African Greys

[New001]

I'm thinking about getting one of these. A place in the city has three little baby ones that they're accepting deposits for and I guess they'd be available in a couple more months. The man there spent a long time talking to my girlfriend and me about the different birds they have, and it seemed like the best fit was the Grey. The place and the people in charge seemed topnotch.

The other one that appealed to us was the Hahn's macaw and the big macaws, but the latter would be too big for our apartment.

I know some of you have experience with these. Help me make my decision please? Just about everything for the Grey sounds wonderful, just want to make sure I'm going to be okay with it. I've never owned a bird before, just cats.

Edit: spelling

[WildDan]

Was completely expecting a discussion on Aliens found in Africa.

[esad]

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Was completely expecting a discussion on Aliens found in Africa.

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[guids]

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Was completely expecting a discussion on Aliens found in Africa.

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Was expecting monty python and the holy grail.

[metsandfinsfan]

they are great birds .. they do need a lot of attention but can learn up to 2500 words and they are loving.

Macaws squawk more than greys

[KilgoreTrout]

If you keep it healthy, the bird could outlive you so don't make this decision lightly. Birds like these require a lot of attention and need to be trained. They're highly social and are prone to social dysfunction unless socialized properly, consistenly, and constantly. Research it thoroughly before committing to it.

[Cry Me A River]

I can't offer any direct advice. A friend of mine had a parakeet name Nigel who use to shower with her every day. They can be a little messy if you have them out of the cage a lot. However, I think the biggest thing to keep in mind is that these birds are a huge commitment. Assuming you take good care of it, you may well have this parrot for the rest of your life. Lifespans are 50+ years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Grey

[New001]

[ QUOTE ]
If you keep it healthy, the bird could outlive you so don't make this decision lightly. Birds like these require a lot of attention and need to be trained. They're highly social and are prone to social dysfunction unless socialized properly, consistenly, and constantly. Research it thoroughly before committing to it.

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Their long lifespan was a little offputting to me until I spent some time today talking with the guy there and spending some time around the birds. I in no way expected to leave the store as impressed as I was.

[JJNJustin]

New001,

Parrots are a lot of work, I have one. They are very emotional creatures and require a lot of attention and things to stimulate them. You cant just leave them alone all the time, especially African Greys, because they become neurotic and start plucking their feathers out. Before deciding to buy one, make sure you have the time in your schedules to dedicate. Also, they make traveling difficult unless you are comfortable leaving with friends or pet stores.

The African Grey, among parrots, is supposed to be the most intelligent, best mimicker of sounds, however is prone to getting nervous and being frightened. They are not really a cuddly bird, but if you dont spend time with them they start plucking their own feathers out and require a special collar to prevent this. They are extremely intelligent and have been taught to do stuff like simple math.

There are two types of greys, the congos (black beak with the red on the tail) and the timnehs (with the light beak and no red on the tail). Timnehs are slightly smaller. The price is the same for both. I would get a congo.

Macaws are loud and squak alot when they dont get attention. They arent nearly as good a talker as the greys, but they are clownish, playful, prettier, and you can cuddle with them.

-J

[hamsamich]

I have a grey who is almost 20. Has a vocabulary of about 150 words and speaks in short sentences. Some pros and cons of my ownership....
PROS
Cool factor. People come to your house and you can have a limited 'conversation' with the bird
Smarts. My grey has more common sense than many humans I come into contact with.
Longevity. Most of your larger parrot breeds are capable of long life spans. Greys *can* live to be 100 yrs. old

Cons.
Cool factor. The cool factor loses the fun when they pick up a sound that you would rather they NOT make, which is impossible to control. Mine mimicks just about every random house noise that he has been around to hear ranging from the phone ringing to the way certain doors creek when they open. This may sound minor but trust me it can be very nerve racking when they go off on a tangent. They also seem to have a strange attraction to foul language. DO NOT CURSE in front of him unless you want him telling grandma to go eff herself when she comes over for Christmas dinner!
Smarts. Not a huge deal but my guy found a way out of just about every cage we put him in (other animals in the house preclude letting him roam, plus they are a b***h to potty train...lol). The cage he is now has a pad lock on it to keep him from opening the door! Also, because they are so smart they bore very easily. Being a bird trapped in a cage when they get bored they can't go to the movies or look at hot chics on the Intrawebz so they chew anything in or near their cage. Make sure you have an area large enough to put the cage that isn't close enough to a wall or anything else or they WILL destroy it.
Longevity. It is not outside the realm of possibility that my grey could outlive me.

I'm already too long so I'll quit here.