African Grey parrot facts and information help potential buyers know about this particular species of parrot. They are not the most colorful of parrot but are some of the most intelligent and enthusiastic parrots you can come across in the whole world. They are matched only by 'Eclectus' parrots in learning skills. Once you get to deeply understand them, you'll realize that the African Grey offers a much richer parrot owning experience than other more colorful varieties of parrots.

African Grey parrots are recognized by their bright red tail feathers and their black beak. Some birds will only have them on the inner side of their tails but others will have a full red tail.

There are a number or gray parrots around and it is this red tail that helps identify the African Grey parrots from amongst the other gray parrots worldwide. Of course, an expert wouldn't find it difficult to differentiate between the two. If you are considering buying a parrot don't fall for the trap of buying a plain gray parrot after being told that it is an African Grey.

Probably the most amazing fact is that there are two kinds of African Grey. If you were thinking that there was just a single variety, you may have to think again. There are two distinct varieties:

- Congo - Timneh

There are quite distinct differences between the two and the most marked amongst the variations is the difference in size between the Congo and Timneh parrots. Timneh parrots looks significantly smaller than the Congo parrot.

Some African Grey parrot facts to check if you are buying one for your pet:

- The parrots have a bright red inner tail - They have a defense habit of fluffing up their feathers when feeling threatened - Their intelligence far surpasses all other parrot varieties - They are the best speakers among all the parrots macaw eggs for sale uk combined - They can reproduce whole phrases and sometimes even whole sentences - Most of them will live longer than their owners - They chew a lot - so in captivity this needs to be dealt with, usually by adding branches and toys to their cage - They are true friends for life provided you train and care for them well

Though training these birds is a nightmare, African Grey parrots usually form very good bonds with their owners because they like the company and will follow their owner around all day if allowed to. Also they are known to be extremely adept at learning tricks.

In the wild these parrots tend to spend most of their lives with one partner. Though this may not be applicable in cases where grouped together in confined spaces, they generally express strong monogamous tendencies at all times. In the wild they're known to nest in tree holes.

Another interesting fact is that the most important defense mechanism for this parrot is the habit of fluffing up their feathers to look scary to predators. This is their natural reaction to threats even if they're tamed and docile. Now that you know all the basic African Grey parrot facts, you might understand them well enough to decide whether you want to buy one or not.