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African Grey - Little known Facts??


danmcq

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LOL Judy .... Good One. ;-) :-)

 

Yes "G" is the answer.

 

There are tons of facts about Greys that can be found online and in books. One thing to be cautious of though, is many online and some book content is not actually true is actually. So weigh every thing carefully and research yourself. I find it very interesting to research until it becomes obvious if it is just the persons "Opinion" or a "Truth".

 

Thanks for everyone's participation in this. It could become a very valuable thread to those looking for factual information. :-)

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African Greys go through personality changes as they age. This is not really covered on the information we read in the books or online articles.

 

Why this is not common in these resources really baffles me due to the unsuspecting owner wondering what is happening with their Grey.

 

Rather than a question with multiple choice answers, I thought I would just write a little on this topic to help prepare Young Grey owners.

 

Changes to expect timeline:

 

Months

 

4 to 6 - They will have Black Eyes and will be fairly docile, cuddly, watching your every move, depend on you like a baby child, make baby sounds and normally not seem to have a will of their own. They are making contact calls, learning some whistles etc. Enjoy these precious months with your "Baby".

 

7 to 12 - Their eyes are lightening now to an iris color slowly changing from dark to silver. They will start trying to let you know when they really do not want to do something by running away, avoiding your hand and not listening to commands such as step up. They will normally just go a head and comply though.

 

They are still fairly docile, not as cuddly (atleast not for as long) and are exploring on their own. The baby sounds have lessened quite a bit. Be prepared for molting out of all those down feathers!! You'll have enough to make a pillow out of! They are picking up sounds from phones, alarms, dogs, cats etc. and MAYBE a word or two, most will not speak at this early age. Especially CAG's, TAGS seem to start a little earlier and may have mastered some words a sentences.

 

Years

 

1 to 2 - Eyes iris is now fully silver. They have grown in the agility, speed and confidence. They also now have their own will showing through more and using their beak to let you know it. Be prepared for the heaviest molting at times during this year as the Tail, Secondary, Primary and most medium sized feathers all start coming out. They will get attitudes at times of anger, jealousy etc. that you have not observed before as they are developing their own personality. They have mastered a plethora of whistles, sounds and words along with a good concept of what they mean if you have carefully used words in association with things and actions. They are a hoot though and will have you laughing and shocked with what they may come out with verbally... be careful of what you say around them.

 

2 to 3 - OH BOY, the terrible two's! The eyes are now a pale straw colored yellow.. They are gloriously colored with that solid red tail now. They are SOMEBODY! Watch them strut! They no longer require much cuddle or scratch time with you except in the evenings once they are tired and every one is winding down.

 

Be prepared for a Grey you can not keep an eye off of for even 1 second. They are into everything! Every thing is MINE-MINE-MINE!! If it's mine, it's mine, if it's yours its mine, if its guests it's mine, if it's the dogs its mine and on and on. They will not listen many times and will bite the crap out of you if they decide they do not want to step up. They will also bite more often when playing and even for no apparent reason at all. They are truly testing the boundaries of what they can get away with and you better be consistent (Which hopefully you have been all the way to this point).

 

Yes, you will have to put them back on that stand 20 times in an hour. Yes, you will be putting them in their cage for time-outs many times a day for giving you a good bite. Yes, they just tore your purse, cellphone, keyboard or anything else they could get to into pieces of useless garbage...BIG FUN!!

 

They may start showing more attention to someone else in the household other than the "Favorite". This is not a consistent tendency that can be claim as the "Rule" as some suggest. But, be aware it can start happening.

 

3 to 4 - Their eyes are now a light yellow. Ok, they are settling down now and getting with the "Flock" plan of proper etiquette, rules and understanding that life is some give and some take.

 

They tested their boundaries on the flock and have become more a functioning member that understands we all have likes, dislikes, off limit places and items and we respect each others "Space" when appropriate.

 

They will now still bite the crap out of you if you invade their space at the wrong time or try to take something that is cleary theirs. They are starting to reach sexual maturity and you need to watch for and be careful of sexual behavior. It is a strong driving force and you just need to leave them alone. If they start acting out on it by dropping their wings, moving around and perhaps making a few strange noises, leave them alone, do not touch them further and just let them cool off. Note: They can start a sexual behaviour such as this at much younger ages, but now the hormones are truly kicking in as they approach sexual maturity which normally is 5 Years old!

 

Others can add more years and also behavioural differences they have observed in their Greys at different ages. They are each an individuals personalities. I just tried to highlight commonalities that are the most prevalent.<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2009/02/22 15:50

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  • 4 weeks later...

G is the answer for last Q.

But for first question... if they're not grey...how else we can call them greys.... and they wouldnt be matching the color of this forum...LOL...I would love my grey no matter what color he has...he's just sooo cute....

And thanks for all the information posted...very informative...

 

{Nature-00020095}{Nature-00020095}<br><br>Post edited by: ranaz, at: 2009/03/21 15:52

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B doesn't make any sense because, if that were true, then captive greys could be given lots of colorful fruits and vegetables and they would change color. Dante loves blueberries, and I have yet to see a blue feather. No lurking oompa loompas waiting to juice him either. LOL

 

The pictures I have seen of wild Greys show that their color blends in with the ground there. I'd think the bright red tail might be a give away though. If only Dante had a larger vocabulary, I could just ask him.

 

I could also ask why some mornings he'll let me sleep in, and others he won't even let me leave the room without barking for me.

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