African Greys
There are two subspecies of the African Grey parrot - the Congo African Grey and the Timneh African Grey. The Congo African Grey is slightly larger than the Timneh, and has bright red tail feathers. The Timneh has darker coloration and its tail feathers are a shade of maroon.
- African Greys have a long life span and can live for 25 to 50 years.
- These birds are excellent mimics and many are excellent talkers with a capacity of over 2,000 words.
- African Greys are very intelligent birds and have the ability to choose words in relation to their context.
- They require a lot of interaction, attention, and affection from their owners and can be cautious with new people.
- If stressed or unhappy, African Greys can resort to feather-picking and display other behavioral problems.
- The parrot cage should be placed in a part of the house where the bird will have lots of contact with people, but ideally not in the most hectic area of the home.
- Extra spacious victorian bird cages, with bar spacing of an inch is recommended.
- Horizontal cage bars offer the best opportunity for climbing and exercise.
- Be sure to provide a good selection of appropriate toys that are the right size and have been checked for safety.
- Seeds, sprouts, pellets, fresh fruits, and vegetables are good for African Greys.
- Since African Greys are prone to calcium deficiency, calcium-rich foods, such as spinach and mustard greens, should be included in their diet.
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Amazons
There are several species of Amazon parrots. 10 to 20 inches in length, some of the more popular Amazons include double yellow-headed amazons, yellow-naped Amazons, yellow-fronted Amazons, blue-fronted Amazons, orange-winged Amazons, green-cheeked Amazons, and lilac-crowned Amazons.
- An Amazon has a life span of 50 years or longer with proper nutrition and care.
- Amazons are extremely intelligent and playful birds and need lots of affection and time with their owners.
- Amazons can also be moody and can become fairly aggressive if not trained and handled properly from a younger age.
- Some species of Amazons are excellent talkers. They can also scream loudly.
- Extra spacious cages with one inch bar spacing are recommended.
- Horizontal cage bars offer the best opportunity for climbing and exercise.
- Being very playful, Amazons need lots of bird toys. They seem to enjoy toys they can manipulate with their feet.
- Be sure to provide a good selection of toys that are safe and of the right size.
- A quarter to half of an Amazon's diet should be pellet based, with the rest made up of a variety of healthy fresh foods.
- Seeds are too high in fat for Amazons and should make up no more than 10 percent of the whole diet. Nuts make a good treat.
Macaws
Macaws are large, colorful birds that make good pets. The common ones are scarlet macaws, blue and gold macaws, military macaws, and hyacinth macaws.
- The life span of a macaw ranges from 30 to 50 years or more.
- Macaws are playful and active birds and need lots of affection and time with their owners to be happy.
- Macaws can be very noisy and can screech loudly. While not as excellent talkers as African Greys and Amazons, they have a fair ability to mimic speech.
- Extra spacious macaw bird cages, with bar spacing of an inch or more are recommended.
- A sturdy, all-steel cage is best for macaws.
- Be sure to provide a good selection of toys that are safe and are of the right size.
- A quarter to half of a macaw's diet should be pellet based, with the rest made up of a variety of healthy fresh foods.
- Seeds are too high in fat for Amazons and should make up no more than 10 percent of the whole diet. Nuts are also a good treat.
Cockatoos
Cockatoos range in size from about 12 inches to 27 inches. While the Goffin's cockatoo and the lesser sulfur crested cockatoo are smaller, the larger ones include the Moluccan and the greater sulfur crested cockatoo.
- With proper food and care, cockatoos can live from about 40 to 80 years.
- Cockatoos are very lively and affectionate birds and need lots of affection and time with their owners to be happy.
- They are intelligent, playful, and can become excitable around young children.
- If they do not receive enough social interaction, cockatoos may become depressed or exhibit unnatural behavior.
- Cockatoos can be exceptionally loud and may not be the right pet for those who prefer a quiet environment.
- Cockatoos are pretty good at mimicking speech.
- Extra spacious cockatoo cages with one inch or more bar spacing are recommended.
- Horizontal cage bars offer the best opportunity for climbing and exercise.
- Cockatoos love to chew so they should be provided with chewable toys.
- They enjoy hanging cockatoo toys and bird toys that can be picked up with their feet.
- A quarter to half of a macaw's diet should be pellet based, with the rest made up of a variety of healthy fresh foods.
- Seeds are too high in fat for cockatoos and should make up no more than 10 percent of the whole diet. Nuts are a good treat, also in moderation.
