Tell Me About African Greys

[beakycheekie]

Hello all!
I'm not looking to add to my flock immediately, but at some point I really think I would love to have an African Grey. I like to do a lot of research about things that I am interested in and so I thought I would get some anecdotal insights from you all here about your experiences with African Greys. I know that every bird is an individual and it's not fair to "judge" them all based on their species, but I think that we all use generalizations to some degree, and they can be helpful. For example, Quakers are known to be cage aggressive, Aratinga conure species are known to be loud, cockatoos are said to be clingy and demanding, etc. For those of you with experience with African Greys, how would you generalize the species? What do you love about them and what drives you crazy? How would you compare them to other parrot species?
Thanks so much for any comments in advance!!

[Wolf]

I am not quite sure what it is that you are looking for, and I am not really certain that I can help you very much.

Kookooloo, my Grey came to me 3 years ago at the age of 11 years when she was rehomed from a bad situation in Florida to some people that I know that live less than a mile from me. They kept her outside on an open deck without the benefit of a plant or a roof for shade and they had planned on keeping her outside through the winter under a tarp with a heat light for warmth as they had done with their previous bird, a Senegal parrot. That bird flew away the first chance that it got. I planted the seeds of my acquiring Kookooloo as soon as I learned that she was coming up from Florida. I only knew that she was a feather plucker up until the day that I went to pick her up from them after they figured out that Kookooloo did not like them and would have nothing to do with them except to bite them whenever she got the chance to do so, I went to get her and she started screaming just as soon as she saw me in my truck coming up their drive towards the house and did not stop until I was standing at her cage. She was pretty much naked except for her wings although they too were plucked pretty badly on the underside and she had three large gaping holes in her body from self mutilation. But she was in love with me from the first sight of me and still will not allow anyone other than myself touch her. With this opening about her, I would not consider her to be the typical CAG although they are known for plucking and self mutilation when they are extremely unhappy with their lives.

Kookooloo, prefers to remain either on me or very near where she can see me and whatever it is that I am doing at the time. It is not that she is a clingon type of bird or anything like that as she has a very pronounced independent streak to her. Not only that but she also prefers to not be touched over much. She is however quite the kisser. She is able to speak human rather well when she chooses to do so but she will only speak to me when no other human is nearby and even then I an not convinced that she likes it very much. Kookooloo has very pronounced likes and dislikes and will not hesitate to make one aware of them, this is the only time that she has ever bit me with any intention of causing me any discomfort or pain. So far this has only been when I have a phone or a remote in my hand and then she will run to make me drop them and attack me if I do not comply. All other times that I do anything that she does not like she will gently move my hand unless I keep it up then and only then will she bite any harder and this is always accompanied by a loud screech of protest. Other than this I have never met a more gentle bird in my life.

Kookooloo likes to keep an eye on everything going on around her and she does not miss much if anything at all. She is very talkative to me, mostly with her own language with various sound effect thrown in for the fun of it. Again this is mostly done when it is just her and me with no one else around, but she does do this to some extent with my Lady around. She is extremely perceptive as she is very much aware of my moods and how I am feeling at any given moment. It verges on what has often been considered to be psychic in nature as she is aware of the subtlest of changes in me often just as I am becoming aware of them myself. This is a very loving and devoted friend and there is no doubt that she would gladly die in my defense if she thought it was required as she will not allow any one human or other to touch me while she is on me. If she is near to me when someone sits next to me she always positions herself between us if possible or will climb up me to sit on the shoulder closest to them so as to be between them and me. She is a very deep and complex bird and totally devoted to me. She is not a big fan of other birds, but this may be partially due to her having been an only bird for most of her life.

I hope that this will be useful to you in your search for knowledge about the nature of the Grey parrot.

[beakycheekie]

Thank you Wolf, that is helpful. I'm just hoping to hear from Grey owners about their experiences with their bird so your response what was I was looking for. Kookooloo is so lucky to have found you, imagine how sad her life would have continued to be if you hadn't come along. She sounds like she fits the description of Greys that I have heard; devoted, complex and extremely sensitive. There are 3 Greys at the parrot rescue that I volunteer at and I am so intrigued by them. All 3 came from the same home and went through Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. They all have issues with trauma that they sustained during that disaster and are obviously such sensitive birds. They are so observant, quietly watching everything going on around them and occasionally making interesting noises that seem to be unique to Greys. They are really interesting, I really like them.

[Pajarita]

I've had 6 grays under my care, 5 Congos and 1 Timneh and although they all had their quirks, there are a few things that are common. The most noticeable ones are that they bond very deeply with people -to the point that it's very hard to make them bond to another bird (none of mine did and two were brother and sister from the same clutch that had lived their entire lives together). Because they bond so deeply with their human, they don't like to share and they need LOTS and LOTS of attention. Mine are only really cuddly during breeding season (they nest and lay eggs -Sophie CAG is still sitting on them but she comes out every morning to spend some time with me and has no problem with me sticking my hand in her nest -a cardboard box on the floor in the corner of the birdroom- and even taking her eggs) but they are always affectionate in their own way touching me with their beak and making kissy noises. Their favorite thing is to ride my shoulder -they are not touchy-feely birds but they do enjoy (on occasion and only when they give their permission for it) a head scratch. They are naturally high-strung birds and very emotionally sensitive so this added to their need for lots and lots of attention is what makes them so prone to FDBs (people with normal lives -family, full time job, etc- cannot usually provide what they need and that's why most of them end up plucking). They are picky eaters and very stubborn about trying new foods. If you persist they do end up eating a large variety but it takes years to get to that point. People report their grays been afraid of change to the point that a new toy can send them into a panic but I have never seen this with any of mine. They are not usually good bathers - Wolf's Kookooloo likes getting misted but none of mine ever did. They do bathe on their own in a large bowl of water but, although it's a HUGE project with lots of gyrations, getting in and out a million times, dipping, flapping, etc., they always end up with just a wet head They never look or smell dirty though so I don't usually insist much on bathing them with a spray bottle.

I can't think of anything else right now but, if I do, I will come back.

[beakycheekie]

Ok, thank you Pajarita! You've again confirmed what I've heard about Greys. I really have no business bringing a Grey into my life right now (busy with a young child, full-time job, other pets in household) but it is a dream of mine and I hope someday I would be able to give one a good home. I'm glad I've reached out to you guys because what you're saying about them affirms for me that I need to wait and not seek one out right now. I would hate to bring one home, only to have it be miserable be!cause my life is so busy right now. Argh, I wish I could work from home!! Or be able to bring my bird with me to work, which is feasible except I don't think a Grey is the kind of species that would enjoy going to and from work and home with me!

[Wolf]

I only mist Kookooloo when she tries to bathe in her water dish as this is the only time that she appreciates it. I tried watching her and figuring out how long it was between baths and to mist her before she resorted to her water bowl, but that went over like a ton of bricks and I got lots of squawks of displeasure and protest from her despite the fact that on many of these occasions I was only off by just a couple of hours. So even when I an sure of the time for misting her I have learned to wait on her and she is much happier about it. As far as toys go, this is a bit ticky, so to speak. She will go into a tizzy if I don't play with the item in front of her for at least two or three days and then leave it where she can see it. She will object to it for months on end. But I got one of those small perches the can be used in several different configurations and I got a huge boing with a bell on the bottom end. The percher ( the name it was sold under) I really got to use with Kiki, my Senegal, but I got the boing for Kookooloo. Kiki will have nothing to do with either of these items and the perch was bought two or three moths ago and Kookooloo started using it in about three days and when I hung the boing up from my ceiling it only took her two days before she would step up on it and now she swings and plays on it for a couple of hours each day. It really seems to be the manner in which I present most things to Kookooloo on how she reacts to it. The most important thing is for her to watch me play with it and to just allow her to make up her own mind.

[beakycheekie]

That's interesting, I've heard that before that Greys aren't great bathers. Interesting because from what I've read, they tend to be found in lowland forests near rivers and often roost in trees over water. I guess their bathing drive just isn't as strong as it is in some other birds.
It's so nice that Kookooloo can be content on her boing for a period of time. I'm hoping to get to that point with my cockatiel girl, who right now insists just on sitting on me.
Toy introduction is tricky sometimes. I've noticed that my GCC is absolutely terrified of new objects and will take days, sometimes weeks to explore something new and my female cockatiel will initially startle at something new but then almost immediately goes over to investigate it. Especially if I am handling it, she wants to know about it. Fun to see the differences between our birds.

[Wolf]

Most birds are afraid of new items right at first as it might be a predator. They learn the fastest that it is safe by watching us play with it without getting hurt and then they become more willing to investigate it themselves. They will eventually do the same on their own if it is left where they can see it and get to it, but it will probably take much longer that way. This is why I show it to them and then play with it and then place it where they can see it and get to it. Parrots learn a lot just from watching what others do. I try to learn about how my birds think and learn things especially during the period that they would be with their parents in the wild and try to adjust to be in accord with how they would have learned about it from their parents if I can. Might as well use their natural learning methods to both our advantage when possible.

[Pajarita]

In my personal experience and opinion, all GCCs care about is been on their human... they really don't seem to need much more than that to be happy.

[beakycheekie]

Most birds are afraid of new items right at first as it might be a predator..

Exactly. It is so helpful to be able to understand our bird's behaviors from their perspective. I feel bad for the birds whose owners try to force things on them or are frustrated by their bird's behavior. If we can just step back and take a look at it from a parrot's perspective it can make so much sense!
Pajarita, I am in complete agreement with you on the GCC cling-on assessment! They love their people