAG. The good thing was I could set him down in a crowd of CAG's and always knew which one was mine!

I also have a Bolivian Greenwing. She's just a tad larger than average as well...

 

[Birdman666]

The biggest thing about CAGS is raising them right. These are outgoing, instigating, curious, stubborn, inquisitive birds IF you don't raise them to be neurotic...

I worked with the pluckers and for years was reluctant to get one because of it.

This one is more likely to pluck you, than himself!

 

[MikeyTN]

Every bird is smart in their own ways! My ekkies are super smart and super talkative. I don't think their dietary needs is that bad as you should be feeding fresh food regardless of what kind of parrot you have anyways.

Are you just wanting a bird where you can just dump seeds or pellets in their bowls and call it a day?