African Grey Parrot – Female and Male

Of more than 350 species of parrot, the African Grey parrot is among the most popular. African Grey parrots will bond, and be your friend for life – and their life span is 50-65 years. They are more intelligent than many parrots, and able to understand word meanings as well as sounds. African Grey parrots have been known to have vocabularies as high as 950 words, and many have sufficient vocabularies to read English, were they able to read.

African Grey Parrot Subspecies

The two scientifically recognized subspecies of African Grey parrots are:

1. Congo African Grey parrots (CAG)
2. Timneh African Grey parrots (TAG)

Congo African Grey parrots are the larger of the two.

African Grey Parrot Coloring

The African Grey parrot is, as it name implies, basically grey in color. This is not a drab bird, though. This is a parrot in near-formal attire. The basic grey is dressed up with white around the eyes, and other white highlights. A dramatic flash of red tail completes the attire – like a bright cummerbund.

On the Congo African Grey parrot, the grey is lighter, and the tail is a cherry red. The Timneh African Grey parrot sports a maroon red tail with darker grey back. Both have black beaks.

African Grey Parrot – Female and Male Appearance

Differences between sexes in the African Grey parrot are minimal and include these.

Female African Grey Parrot

Longer, slender neck with a smaller, rounded head.
Measures 11-12″ long.
Eye is slightly elliptical.
Lighter grey on wings, without red around vent.

Male African Grey Parrot

Shorter, heavy neck with a flatter, broader head.
Measures 12-13″ long.
Eye is round.
Darker grey on wings with red feathers around vent.

African Grey Parrot – Female and Male Behavior

Other than appearance, there are no studies about African Grey parrot female and male differences. Most information about behavioral differences is anecdotal in nature. Still, it may help to know what others have observed.

Knowing and recognizing the subtle differences will help you guide your baby parrot’s behavior. It will also help you modify behavior in an adult parrot. In addition, you will form more realistic expectations of how your African Grey parrot will behave.

Here, then, are a few observed differences.

* Companionship: Both seem to make good companions.
* Talking: The African Grey parrot species is the most likely to talk of all parrots. An African Grey parrot not only learns words and phrases, but can imitate different voices. Both usually talk equally well.
* Parrot Interaction: Female babies are content to play and perch alone or beside other babies. Male babies often engage in sparring with other male babies, “fighting” over the highest perches.
* Human Interaction: Females, when learning to fly, seldom fly to different people. Friendly to people, they seem less inclined to seek human companionship. Males frequently initiate human contact, seem to enjoy people, and interact willingly.
* Leader Instinct: Female African Grey parrots are less likely than males to challenge you for flock leadership. You are, of course, to be leader of the “flock”.

With these differences in mind, the choice between male and female is really up to you. African Grey parrots of either gender are great companions.