Grey Owner, why did you choose a grey?

[Arjadaga]

Ok, so while I am deciding, i was just wandering what made you get a grey instead of, maybe a B&G macaw or an eclectus or a amazon? If you were to go back in time which species would you choose?

[Barbara2]

Ok, so while I am deciding, i was just wandering what made you get a grey instead of, maybe a B&G macaw or an eclectus or a amazon? If you were to go back in time which species would you choose?

 

I have wanted a Grey since I first decided that I wanted a parrot. That was 16 years ago. I did my research and settled on a Hahn's macaw because at the time I was working full time, had young children, had a career that spilled over into the 18 hour day (including the children's activities) and decided that I would not be a good parront to a Grey. I retired in May and decided that the Timneh male was the bird for me. I am hoping to socialize him to visit classrooms and nursing homes. If he's not into that, I will treasure him for what he does want.

[Ray P]

My wife and I had cockatiels for 39 years now. About 12 years or so we started to look at greys and we wanted one because they were so smart.

After a year and a half or so of looking we stoped at a store that we delt with for food for our tiels and they had some baby greys and we were looking at them when one came over to us and run up my wifes arm and took a poop. She was 9 weeks old when we bought her. She will be 10 years old in Dec. Thank God we stoped that day.

She picked us we had no choise.

[Luvparrots]

My Timneh, 2 1/3 years old Ana Grey, is my first parrot and I did some research before I chose a TAG. I have an older male Eclectus which is my second parrot and I chose him because he needed me. My third parrot is a 2 1/2 years old Blue-Front Amazon, who I am extremely happy with. If I had to choose again, I would still choose my TAG first. If I could only have one parrot she would be my choice, hands down. If I get another parrot, it will probably be a Congo. After that I'm done unless someone wants to give me a Hyacinth Macaw.

Edited October 6, 2010 by luvparrots

[Ray P]

Yah a hyacinth Macaw (dream)

[DonaldLL]

At least a dozen times over a period of 4 or 5 years, we went to a specialty bird store here in Miami. I knew I wanted a parrot but I wasn't sure which type or when or really when I would be ready to make the commitment. We looked at many different birds over that span of time but we always walked away. This past August, once again, I asked my sig if she wanted to go visit Simbad's Birds. We hadn't paid a visit in many months. This time she gave me the eye roll and said, "nah I don't think so we have been so many times and I don't think I wanna go again". I said c'mon just take a ride and let's go look! Well she did and we did. We held this little 9 week old Grey and it just happened. As a matter of fact we held 3 Greys that day but this one was special. We 'connected' and it just seemed like this little creature should spend the rest of her life with us. We claimed her and she claimed us that same day. 3 weeks later she moved in. Stella has been with us almost 4 weeks. Didn't really go choose a Grey.

Edited October 6, 2010 by DonaldLL

[Azzie]

I started off with 2 rainbow lorikeets. A friend of mine had two, and I was so charmed by their silliness and friendliness, I decided I would like some too. That started my fascination (obsession?) with parrots, and I did a lot of general reading on birds, watching clips on Youtube, visiting certain petshops that had companion birds in the shop etc.

 

Initially in my naivety I was very taken with the African grey, as I thought a talking bird would be awesome. Then I learnt more about the personality and nature of the grey, and talkability dropped to the bottom of the list, and their quiet individual charm rose to the top.

 

I have no regrets about taking on 2 keets and a grey, and I would do it all over again.

[danmcq]

I have had birds of various types all my life. Parakeets as a child, a pigeon I found in a field, picked her up and had her for 2 years when I was about 10. Jiffy would fly to my shoulder as I rode my bicycle down the street as fast as I could. She was a wonderful experience, until one day she went for her daily fly around and never returned. Broke my heart and I would ride my bike around all over town looking for her. I just had to let go and imagined she met a male friend and started a family...you know how children like happy endings.

 

Throughout the remaining years, we had a mynah named "Jack" for 23 years, bred finches for 7 years and finally with the children gone I started out with a conure as a first parrot that I suspect is wild caught, then a year later decided to get a Grey, after researching them for a year and deciding we could provide all they need.

[CathyJr]

Me and my husband have always loved pets, We have Two Turtles , two cockitiels, a ferret, Guinie pig, a dog and a cat. We are both home bodies so we just like to stay at home. This year as a surprise for our anniversary our kids pitched in and got us a baby grey , I was so happy i always wanted a grey but cost to much. She is the best present i ever got, My Miss Hannah. She is 11 months old now.

[Janfromboone]

I owned cockateils for thirty years - always wanted a larger parrot but with three to five cockateils I would resist the urge to get another parrot. When my last two cockateils died within a couple of months of each other I was left with an empty Parrot cage and a strong desire to own as intelligent and verbose a parrot as I could find. ( I always secretly wanted my cockateils to talk and none of them did in a way you could understand) . Even so, I didn't know when I bought Tobie what I was really getting into. Few things in life exceed your expectations. Tobie did exceed my expectations. He is smarter than I expected any parrot to be. He talks and has more sense of humor and meaning in his inflection and speech than I could have ever expected. Aren't they amazing.

[Cheshire Cat]

I think since our cockatiels died about 7 years ago, I'd always wanted a bird. Deep down I wanted one again and I'd always liked the look of Greys when I saw them. Something about their look appealed to me. Then, I began watching videos on YouTube and came across Tui (her owner was Andrew) and I became enthralled with these beautiful and clever birds. I read more and more about them and watched more videos, becoming obsessed and then finally I spoke to my mom about getting one as I still live at home. After much debate and discussion, my mom finally gave me her blessing to get one and I did....that is how my Tui came into my life and how I chose her, and her name is also from the first Grey which inspired me to buy her.

 

If it wasn't for me seeing the original Tui, I seriously don't know if I'd have followed the path I did and become so fascinated by them.

[Elvenking]

I had always wanted a bird and it was either going to be a cockatoo or a Grey. I picked a grey because of the things they do. If you go looking for footage of birds and their antics, you just never get enough of what Greys can do. I would walk into stores and do a little whistle, and they whistle back. You can see the little gears turning in their heads. Then a relationship with my girlfriend ended and I was alone in an apartment. So I decided to stop looking for a girlfriend and got a Grey.

[Karcar]

I also watched Tui's you tube clips as well he lost Tui to free flight and has after a couple of years decided to get another grey.

[Elvenking]

I also watched Tui's you tube clips as well he lost Tui to free flight and has after a couple of years decided to get another grey.

 

Ohh that video of him right after he lost Tui was the most heartbreaking. I am glad he decided to get another, he had a wonderful relationship with Tui.

[JDS5607]

I chose a grey for a number of reasons. First, I have had two lovebirds, and two different species of Conures, and I felt as if our flock was missing something... I didn't know what though. So, we went searching for other birds.

I would love to say that a grey was my first choice, but it wasn't. We were looking at larger birds. Hubby wanted a cockatoo (which I KNEW would be too loud for our apartment), I wanted a B&G, but my hubby wasn't too impressed with them...then I found something we both liked, and we found one on craigslist that needed adopting...so we went to adopt a Harlequin Macaw. Looking back, I was OUT OF MY MIND... He was a 19 year old BIIIG boy, with a "little" baggage. He was a fairly nice bird! We went to visit him, and I had been speaking with the lady about how I had wanted a B&G since I was little, however he was beautiful, and I wanted him so, she said she would sell him with his cage to me for $300!!! It was amazing, and we went to go pick him up!

 

When I got there... HE WAS HUUUUGE. He was eating a crab claw, and cracked that thing like NOTHING! I spent hours with him, and he cursed, and screamed, and did everything that I was told Macaws did... but it was different than I expected.

Anyway, I decided NOT to take him. I knew I would be scared of him, and the "little" baggage I was warned about, was more severe, including the fact he had been beaten. SO- I went home and started researching prices on baby B&G's, and I stumbled across a youtube video of a baby grey. That was IT. I fell in love, and before I knew it, had read everything I could get my hands on about greys. I guess what did it for me, was

 

1. They have personalities like no other bird.

2. They are managable, they don't need an entire room to habitate. They don't need MASSIVE toys (which ended up being what we got Sully anyway, lol)

3. I'm not gunna lie, because they have the best vocabulary. I wanted a bird that I could talk to, and would do more than just "peep"!

Looking back, I would STILL purchase an african grey. I would STILL opt for the Timneh, and I would STILL pick Sullivan, with his big goofy eyes, and his formula covered beak

[Buffy]

I'll never forget watching Alan Alda interview Irene Pepperberg and Alex on PBS as a child. However, my research on Greys taught me that this was not the bird for me. I guess I was born obsessed with all birds and had many birds over the years, but never a grey. Finally, after two years of talking myself into a grey and then back out of a grey, I gave up and brought Echo into my life. She quickly taught me that I was right and that my lifestyle was more suited to something like an Amazon or a conure, so I changed my lifestyle! She is the smartest and most amazing girl, and she has changed my life, so much so that I brought Thumper into my life in August. I've lived with 2 greys for two months now. It is an experience like none other. I never imagined how challenging and hilarious it would be. I am often teamed up upon and outsmarted by my two! Just as I get so frustrated with them, I'm about to scream, Echo will yell 'stop it' and start laughing. Its impossible to stay angry no matter how bad those two get![ATTACH=CONFIG]19457[/ATTACH]

[reggieroo]

I always wanted a grey after meeting some over 12 years ago, I was taken with their personalities & of course their ability to speak. That was what got me into parrots & when an Amazon came along at an affordable price I bought him, kept him (Conan the amazon) for ten years until he went to live with my ex-girlfriend who he preferred to be with. That was hard for me & having a house without a parrot after 10 years didn't feel right, I also aways secretly wanted a Congo grey so I set about looking for a baby one. I now have Murphy a 10 month old grey bundle of trouble.

 

Now I have the grey parrot I always wanted, all those years ago.