What temperature range is ideal for Greys?

[chezron]

What temperature range is ideal for Greys?

Specifically, how warm does it have to be for me to take my grey outside?

[Dave007]

It should be about 65 degrees or more. Greys can withstand lower temperatures but since you've not done this before, it's best to play it safe. Your bird should remain comfortable outside. You'll need to think about cold gusts of wind. A grey can put up with those winds if they're also roughly the same temperature. Use a harness.

[chezron]

Oh no harness, he is in a travel cage inside a dog crate, that is how paranoid I am about hawks in the area! He starts acting a little neurotic when he doesn't get regular sun. We had him out the other day at 55 degrees F and he didn't seem uncomfortable. Was that unwise?

[Barbara2]

I think it also depends on the temperature of your house. A drastic change in temperature might be more detrimental than the actual outside temperature itself.

[chezron]

Good advice, thanks. We keep it pretty cool in our house, around 65F.

[Guest Kali_the_Destroyer]

I've been wondering this myself. We currently have ice & snow (unusual for the UK) and the parrots' room is a minimum of 15c which they seem OK with (I think that's 59F)

[Dave007]

59F? well, if it works for you then I guess it's all right but I can tell you that 59F isn't the average temp in a bird room. Usually it's about 65 to 69/70.

[Guest Kali_the_Destroyer]

You're right in that night temps in Congo rarely fall below 64F (18c), however this is the chilly UK. The birds cope with night temps of 59F (15c) okay, although I do cover the cages at night which keeps draughts off them. I've kept birds for 25 years and never had one that suffered with colds or sniffles or anything.

[Dave007]

Ok. Then I guess it's fine

[munch]

My vet told me that as long as the change in temp is not drastic, it can go down to low 50s.

 

Here in Brooklyn we actually have parrots living outdoors year round! No one knows exactly where they came from, assuming a male and female parrot (bright green, about the size or little larger than the Grey) got loose in the warmer months, learned to hunt and forage, built nests, and when winter came along gradually they had adjusted. That happen many years ago because now there are dozens of parrot nest all along this one avenue and numerous bright green parrots surviving and multiplying in our very cold NY winter. Current temp is 36 and windy. And it;s only December.

[ryknoll3]

I saw a bunch of wild quakers sitting in a tree a couple of weeks ago here in the Chicago area, and it's been in the 20's.

[Dave007]

Munch

 

The birds you see or have heard about in Bklyn are called Quakers. They're the only parrot that roams city areas in the US. They originally came from Honduras, Brazil, Argentina. That was in the 50s and 60s. They arrived here in huge flocks and spread throughout the US. At that point in time, they were considered to be invading pests because of the many rural crops they destroyed. Corn fieids, wheat fields and other farm land crops. In the US to this day, there are strict rules about Quakers- the many states have different types of rules concerning Quakers. In some states, if the quakers are caught, they'll be euthanized. In other states, breeding isn't allowed but can be sold in pet shops In other states, pet stores can't sell them but in other states pet stores can sell them if they're banded. There's loads of other variations of laws and rules depending on the state. Some states have extreme rules concerning quakers. In this state ( PA), the rules are---no breeding, no selling in stores, no banding or privately dealing with birds, no interstate transportation. Wll enforce euthinzation. There's other states that have the same laws towards quakers. Of course, the private part of the laws can be broken if dealing with quakers privately ( behind closed doors) between people. Other states have less stringent laws concerning them. When those parrots finally arrived in NY, Bklyn was the the first area they went to. Now, they're in Bklyn, Queens, Bronx and recently, they've been trying to get into NYC. They'be been spotted in Central park and near Riverside Drive.The reason they've been less successful in NYC is because the height of the trees are much shorter than other boroughs. Another problem with the feral quakers is that because they'll breed anywhere, telephone lines and electrical currents have been messed up because of their breeding everywhere. Many complaints have been registered concerning large flocks of feral quakers. In many areas in NY they're still considered pests. In NJ, they have different rules concerning quakers and some of their rules are more harsh than in NY.

I have 2 quakers which I illegally brought to PA from MO. I lived in NY (Bronx) for 55 yrs and I saw them for yrs and years. The only parrots that roam wild are the ones that still live in their own country. Those quakers you see aren't the same size or larger than greys. They're much smaller and weigh approx 115 grams.

 

 

You can easily see the rules concerning quakers and where they are in the US by looking it up on your PC. There's even a website devoted to THE QUAKERS OF BKLYN.

Edited December 25, 2010 by Dave007

[munch]

Thanks Dave! I never knew, nor does anyone else that I know- they wll be interested in learning about the type of parrot and its history. It's always been such a fascinating sight the first time you see unexpected green parrots in the trees (and yes, on the telephone polls). I've heard they were in NJ as well, didn;t know they were everywhere and there were laws specially tailored to these guys. I still have a lot to learn about birds, parrots, and especially my own.

 

By the way, I really enjoyed you pictures of your dog with the grey in the parrot/dog thread. Especially of the two cuddling cheek to cheek. And thanks for letting those of us know that a 5+ year old grey doesn't go through stages- still can learn, be trained, untrained, etc but no shocking, sudden change in behavior.

[Dave007]

You're very welcome. Many people are very surprised when they get the full story and history of the quakers in the US. They can be seen on the Net roaming around in trees, telephone lines, on the tops of abandoned buildings. There's even conversations with workers and with private people all over the place concerning quakers on the net( their likes and dislikes of quakers). They're one of the few parrots that withstand harsh temperatures and ocean going travels which is how they originally got here. Some of my old friends in the bronx have told me they've arrived. They're even roosting in my son's old little league field and some are on top of the church that owns that field. They're great birds but yes, they can be pains in the ass for many people in different regions. I also saw them in Sheepshead Bay and near Coney Island years ago. They can be very strong and aggressive birds on the outside, especially towards pigeons. Plus many rural farmland people in different states still don't trust them although many quakers have moved on. Once in a while, I see a few in my backyard which is mainly high trees that look like a forest.

As far as mature greys, after 5/6/7 yrs old, they become very stable.

Edited December 24, 2010 by Dave007

[hammco]

Here in Brooklyn we actually have parrots living outdoors year round! No one knows exactly where they came from, assuming a male and female parrot (bright green, about the size or little larger than the Grey) got loose in the warmer months, learned to hunt and forage, built nests, and when winter came along gradually they had adjusted. That happen many years ago because now there are dozens of parrot nest all along this one avenue and numerous bright green parrots surviving and multiplying in our very cold NY winter.

 

Can you get us a pic of these "wild parrots"? Im interested now!

[Mama Buster]

Your picture just cracks me up!

[Dave007]