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Eclectus
Eclectus
Cocoa
African Grey (Congo)
Psittacus erithacus
Hatch date: 1959
Age: 65
Sex: Male
2023/2024 Sponsors:
Inas R.
Carolyn S.
Sylvie L.
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Population Size
560,000 - 12M
Lifespan
60-80 years
Length
30-40cm
Native to the rainforests of Africa, Grey Parrots (commonly known as African Grey Parrots) are the largest parrot in all of Africa. These birds might not be as colourful as other parrots but they are bright in other ways. They are among the smartest birds in the world and the best human speech mimic among all parrots.
Conservation Status
Population Size
Decreasing
Threats
African grey parrots are one of the most popular pets across the world and are illegal traded extensively. From 1982 to 2001 over 1.3 million wild-caught individuals entered international trade. Of these birds 30-66% died before reaching the airport! These parrots also suffer from habitat loss particularly because they like to nest in tall trees that are targeted by loggers and are sometimes hunted as bushmeat in certain regions of Africa.
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The World's Most Famous African Grey
Have you ever heard of Alex? He is known across the world for his extreme intelligence. With the help of scientist Irene Pepperberg, Alex redefined what it meant to be bird-brained. Alex could count to six, correctly identify five shapes and seven colours and tell different objects apart by their colour, material, and shape. When he passed away at the age of 31 he was just starting to learn basic math skills. The cutest part is that he would always wish Irene a goodnight with the words: You be good, I love you.
Did you know...
There are two subspecies of African grey parrots: Congo and Timneh. Cocoa and King are both Congo African Greys. The Congo subspecies is the larger of the two and has a bright, red tail.
African grey's are super smart and super kind! These parrots have been known to share a walnut with a friend or even a stranger in need.