Common Name: Grey Parrot, African Grey

Scientific Name: Psittacus Erithacus (split into two subspecies: P. Timneh and P. Erithicus)

Range:  Western and central Africa

Conservation Status: Listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species; Currently protected under CITES Appendix I 

INFORMATION

The grey parrot, named for its varying shades of grey feathers, averages thirteen inches in height, and sports distinctive red tail feathers, a black beak, and yellow eyes. (Clifford, 2021). While the grey parrot is native to rainforests across the western and central regions of Africa, it is also commonly found in mangroves, savannahs, and even gardens. (Holman, 2008). The two subspecies of the grey parrot occupy separate ranges within Africa, divided at the eastern border of the Ivory Coast. P. Timneh inhabits the area between the Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau, while P. Erithicus inhabits the area between the Ivory Coast and Kenya (Birdlife International, 2018). 

The lifespan, intelligence, and sociability of the grey parrot have made it one of the most popular avian pets across the world, including in the United States, China, Europe, and the Middle East. (Birdlife, 2018). This species is considered one of the most intelligent animals, with one study by Harvard University finding that a grey parrot named Griffin outperformed two groups of test subjects, twenty-one Harvard students and twenty-one six to eight year-olds, in a visual working memory test. (Siliezar, 2020). In addition, the grey parrot can learn to mimic over two hundred sounds, including human words, and have been known to replicate the human voice. (Clifford, 2021). While one lives an average of twenty years in the wild, and up to sixty in captivity, grey parrots in captivity are prone to a variety of medical and behavioral problems, including obesity, vitamin deficiency, respiratory infections, and self-mutilation. (Holman, 2008). 

THREATS AND CONSERVATION

While the grey parrot is negatively impacted by deforestation, pesticide use, and hunting in its native region, the greatest threat to this species is the international pet trade, including both legal exporting and illegal trafficking. (Holman, 2008). (Birdlife International, 2018). Due to the species’ popularity across multiple countries, it is the second most trafficked parrot in the world, with some studies estimating that up to twenty percent of the grey parrot’s population is collected annually. (Holman, 2008; Birdlife, 2018). This ongoing rapid decline in population caused the grey parrot to be uplisted from threatened to endangered on the IUCN Red list, and moved to CITES Appendix 1 in 2016. (Birdlife, 2018; Dale, 2016). 

The grey parrot is protected under the Endangered Species Act and the Wild Bird Conservation Act in the United States, and receives the highest level of protection under CITES, which bans the international trade of individuals caught in the wild, though illegal trafficking and sales of captive bred grey parrots continue. (Dale, 2016; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2021). Despite these legal protections and the downward trend in population, only ex-situ conservation efforts, or those taken outside of the grey parrot’s native habitat, have taken place. (Birdlife International, 2018). This species would likely benefit from other efforts such as a recovery plan, a systematic monitoring scheme, and education and awareness campaigns. 

All animal species, whether endangered or not, are deserving of conservation and protection. The grey parrot is no exception, as it is an intelligent, complex creature that plays a vital role in its local ecosystem by propagating the forests through seed dispersal, controlling insect populations, and is a part of the natural food chain. (Holman, 2008). 

REFERENCES

1. BirdLife International. 2018. Psittacus erithacus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22724813A129879439. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22724813A129879439.en. Downloaded on 31 July 2021

2. Clifford, Garth C. “African Grey PARROT: The Ultimate GUIDE (2021).” World Birds, 4 Aug. 2021, www.worldbirds.org/african-grey-parrot/.

3. Dale, Alex. “CITES Round-up: The World Speaks up for the African Grey.” BirdLife, Oct. 2016, www.birdlife.org/worldwide/news/cites-round-world-speaks-african-grey. 

4. Holman, Rachel. “Psittacus Erithacus (GREY Parrot).” Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Apr. 2008, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Psittacus_erithacus/. 

5. Siliezar, Juan. “African Grey Parrot Outperforms Children and College Students.” Harvard Gazette, Harvard Gazette, 2 July 2020, news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/07/african-grey-parrot-outperforms-children-and-college-students/. 

6. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Wild Bird Conservation Act.” Official Web Page of the U S Fish and Wildlife Service, www.fws.gov/international/laws-treaties-agreements/us-conservation-laws/wild-bird-conservation-act.html.