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I'm having a bout of stupid and cant seem to edit my previous post but since I'm not from Ohio I'll just throw my $.06 in (inflation, sorry) about their pros/cons. I consider Greys at or near the top of the heap when it comes to intelligence levels of animals. That comes with a lot of possible baggage. If they are mistreated, abused etc they will remember and may suffer consequences. Lots of FB posts about 'why is my bird plucking'. No one really knows why, some find solutions, many never do. My first Grey lives the over-pampered, meticulously cared for life and one day I went into their bird room only to see a pile of feathers on the ground and my precious Grey girl sitting there looking ragged as hell. It broke my heart as I thought, here we go, never thought it would happen to me. Thankfully she stopped after a few months and the only thing we can attribute it to was a hawk encounter. She is prone to freaking out when she is not with me. Yes they can become very co-dependent. It worries me when I see someone with only one Grey. I feel like they do need a companion for when you are not there. That's sort of how we got Huey, our #2. I think a good Grey parront is - patient (you'll need a lot of this) - hard-working (they need good servants to clean up after themselves) - a great cook (a varied diet is best) - moderately wealthy (hey, they need toys and stuffs, vet care, cages, foods etc) - always there (whatever plans you had, cancel them, Greybie wants you, Greybie needs you) They are a HUGE commitment if you treat them as they should be treated. Lots of people lock them up and throw away the key because they had absolutely no idea what they are getting into. I see tons of rescue stories where I'd like to find the culprits and beat them. When I was younger I wanted a monkey. I thank God that I was too poor to ever go through on that stupid impulse. I see videos of pet monkeys occasionally and can't fathom what it requires to care for one of those. Greys aren't anywhere near that commitment but they are a time-sink. This says it all so beautifully....

Oh wow, I completely forgot about AA. I may have to go back for a visit...or maybe I got the boot from there and can't go back 🤣

Yeah, beautiful quote there. Before I go one, I don’t mean to brag in any way; - Patience - Yeah, I practically raised my rowdy younger brother, so, patience is not a problem - Hard working - I am VERY hard working and stubborn. I don’t give up, even when I know I’m wrong. I’m prepared to vacuum multiple times a day, cuz these are real dusty birds, aren’t they? - Cooking - Not a problem - Money - Again, not to brag, but money’s not a problem. Thankfully, I’m never tight on money - Always there. Okay, so, I suffer from SAD, Social Anxiety Disorder, so I try to avoid meeting with people when I can, also I’m a real introvert. Huge commitment, yeah. I want an African Grey. Never would I ever lock up a poor bird like in those horrible rescue stories (not saying what you said was offence in any way)

Very well said, @SRSeedBurners.

Ha ha, yes! Avian Avenue! I’ve an account on that as well. I felt like I was annoying people with my endless questions (I’m just that kind of person, the people on AA are lovely) so, I thought why not ask here! I’ll be sure to go through the rest of the information in these forums…

Totally agree. I'd add expensive and time consuming to feed properly. I don't think some understand how much it costs to take care of a parrot correctly. I know I didn't! Also, Avian vets are not readily available in a lot of areas, and are expensive as well. Anyone considering adopting a grey should understand that it takes substantial resources and time for food prep. I can't think of anything to add on the "good" but that's mainly because I struggle to express it. I've never been as attached to a "pet" as I am to Timber, and I've had many that I've loved. There is something different about a relationship with a grey and words fail me. Under the "ugly," you've listed the worst one, and the hurt feelings are a real thing. If you have a lot of "traffic" meaning people who don't live in the home passing through, you have to be very careful. I've had to grab someone's hand before they stuck it in strike range several times, people often don't understand that greys aren't going to just "let them pet them" like a cat or dog might. Also under ugly, there are cases where your bird may take an active and sometimes belligerent dislike to a household member. I'm probably overthinking this, but just my thoughts!