Are you thinking of getting an African grey parrot? If yes, it is a great choice, but it requires huge care and maintenance. No denying that these parrots can be an entertaining and great pets as they can easily make humans vocal. However, you need to provide ample training so that it can quickly start understanding the phrases and words.
Many pet owners say that these African grey parrots have been their companions for thousands of years. It is a bird that has been a household pet since biblical times. These pairs are categorized by their grey features. They can accurately mimic phrases and words, which becomes one of their major features in capturing the human heart.
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African Grey Parrot Price in India
There is no denying that you need to pay complete attention to your African grey parrot. However, it can be pretty expensive to own. The African grey parrot price in India varies a lot from one breeder to another. Apart from this, it also includes several other factors which end up making it an expensive choice.
However, on average, the African grey parrot price in India is between INR 35,000 to INR 65,000. With a life span of 40 years and considerable care, these birds can remain a great companion for you. All you need is to make sure you choose a reliable and reputed breeder.
| Chennai | INR 35,000 to INR 65, 000 |
| Kerala | INR 35,000 to INR 55, 000 |
| Kolkata | INR 36,000 to INR 60, 000 |
| Bangalore | INR 40,000 to INR 65, 000 |
| Mumbai | INR 40,000 to INR 60, 000 |
History and origin of the African Grey Parrot
Just as the name goes, African grey parrots belong to the equatorial regions of Africa. This includes the nations of the Ivory Coast, Congo, Angola, Cameroon, Uganda, Kenya, and Ghana. The favourite habitat of these species is generally the dense forest, but it is also found in the forest edges and Savannah areas.
Temperament
There is no doubt that this belongs to the parrot species. However, the African grey parrot differentiates itself from other parrot species with its intelligence. Many of these parrots have extremely affectionate and sweet behaviour toward their owners. Apart from this, the species is also known for being extremely social.
On the other hand, the African grey parrot can remain extremely unhappy and depressed if they are neglected or feel bored. Remember that a depressed African grey parrot is originally an angry bird with discontent and screech behaviour. So, these birds require substantial mental stimulation.
No doubt that these intelligent birds can be great companions, but they are also quite complicated. Even when they require interaction and to be social, they are not about to cuddle. Some of these birds can become a bird for only one person, even when all the other members of your family make enormous efforts to socialize with them.
Vocalization and speech
The African grey parrot is one of the species that can easily pick up sounds and words pretty quickly. It has also been observed that an African grey parrot has also blown a whistle on women’s love affairs. The parrot repeatedly called out the name of the person that the wife was cheating with her husband.
African grey parrots are like toddlers’ children. They are the ones that have a reputation for saying everything that they listen to. So, it is a must for the owners to keep an eye on the language that they are talking in front of these words. These parrots are highly capable of picking up the phrases or words they continuously listen to.
How to take care of an African Grey Parrot?
The African grey parrots have a size from medium to large. However, they require a vast living space. If you want to keep them in a cage, you need to make sure that it has a dimension of 2 x 2′ and 3 feet in height. It is better when you choose larger caves for these parrots.
Without proper training and interaction, the African grey parrots will become depressed and exhibit behavior like blocking feathers. These birds will thrive when they are provided with opportunities to play with toys, learn words, interact with owners and perform tricks.
You have to keep an expectation of spending several hours of time interacting with your African grey. It is not something that you can keep at your home on its own as it will result in making the parrot feel depressed. However, make sure that you keep the televisions switched on if you’re leaving them alone for a few minutes or hours.
These parrots are sensitive and can be affected by commotion and stress. So it is better to provide them with a relaxing environment in a quiet corner rather than the center of your room.
What are the most common health problems of African Grey Parrots?
If you want to pet an African grey, you have to make sure about everything. One of the most common health problems witnessed in African Greys is that they are highly prone to plucking their feathers. They also suffer from vitamin D and A deficiency, calcium deficiency, respiratory infection, psittacosis, psittacine beak, and other feather diseases.
However, you can check the vitamin deficiency by providing your bird to eat a huge range of vegetables and fruits that are high in beta-carotene. These include fresh kale, sweet potato, and other fruits. Apart from this, feather plucking is a sign of a neglected bird that is not receiving an extensive amount of exercise, attention, and mental stimulation.
What kind of diet do you need to follow for your African Grey Parrot?
When the African grey parrots stay in the wild, they mostly eat insects, flowers, bark, leaves, and fruits. So, the best choice for African grey parrots in captivity is to provide formulated and high-quality pellets with fruits like melon, mango, and pomegranate.
Apart from this, you also need to provide fresh veggies like kale, leafy greens like watercress, arugula, and healthy seeds like flaxseed. You can also chop and make a salad for your African grey parrot so that it remains healthy and keeps thriving.