The Psittacus Erithacus or Congo African grey parrot or African grey or African parrot is also known as the Congo grey parrot is a species of bird in the Psittacidae family. It is the best talker among parrots and the most sold in USA and France and Belgium.
Family: Psittacidae
Nicknames
Its CINFO standard name is Jaco parrot or African Grey Parrots or congo African grey, but it is referred to in various ways in common and commercial parlance. Besides Gabon grey, it is also commonly called African gray and Congo gray.
geographical distribution of the Gray of Gabon
Description and elements of ecology
Jaco’s skeleton skin around the eye is bare and whitish. The iris is yellowish. The head is scaled with white on a gray background, color continuing while darkening gradually, going towards the back and the chest.
The wings are medium grey. Rectrices and upper tail-coverts are bright scarlet red. The beak and legs vary from gray to blackish-brown. Immature juveniles have more red, especially dark red on tips of rectrices, and gray irises.
Weighing around 400 to 500 grams, it feeds on seeds in forests and plantations.
It is about 40cm long. While P. timneh , formerly P. e. timneh parrot measures rather 30 to 35 long. Let us add that this second species has rectors feathers on its tail of brown to dark brown color and not red. It is also overall a darker gray.
These 2 species live in groups of several hundred individuals. They are frugivorous and granivorous .
Distribution and habitat
The Gabon gray inhabits west-central Africa. On the other hand, now that a phylogenetic distinction is drawn between the two species, let us note that the Ivorian Comoé river would constitute the separation between the distribution of P.
Erithacus and that of P. timneh . To the west of the river is P. timneh and to the east P. Erithacus .
Reproduction
The female Timneh lays two to five eggs which hatch after 28 days. That of Gabon 3 to 4 eggs which hatch after 30 days. The latter is relatively small and measure approximately 3 by 4 cm. It has a lifespan of up to 80 years, although most individuals do not exceed 30 years. It is a gregarious bird, but when it reaches sexual maturity, the African Gray parrot chooses a mate and bonds for life. It is a faithful animal, calm and shy.
Psittacus Erithacus
African Grey Parrot Price
The African grey parrot price is between $ 1,600 and $ 3,600
Preservation
Psittacus erithacus erithacus
Gabon Gray populations are declining due to deforestation and formerly trade. Thus, 360,000 individuals were exported between 1994 and 2003, 80% of them destined for Europe.
After 35 years in regulated international trade appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the Congo African Grey is now in appendix I, which means that its international trade is prohibited.
Taxonomy
Following the phylogenetic study by Melo & O’Ryan (2007), the International Ornithological Congress, in its reference classification (version 4.2, 2014), divides this species into two. The subspecies P. e. timneh , which is genetically different, with different plumage, beak, and vocalizations, becomes the species Timneh parrot ( Psittacus timneh ) with a new subspecies P. t. princeps, the main subspecies thus becoming a monotypic species.
