African Grey Parrots

ByGrace Aronsohn

Meet the African Grey Parrot

• Name: African Grey Parrot• Species: Psittacaeda• Lifespan: 50-70 years• Is not endangered but too many people keep

them as pets

Pretty looking birdThe African Grey Parrot has…• Light grey feathers from its head to its thigh• Bright red tail feathers• White feathers on its face• A black curved beak

Sharp claws on its toes• Four toes on each foot• Size:33 cm• Weight:14 oz

A Parrot Has A Home Too• The African Grey Parrot lives in the tropical

rainforests of West and Central Africa and nests in holes in trees

• It is rainy most of the time but is warm all year• 50-260 inches of rain fall there every year• The temperature is around 93°f

Something Worth Looking At

• The second largest river in Africa goes straight through the African Greys habitat. It is called the Congo Basin River

• The Congo Basin is being polluted• People are trying to save the Congo Basin

River

Feed Me

• The African Grey Parrot is an omnivore(eats meat and plants)

• It eats fruit,seeds,buds,necter,pollen,insects and other meat

• They find their food by climbing up to the tops of trees and gathering it

• The only meat it eats are insects and small animals

• Does not have a predator

You Never Know How They’re Going To Behave

• When an African Grey is angry, they hiss and fluff up to look bigger and scarier and may bite or make screaming noises

• When an African Grey is happy, they can be very friendly and funny birds

• Many people say they are very graceful parrots

Peep Peep Peep

• African Grey Parrots lay eggs• African Grey Parrots nest in trees • African Greys lay 3-5 eggs at a time• The male brings food to the female while she

is keeping the eggs warm• The female only gets up to get a drink or to

count her eggs to make sure they`re all there

Keeping The Species Going

• When hiding in its nest, prey cannot see the parrot because of its dark colored feathers

• Its strong beak cracks opens seeds to get the food in the inside

• The parrots bright tail feathers attract a mate These things make it so the world doesn`t run out of African Grey Parrots!

Copy birdThe African Grey Parrot mimics sounds to catch its food.

How does that help?The African Grey Parrot mimics sounds it hears. That way the

parrot`s prey won`t know it is there. It would think the parrot was a different animal.

The African Grey Parrot dances to attract a mate.

How does that help?If the African Grey doesn`t mate, the species will stop growing.

A Trip To An X-Ray

• An African Grey Parrot has strong bones in its wings that make it easier to take flight

• The parrots light, hollow bones also help the parrot fly

• Solid filling in a African Greys beak makes the beak strong enough to crack the seeds it eats

Want To Know More?

• When trained by experts, African Grey Parrots have one of the highest vocabularies of all birds

• Females are a lighter shade of grey• There are two kinds of African Grey Parrots.

There are Congo's and Tinneh`s