The Congo and Timneh African Grey Parrot

 

The African grey parrot, grey parrot or Congo African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) is an Old World parrot in the family Psittacidae.

 

The African grey parrot is a medium-sized, predominantly grey, black-billed parrot which weighs 400 g, with a length of 33 cm and an average wingspan of 46–52 cm. The tail and undertail coverts are red, in comparison to the maroon of the smaller Timneh Parrot. Both sexes appear similar.

 

The colouration of juveniles similar to that of adults, however the eye is typically dark grey to black, in comparison to the greyish eyes of the adult birds. The undertail coverts are also tinged with grey.

 

Humans are by far the largest threat to wild African grey populations. Between 1994 and 2003, over 359,000 African grey parrots were traded on the international market. Mortality amongst imported birds is high.  As a result of the extensive harvest of wild birds, in addition to habitat loss, this species is believed to be undergoing a rapid decline in the wild and has therefore been rated as vulnerable by the IUCN.

 

The Timneh Parrot (Psittacus timneh), also known as the Timneh Grey Parrot or Timneh African Grey Parrot, is a West African parrot that is variously considered a subspecies of the African Grey Parrot Psittacus erithacus timneh, or a full species Psittacus Timneh. 

 

The Timneh Parrot has been undergoing population decline both through loss of its forest habitat and trapping for the international wild bird trade. Lumped with the closely related Congo Parrot as the African Grey it is one of the most popular pet birds in the United States, Europe and the Middle East due to its longevity and ability to mimic human speech.

 

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia