News: African grey parrots continue to be widely sold in pet markets across country despite the fact that no registered breeders or authorized pet shops exist for this species.
About African Grey Parrot
- The African grey parrot is a medium-sized parrot with mottled grey plumage.
- Scientific name: Psittacus erithacus.
- This species is classified under the class Aves and the order Psittaciformes.
- It is among the world’s most skilled birds when it comes to speaking and mimicking sounds.
- Habitat: They are also found at forest edges, in clearings, gallery forests, mangroves, wooded savannahs, cultivated land, and even gardens.
- Range: They are native to central and West Africa.
- They are found from southeastern Ivory Coast across the moist lowland forests of West Africa to Cameroon.
- Their range extends into the Congo forests and areas just east of the Albertine Rift in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
- Physical Features:
- It has a large black bill, a white facial mask surrounding yellow eyes, and a distinctive red vent and tail.
- Females feature a light gray crown bordered with darker gray, a gray body, and bright scarlet tail feathers.
- Males appear much like females but their plumage darkens as they grow older.
- It forms monogamous pairs and nests alone in tree cavities.
- One of its defense mechanisms is fluffing up its feathers to appear larger and using its strong beak to bite.
- Diet: Its diet consists mainly of fruits, seeds, buds, nectar, and pollen.
- Life Span: African grey parrots can live for 50 years or more, often outliving their human caretakers.
- Conservation Status
- IUCN Red List – Endangered
- CITES – Appendix I
