Grey Parrot
The grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) is a medium-sized parrot of the forests of central Africa, famous for its talent for imitating speech and its intelligence. It is listed as Endangered because of trapping for the pet trade and loss of forest.
The grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) is a medium-sized parrot of the forests of central Africa, famous for its talent for imitating speech and its intelligence. It is listed as Endangered because of trapping for the pet trade and loss of forest.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Grey Parrot in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Reptilia lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
Alex the Parrot
Irene Pepperberg trained a grey parrot named Alex to name objects, colors and shapes, and count small quantities. He could answer questions about the number and color of items, which suggested abilities long thought to be unique to primates.
Social and Long-Lived
Greys live in flocks, roost in large numbers and can live for 40 to 60 years. They are sensitive and prone to stress and feather plucking in captivity.
Trapped by the Millions
Wild-caught greys were exported in huge numbers, and international trade in wild birds was effectively banned by listing the species in CITES Appendix I in 2016. See Scarlet Macaw.
Grey Parrot at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Psittacus erithacus |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Psittaciformes |
| Family | Psittacidae |
| Field Guide group | Reptilia: Aves (Birds) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Ash-gray bird with a bright red tail and a strong black hooked beak; famous for mimicking human speech and solving puzzles. |
| IUCN Red List status | Endangered (EN), assessed 2018 |
| Trade status | CITES Appendix I (2016) |
See Also
- Scarlet Macaw — another threatened parrot
- Budgerigar — a small talking parrot