Would it be a terrible idea to have an untamed African Grey living in an apartment?

[CharliePickles]

I've read that Amazons and African Greys don't need to be hand fed or previously tamed to tame them; as long as they weren't horribly abused. That they're cognitive functions are so high to a point that they will quickly understand that their new owner desires to keep them safe and happy.

But I figured at first, an untamed bird will be loud. Although I've been told African Greys are not screamers like Amazons, Macaws, or Cockatoos. I do own two barking dogs in an apartment, and even though both of them are quite small, they do raise all kinds of hell whenever someone comes home. And we've never had complaints from our neighbors.

Will an untamed African Grey be freakishly loud during nighttime? And will they be tamable at a late age, if they were once a breeder, never tamed, or captured wild?

 

[Dinosrawr]

That they're cognitive functions are so high to a point that they will quickly understand that their new owner desires to keep them safe and happy.

Mental and physical abuse do not simply disappear. Abuse is associated with not only the individual who did it, but the species who did it. Humans are wary of dogs if they have been attacked just once, of horses who have stepped on them just once, or of any animal if it was an unpleasant experience just once. All it takes is one individual to destroy the trust in the entire population. Trust is not simply given by an animal as intelligent as AG's, it is EARNED. 100%. That goes for any animal that has or has not been tamed. Even my IRN will doubt me at times and fly away.

There's no guarantee the bird will be tamed if it's older and was captured wild. You may be able to convert a breeder over, but once again, there's no guarantee. Not being hand-fed or hand-tamed at a young age does not mean there's no chance of building trust or perhaps creating an exceptional companion, but I wouldn't get your hopes up on having a snuggly buddy who wants to spend all day with you. The best way to know is to meet the bird in question and see if you "click". If not, then I will reiterate that you will be working very, very hard to have the bird trust you enough to handle them. They are prey animals, and we are often viewed as predators. So we have to take that mentality into consideration when trying to tame an animal that hasn't necessarily had positive experiences with humans.

I don't have a AG, but I do know it depends on the individual for sound and for what sounds they pick up. Some simply talk, others impersonate sounds, whereas some hardly make a peep. Hopefully others who do have AG's will chime in with their experience on their noise levels.

 

[Hawk]

I've read that Amazons and African Greys don't need to be hand fed or previously tamed to tame them; as long as they weren't horribly abused. That they're cognitive functions are so high to a point that they will quickly understand that their new owner desires to keep them safe and happy.

But I figured at first, an untamed bird will be loud. Although I've been told African Greys are not screamers like Amazons, Macaws, or Cockatoos. I do own two barking dogs in an apartment, and even though both of them are quite small, they do raise all kinds of hell whenever someone comes home. And we've never had complaints from our neighbors.

Will an untamed African Grey be freakishly loud during nighttime? And will they be tamable at a late age, if they were once a breeder, never tamed, or captured wild?

African Greys are pretty mellow come night time, they are not screamers, and can learn very quickly. Potty training is very easy with a grey as well. If I may suggest, greys like a "hut" to climb into at nite in their cage. Cover cage with Blanket or cover when you put him to bed. That quiets them right down, as they don't like going to bed except when they are ready. And that could be late.

Age could play a factor, as I don't know the age your talking about here. Greys can live 70 years or more. They could be set in their ways at that late in age, and not easy to train, but not impossible either. Patience and devotion is the key. I've taken a Hawk from a zoo before and trained it to return to the wild. So it is possible to train an untamed bird.

 

[Bandespresso]

Greys are one of the better apartment birds but it is all about the bird as an individual. Some greys are super quiet, some are loud, very few are screamers and that is usually from living with other screaming birds. The main thing they need is lots of space for a big cage and room to play!

Generally speaking, high intelligence just means they are far more aware of what is happening to them. Greys are prone to behavioural problems such as biting, plucking, nail biting, and can be super untrusting and scared. It takes a whoooolllle lot of patience to turn ANY parrot around and greys are the same. Nothing about owning a parrot is ever easy especially if you plan on rescuing from a bad situation. Additionally, greys are notoriously picky eaters and that is increased tenfold if they come with an already bad diet. I would never discourage anyone from rescuing as my own 20-year-old rescue/rehab CAG is snuggling on my chest as I type this but always make sure you are educated and prepared for the worst because sometimes they don't bounce back and you have to be prepared to love them anyway!

Basically: yes they can totally be great apartment birds....sometimes noisy (Espresso looooovoes being a fire alarm :lol it all depends on the individual. Do tons of research, take your time, and I always suggest volunteering for a rescue near you because that is the best way to see what parronting is all about!