Psittacus erithancus (Grey Parrots) are found on coastal countries along Western Africa, and usually spend their time in moist lowland forests. Grey Parrots are different shades of grey (hint the name) and they have red tail feathers. They also have a wingspan of about 46-52 cm, and weigh about 14 oz. The Psittacus are herbivores, and have many medical problems.

 

The Grey Parrots are very simple in color. They are only grey with some red on their tail feathers. These birds have solid black beaks, and white patches over their yellow/silver eyes. They are also around 33 cm in height. It is also said they could possibly be sexually dimorphic.

 

The Psittacus erithancus lives in Western Africa on coastal countries such as Ivory coast, Sierra Leone, and Ghana. Although these birds are found commonly in moist lowland forests, they are sometimes found 2,200 m altitude. The Grey Parrots make their nests in tree holes that are usually abandoned from woodpeckers. These birds are observed in forest edgings, clearings, forests, cultivated areas, gardens, wooden savannas, and mangroves.

 

The Grey Parrots are herbivores that eat fruit, nuts, insects, plants, and bark. When in captivity these birds get fed seeds, nuts, and fruits. Because of this poor diet they suffer from many diseases such as obesity, amino acid imbalance, and many others. They can also have calcium deficiencies that can lead to seizure. These unfortunate birds may suffer from blood parasites and Psittacine beak and feather diseases too.

 

The Psittacus erithancus (Grey Parrot) is a bird that is very interesting and fun to learn about. They are grey with a black beak and red tail feathers. They live in Western Africa on coastal countries, and they are herbivores that sadly suffer from diseases from poor diets. The Psittacus erithancus is bird that seems really fun to observe.

 

 Author: Brittany D.

 Published: 3/2010

 

Picture credit

David Blank (photographer, copyright holder, identification)

 

Sources:

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2008. "CITES species database" (On-line). CITES. Accessed April 14, 2008 at http://www.cites.org/eng/resources/species.html.

2008. "Psittacus erithacus (African Grey Parrot, Congo African Grey Parrot, Grey Parrot)" (On-line). Zipcodezoo.com. Accessed March 20, 2008 at http://zipcodezoo.com/Animals/P/Psittacus_erithacus.asp.

2008. "Psittacus erithacus, Linnaeeus, 1758" (On-line pdf). Accessed March 20, 2008 at http://www.cites.org/eng/com/AC/22/E22-10-2-Al.pdf.

2008. "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species" (On-line). Accessed April 15, 2008 at http://www.iuncredlist.org/search/details.php/47991/clss.

Athan, M., D. Deter. 2000. The African Grey Parrot Handbook. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational Series. Accessed March 20, 2008 at http://books.google.com/books?id=qqrxmrS2bXQC.

Athan, M. 1999. Barron's Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior. New York, New York: Barron's Educational Series.

Bottoni, L., R. Massa, D. Boero. 2003. The Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus) as a Musician: an Experiment With the Temperate Scale. Ethology Ecology and Evolution, 15: 133-141.

Fahlman, A. 2002. "African Drey Parrot Conservation: a Feasibility evaluation of Developing a Local Conservation Program in Pricipe" (On-line pdf). Accessed April 10, 2008 at http://www.env-impact.geo.uu.se/84Fahlman.pdf.

Faye, S. 2006. "African Greys aka Grey Parrots, General Info on the African Grey" (On-line). AvianWeb:Pet Bird Resources. Accessed April 10, 2008 at http://www.avianweb.com/aricangreys.htm.