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African greys (Psittacus erithacus) are high-maintenance birds, so meeting their care needs isn’t simple.
These intelligent, emotionally delicate parrots need the right-sized cage, toys, meals, water, prepare, consideration, and setting to thrive as pets.
If African greys are left alone, infrequently depart their cages, lack a continuing routine, or have little to do, they’ll flip into unhappy or distressed. This often manifests as behavioral points and stereoptypies.
Cage Setup for African Grey Parrots
An African grey parrot’s cage should be not lower than 36 x 24 x 48 inches.
In accordance with the Center for Animal Rehab and Coaching, the bars should be ¾ to 1 inch apart. It is going to cease injury or escape, permit climbing, and make it easier to attach devices.
African greys are delicate to noise and movement. They’re going to develop distressed when overstimulated by their surroundings, so place the cage in a nook of the room.
Cage Lining
African greys are messy birds. They poop often, drop meals, and chew points with their beaks. As well as they launch mud from their wings. This could be a powder down that coats the wings, insulating the feathers.
Whereas parrot mud is simple to wash, take heed to respiratory points. Parrot mud can set off bronchial bronchial asthma assaults or lead to a respiratory scenario known as Hen Fancier’s Lung (BFL).
We advocate cage liners, newspaper, and paper towels as cage liners.
Perches
Add 3 or additional picket perches at utterly totally different ranges and angles. On the very least 1 perch should be elevated because of birds favor elevated vantage components because of they will survey their surroundings.
Toys
African greys have a low tolerance for boredom, so that they need toys to entertain and interact them. This can be achieved with bells, rope swings, picket blocks, climbing frames, and distorted mirrors.
Temperature
African grey parrots keep throughout the scorching climes of Africa, preferring an ambient temperature of 72–80°F. Steer clear of positioning the cage in a draughty area or direct daylight.
Some publicity to UV delicate is required for vitamin D3 synthesis. Parrots can’t absorb calcium with out vitamin D, which is necessary for healthful bones and eggshells.
Meals And Meals routine
African greys are granivores (grain and seeds) and frugivores (fruits). They’re typically fed pellets, nuts, fruits, greens, white and lean purple meat, fish, and eggs. Pellets should comprise 50-75% of their weight-reduction plan.
Healthful fruits and greens for parrots embrace:
African greys get pleasure from consuming nuts. Nonetheless, they’re extreme in fat, which could lead to weight obtain.
The best nuts for African greys embrace:
- Pine nuts.
- Almonds.
- Macadamia nuts.
- Cashews.
- Brazil nuts.
- Walnuts.
- Hazelnuts.
Feeding Frequency
African grey parrots should be fed twice day-to-day, as quickly as upon waking up and as soon as extra throughout the evening. You can also present a parrot some nutritious midday snacks for good habits or as a training reward.
What Shouldn’t Be Eaten
An African grey mustn’t be fed the subsequent meals or drinks:
- Chocolate.
- Espresso.
- Alcohol.
- Onions and garlic.
- Stones (seeds) from fruits, like apricots, apples, and peaches.
- Avocado.
These meals are toxic to parrots. For example, the seeds of stone fruits embrace cyanide.
Feather Care
African greys molt their feathers as quickly as every 12-18 months, usually on the onset of spring.
This molting will take away worn, damaged feathers and encourage the growth of brighter, extra wholesome replacements. Allow parrots to clean often to keep up their feathers pristine.
Birds care for his or her very personal bathing while you current them with a bowl of recent water. You can also mist the parrot with lukewarm water or wipe away meals particles with a washcloth.
Beak Care
The beak is produced from β-keratin and not at all stops rising, so parrots chew points. Chew toys, bird-safe branches, cuttlebones, and tough-shelled nuts will assist take away the excess.
The beak may ought to be trimmed to cease overgrowth, misalignment, and malocclusions. For example, scissor beak can cease parrots from consuming and maneuvering.
Claw Care
Pet parrots aren’t uncovered to abrasive surfaces as rather a lot as wild parrots. Their nails can flip into overgrown and misshapen, stopping them from performing necessary duties.
A vet can trim the claws, nonetheless it’s helpful that strategies are provided to placed on down the claws naturally. For example, picket perches can reduce the dimensions and sharpness of claws.
Talking Ability
African greys are among the many many parrot family’s most superior and proficient audio system. Following ongoing teaching, some birds can examine a complete bunch of phrases.
Parrots appear to talk in context, nonetheless they seldom understand the which suggests of their phrases.
Age Start Talking
Most African greys begin talking as quickly as they’re 12–18 months outdated. They start mimicking phrases and sentences you prepare them or they hear of their setting.
Noisy vs. Quiet
Anticipate to hearken to African grey parrots vocalize all by the day. If an African grey realizes that screaming will get consideration, it’ll obtain this at any time when it wants one factor from you.
Sleep
African grey parrots are diurnal, so that they sleep in a single day.
An African grey ought to rest for 10-12 hours. If it doesn’t get adequate sleep, it’ll be irritable in the middle of the day, whereas prolonged insomnia may end up in associated nicely being factors expert by individuals.
Whereas some householders want to sleep beside their parrots, that’s inadvisable because of menace of crushing them.
Cowl The Cage
A parrot’s cage should be lined at night. African greys wrestle to sleep if uncovered to artificial delicate at bedtime, as circadian rhythms regulate their sleep-wake cycle.
Prepare
African greys ought to allowed exterior their cages for a variety of hours.
Flight is basically essentially the most pure strategy for African greys to coach. Steer clear of clipping a parrot’s wings till it’s for his or her safety and welfare. You probably can bird-proof the room sooner than allowing exploration.
African greys want to climb the partitions of their cage, traverse between perches at utterly totally different ranges, and play interactive video video games the place they will profit from their thoughts.
Companionship
African greys like spending time with their householders, so don’t depart them alone of their cages for a persistent interval. In accordance with PloS One, solitude causes distress and illness.
Lone Parrots vs. Pairs
African grey parrots require rather a lot consideration that householders may undertake a pair. African greys are social birds that may select sharing a cage with a same-species companion.
For many who get two African greys, get your hands on birds born and raised collectively. If this isn’t an risk, the two birds must bear a cautious introduction course of.
Always take care of every parrots equally to avoid jealousy, even when one appears needier.
Indicators of Happiness
When an African grey parrot is totally glad, it’s susceptible to indicate the subsequent indicators:
- Vocalizations: You’ll hear whistles, chirps, or utterly glad sounds, significantly at first of the day.
- Energetic and curious: It’ll flap its wings, fly, climb, and uncover its cage.
- Consuming correctly: They’ll be captivated with their favorite meals and drink adequate water.
- Feather nicely being: They should have vibrant, strong, and healthful feathers.
- Social habits: An African grey is happiest throughout the agency of individuals and same-species parrots. It reveals care and affection by nuzzling and preening its companions.
- Alertness: It’s best to watch a curiosity about what’s occurring of their setting.
- Physique language: Its posture should be upright, and its feathers relaxed.
Parrots have distinctive personalities, nonetheless these behaviors current an notion into their way of thinking.
Behavioral Points
With out teaching or the acceptable dwelling circumstances, African greys can develop behavioral points:
Aggressive Habits
African greys aren’t naturally aggressive nonetheless can flip into so when scared or hurt. They’re merely agitated by totally different pets and can vocalize and present distress as soon as they technique.
Jealousy
Parrots flip into related to their householders, leading to jealousy in the direction of of us and totally different animals.
Stress
African greys are liable to emphasize as soon as they lack socialization and psychological stimulation.
The symptoms of stress in African greys embrace:
Switch the cage to a quieter location. Moreover, play, follow, and work along with the rooster additional constantly.
Feather-destructive Habits (FDB)
Self-mutilation is painful, so why do African grey parrots determine their feathers? It’s linked to weight-reduction plan, stress, and melancholy. When unstimulated, they take away feathers with their beaks to self-soothe.
Swearing
African greys are liable to repeating profanity. For example, Lincolnshire Wildlife Park had a problem with swearing and obscenities from African greys.
African greys will proceed using phrases that garner a response, so be careful the best way you reply to inappropriate language. For many who ignore it, the parrot will likely develop bored.
Bonding Collectively
Forming a worthwhile bond with an African grey parrot is rewarding because of they make affectionate companions. Nonetheless, it’s best to make investments time to comprehend the parrot’s perception.
Spend as rather a lot time collectively along with your pet African grey as potential, as this will likely strengthen the parrot-owner bond. Parrots are social and emotionally superior animals that crave one-on-one time.
Take the time to teach the parrot, often play video video games, and prepare them new strategies and vocabulary. The additional time you dedicate to an African grey’s care, the stronger the bond will flip into.
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