General Questions

[jkbird95]

Hello,

I am very heavily considering getting a parrot, and am pretty dead set on getting a Grey. I don't know much about these birds outside of what I have read over the past few months. So I have a few questions I hope you all can help me out with.

-Differences between Congo and Timneh?
-How do these birds age?
-Can they bond (or tolerate) more than one person?
-How can I keep a grey entertained and stimulated when I cant be with it?
-Do they really live 40-60 years if cared for? (Have you ever heard of a bird this old)

If there's anything in general that I should know, please comment!

Any help is much appreciated!

Thanks for your time

 

[weco]

Although your questions are not easily answered, because birds, companion parrots and African greys are all individuals, with individual personalities, however, having said that, let's see what we can do about answering your questions:


-Differences between Congo and Timneh?
-How do these birds age? Progressively & we humans usually count their longevity in years...

-Can they bond (or tolerate) more than one person? To answer this question, you might want to read a 1998 article by aviculturist Bobbi Brinker: Winged Wisdom Pet Bird Magazine - African Grey Myths: Greys Are One-Person Birds

-How can I keep a grey entertained and stimulated when I cant be with it? By teaching the bird how to play with its toys...birds don't hatch out of a shell ready to go shopping at a "Toys-R-Us," in fact, most birds need to be taught how to entertain themselves...


-Do they really live 40-60 years if cared for? (Have you ever heard of a bird this old) With the right genetic history and being fed proper foods/diet, along with having regular veterinary examinations, yes, they can live that long...

If there's anything in general that I should know, please comment! Yes, read as much as you can about African greys and maintaining them as companion birds...but...always keep an open mind, because the information about them is fluid, always subject to change and everything you read may not always be correct, verify questionable information or information that seems contrary to that of other sources.....


Good luck.....


As an aside, you might want to search through the forums' archives, there is a lot of experience around here & much of it can be found in the archives.....

 

[Birdman666]

Hello,

-Differences between Congo and Timneh?
-

All your other questions were answered already. So I'll get this one.

Congos are larger and have a red tail. Timmy's are smaller and have a dark tail. Some folks say Timmys are less inclined to pluck than Congos as well, but that may be splitting hairs.