ALL OF OUR CAG BABIES ARE HAND-FED & HAND-TAME !!! And VERY SOCIALIZED! You won't find a better, healthier, friendier CONGO AFRICAN GREY! We have many clients around the country to attest to OASIS CAGS!
They are pulled from the nest at approx. 4 weeks of age & hand-fed until they are weaned (eating well on their own). They are big, beautiful healthy babies that are full of love & playfullness! They are acclimated to a wide variety of sights & sounds so that they are well developed emotionally before they go to thier new homes. There is nothing on the earth like a sweet, cuddlebug ball of feathers, CONGO AFRICAN GREY baby to love for MANY, MANY YEARS TO COME!!! ***please remember that CAGS have a very long lifespan (average 40-50yrs & possibly longer!) many will out-live their owners. So please make sure that you can provide a permanent & loving home for your CAG & please think very carefully before ordering one, they are truely magnificant birds!
WARNING: We are not responsible if one of our babies should 'fall in love' with you, or if you should 'fall in love' with one of our babies, it happens everyday!!!!
The African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus) is a medium-sized parrot of the genusPsittacus, endemic to primary and secondary rainforest of West and Central Africa, and is one of the most intelligent birds. They feed primarily on nuts and fruits, supplemented by leafy matter.
There are two subspecies: the Congo African Grey Parrot and the slightly smaller Timneh African Grey Parrot. As their names, both subspecies are predominantly grey. They have dark grey wings and a pale grey rump. A featherless rim of skin around the eyes is whitish to light grey. The head and neck feathers have paler margins, giving that part of the body a scalloped appearance. The Congo African Grey's tail is red and the Timneh African Grey's is dark maroon.The African Grey Parrot is popular as a pet or companion parrot , especially the Congo African Grey Parrot, partly because of its ability to imitate speech.
There are two types of African grey parrots; some authorities consider them different "races", others consider them sub-species, while still others classify them as different species.
The Congo, P. e. erithacus, is the larger of the two birds, with bright red tail feathers and a black beak. Congos are generally characterized as slightly more intelligent, but also more high-strung than Timnehs.
The Timneh, P. e. timneh, is smaller, its tail feathers are more of a maroon-grey mixture, and its beak includes tints of a reddish-beige color. These birds are characteristically less high-strung and more mellow than Congos.
Some evidence indicates there may be a third sub-species, P. e. princeps, found only on the islands of Princpe and Bioko. It is reported to be larger and darker than P. erithacus; however, it may also be the same sub-species with a regional adaptation of colors restricted to those locales.
Like many other parrot species, African grey parrots can live to be very old. The average age of greys living as pets ranges between 40 and 50 years old; it is not unusual for them to live longer.
African Grey Parrots as pets
Greys are prized as pets because of their ability to learn to speak like humans. They are very vocal in the wild, communicating with a large repertoire of shrill whistles, squawks, and screams, while flying or perching. They often mimic other birds and mammals. This is evident in many pet parrots, as they imitate cats, chickens, owls and other domestic and wild animals.
The African grey's talent to mimic is not restricted to human speech; they readily and skillfully imitate many other "human" sounds like microwaves, doorbells, telephones, coffee grinders and percolators, computer modems and water faucets, to name just a few.
just-hatched Congo African Grey
just-hatched Timneh African Grey
days old African Greys
Greys often prefer the opposite gender in people/owners so keep this in mind when selecting an African Grey.
There are, of course, exceptions to this! Greys become very devoted to the person or people whom they love.
The diet for Greys should consist of mainly fruits & veggetables. Recent information regarding heart disease and arteriosclerosis in Greys in their late teens and twenties has led us to recommend a leaner diet for Greys that we previously recommended. Greys should not be fed a diet that is high in fat and protein. They should be encouraged to exercise. Plucking of the chest feathers MIGHT be an indication of heart disease in Greys. African Greys should also be supplemented with a vitamin-mineral powder that contains calcium, phosphorous, and vitamin D3.
These are Congo African Greys
in these three images.
Greys can be housed in cage sizes suitable for "Amazon" or "parrot-sized birds". Generally, a cage approximately two to three feet cubed is adequate for a Grey Parrot. I recommend the "playpen" style cages for Greys as they should be encouraged to exercise and to play.
Give Greys wood (pine or fir) to chew and green branches with leaves from time to time. Most Greys really enjoy a swing in their cages.
This baby Timneh African Grey is
almost fledging age.
Greys will often show a lilac-colored sheen to their feathers in certain light,
as shown in this image of a just-weaned baby Timneh Grey.
Greys can begin to mimic even before weaning but most do not imitate clearly until they are several months of age. Many do not talk well until they reach a year of age or older. In my opinion, Greys are the best of all parrot species at mimicry in terms of vocabulary, human-like tone of voice, and appropriate use of words and phrases.
Some Greys have "pied toes" and white toenails like this five week-old Congo Grey. This appears to be a genetic trait and
perhaps is a marker for the pied gene in African Greys. Greys
can precisely mimic human speech.
Photographed at eight weeks of age, this Timneh African Grey is at perching age. The Timneh Grey has the same excellent ability to mimic as the Congo Grey has and is generally less nervous than the Congo Grey.
three weaning Timneh African Greys
weaning Greys; Congo African Grey is the larger one and the other
three are Timneh African Greys
