African Grey Parrot

[human374]

Hi!

I'm planning to buy an African Grey and I have some questions
You gave them 10 points at noise section and thats a bit scarry I want to place the parrot in my room and sometimes I need a little quiet so is there any way to hush them?
And I often stay awake at night (till morining). Is this bother them?

Thanks for the answers (and sorry for my bad english)!
human374

 

[greycloud]

Welcome to the forum. I would say that my greys are the quietest out of my 4 birds. Sure they make noise, sound effects, talking and whistling. Nothing compared to screaming and screeching of other parrots.
If you stay up late it is not a good idea to keep any parrot in your room. They need between 8-12 hours of sleep. Even id covered they cannot rest peaceably. Is there a way it can be kept in another room? You must remember that each parrot is an individual of its species. There are loud greys and quiet greys. App parrots make noise and asking them to stay quiet when you want is unrealistic and unkind.

 

[Von1983]

Welcome to the forum!

African greys, like any parrot need 12hours uninterrupted sleep every night so keeping them in a room where you are awake isn't very good for them. They need optimum undisturbed sleep to be at their healthy best.

As for quieting birds, there are many methods but birds must be allowed to be birds and the dawn and evening chorus' are a big part of that.

 

[Spiritbird]

What are your reasons for wanting an African Grey. Now that you are aware of just one small aspect of being a companion bird guardian (sleep needs) there may be other needs that do not fit into your lifestyle such as mess, expense, one on one time needed by the bird with you and many many nutritional and safety needs.

 

[human374]

Well maybe I can place her in the kitchen (but in winter we dont heat there so thats another problem).
I chose the African Grey Parrot because I'm realy impressed with their intelligence. Its like a little human walking and chatting lol.
Oh, and I have 1 PC and 2 laptops do I have to fear? Will she crunch it?

 

[antoinette]

Well maybe I can place her in the kitchen (but in winter we dont heat there so thats another problem).
I chose the African Grey Parrot because I'm realy impressed with their intelligence. Its like a little human walking and chatting lol.
Oh, and I have 1 PC and 2 laptops do I have to fear? Will she crunch it?

Please whatever you do, do not place the bird in the kitchen....... not even to just sleep. Accidents happen so quickly, and it is dangerous.
You must be willing to spend many many hours training the bird to talk, each and every day. Keep in mind, some African Grey's choose never to speak.
A bird will chew absolutely anything in sight, you as the guardian, will have control, of where the bird is allowed and not allowed.

Below is a link pertaining to the dangers of birds in kitchens

Walmart.com - Keep Your Bird Safe from Kitchen Dangers

 

[Spiritbird]

I will add one bit if wisdom here for you to think about. It's not about you it is about what the bird needs. Safety is totally important. You will be faced with tossing out all teflon coated items in your home, especially in the kitchen. If you smoke you should stop smoking. If you use sprays, plug ins or candles that should stop too. No fans should be used while the bird is out of the cage. What you get in return is a loving feathered treasure for many many years.

 

[HRH Di]

I have a 9 month old CAG, a 1 1/2 year old red-front macaw and an almost 2 year old Alexandrine. My Ruby (the grey) is by far the quietest of the flock. She almost never screeches but has been known chatter quite loudly. I'm of the opinion that parrot screeching and squawking are the same as a baby crying...they do it because they need something, even if it's just some attention. They also "practice" talking, especially when they think you can't hear them.

There are a lot of things to consider when getting a parrot and the posts above mention quite a few. We don't mean to discourage you because each of us are thoroughly converted to having them as part of our families, but we want to make sure everyone's happy and healthy. The biggest thing to remember is that most parrots live 50-60 years in captivity and all of them are similar in activity level and intelligence to a 2-4 year old human toddler. This means that you're going to have a flying toddler for the next 50 years.

Again, all this said, I will always have a parrot in my home if at all possible. I can't imagine not having them in my life.

 

[SharonC]

It's really not that bad. Most things, like cigarettes, teflon, scented candles and other scented products are really not that great for us either. I do enjoy my birds...not quite as bad as toddlers, LOL....Once you get into a routine that is good for the bird and you, life is wonderful with a parrot!

 

[bogo1]

Agree with all said to this point. Have you had the opportunity to play and care for a gray or one of the other parrots or perhaps most of what you know about them has been experienced on line? Is their a local shelter where you might go to learn more about parrots and what they need? That will give you a chance for some serious interaction and may help you decide more about if you wish to bring a bird into your life and, if so, what kind.