Range/Habitat
Indonesian Islands of Ceram, Saparua,  and Hariku in the south Moluccas. Usually seen alone, in pairs, or in small groups of up to 16 birds roosting in trees. They can be seen mostly in early morning or late afternoon from or to their roosting places. They prefer tall trees and can be seen preening each other. Their calling can be noisy and can be heard from a distance. Their flight is relatively slow, and low.

Diet
They feed on seed, fruits, berries and nuts. In the wild they will forage coconut plantations where they bite open young coconuts to get the mild and soft pulp content.

Description
White to pinkish white body. Salmon pink coloured crest. Beak black, legs grey. Iris black in male, dark brown in female. Female sometimes has a redish tinge to the iris with a smaller head and bill.

Length: 20 Inches
Weight: 825 Grams
Life-span: 80 to 90 Years
Pet Quality: These beautiful birds make a wonderful loving pet if you socialize them properly
Intelligence: Some can talk. It is uncanny how they can learn to be a Houdini and take things apart!
Talking Ability: Some talk well and others never talk. They are not as clear as a Congo but can be understood.

Endangered? NO
Scientific Name: Psittacus erithacus
Common Name: Grey Parrot

Diet: Pellets are the choice of many breeders to wean the parrots onto. A seed mix of safflower, sunflower, paddy rice, wheat, oats, canary grass seed and various millets can be added after the bird is one year old. It is important for the youngsters to accept and prefer a pellet-based widely varied diet. Sprouted seeds are a nutritional addition to the diet. Pine Nuts are used as treats. Various fruit and fresh vegetables should be offered. I find a diet consisting of soft foods, birdie bread, bean and pasta mix in addition to bean sprouts keep my Greys healthy.

Description: Pale or dark grey in plumage with some white depending on the area from which they originated. Bare facial area. Tail and adjacent tail-coverts are red. Black beak. The iris is a pale yellow at maturity. The feet are a dark gray.

When people use terms Ghana, Togo, Camaroon, Congo and Angola Greys, they think they are identifying a species of parrot when in fact, they are referring to the region from which the birds originally came. These are not SUB species, just the names that over the years we have given the birds based on the difference in appearance. They are all one species - Psittacus erithacus.

The Ghana Grey originates in the country of Ghana. The Camaroon Grey which people call the large silver Grey actually come from the old Congo, which became Zaire, and is now called the Congo again. The original Grey parrot was exported from the Congo. These are our large and lightest in color hence being called the Congo Grey. Then came the time when it was illegal for the Congo to export their birds (keep in mind that the label Congo Grey was then street name now for a red tail Grey). It was during this time that it was still possible to export out of Ghana, Togo, Camaroon, and other countries. It was very profitable for the illegal trappers in Zaire (the old Congo) to smuggle them into Camaroon, who in turn would export them legally out of the country. Today it is hard for us to tell the difference other than we can sumise that a bird weighing 475 plus grams did come from the country of Zaire, but actually came from Camaroon. The real Camaroon Grey was smaller, weighing from 425 grams to 500 grams.

Length: 13 inches

Scientific Name: Psittacus e. timneh

Description: as erithacus (the grey) but usually a little darker grey, the chest and stomach are lighter and under tail-coverts are tinged with red with the tail having a maroon (not bright red) appearance. The upper mandible is pink-horn color with blackish sides, and smaller than the larger cousin.

Length: 12 inches

Endangered? NO
But due to the illegal trade they are becoming scarce and are more difficult to breed than the Grey.

Note: Psittacus e. princeps is not recognized here as a sub-species, as only 50% of birds from Principe' und Fernando Poo have darker plumage and this would in any event be completely within colour variation of nominate type; in addition it has been observed that birds fly back and forth between both islands and mainland, which would render a classification as sub-species pointless. (Taken from the Lexicon of Parrots)

Habits: They travel in pairs or small groups in the daylight hours. At dusk they gather in flocks on tall palm trees (In captivity they love the Palm Nut or Palm Fruit). Several hundred of these birds can flock together which is why our own greys enjoy being part of the human flock. They are a flock animal. At dawn they will fly out to feed. They are usually shy, unapproachable. They go to rivers and lakes during the day to water but otherwise do not come to ground level. They are not noisy birds and even when feeding are quiet. Their calls are a series of loud screeches and whistling sounds. The normal whistling sound is very endearing to us in our captive greys.

Diet: Very similar to Psittacus erithacus

Pet Quality: These beautiful birds make wonderful pets if you socialize them properly

Intelligence: These wonderful birds do talk. Keep in mind that not every Grey Parrot will, or can, talk. There are some that the owners say talk within perfect context. Alex the African Grey is known for his ability to count, reason, and name colors much as a human child can.

Talking Ability: Some talk well and others never talk. The Timnehs speech is not as clear as the red tail Greys but can be easily understood

My babies are treated with love and kindness. I try to make sure that they are not frightened by anything and always feel secure. This produces a loving outgoing bird that is not afraid of new toys or new places. Because of being abundance weaned the babies will eat almost anything and are not picky. I try to expose them to change, different toys are rotated so they will consider new things being added the norm and not be afraid of new objects entering their cage or area.

To know and to love an African Grey and to receive their love in return you should read

written by Bobbi Brinker