Timneh African Grey
There are two sub-species of African Grey Parrots – the Timneh African Grey, and the Congo African Grey. The Timneh is slightly smaller than the Congo, and grows to be about 10 or 12 inches long. It is a charcoal-grey color, with a maroon tail. Like all African Greys, the Timneh African Grey originates from Central Africa, and it can live for anything upto 60 years.
Parrot experts are divided about whether or not (other than size) there are any real differences between these two sub-species of African Grey. Therefore, any differences that do exist are really subtle, so they shouldn’t have any bearing on whether you choose a Timneh or a Congo – they both make fantastic pet parrots!
African Grey Parrots are renowned for their high-intelligence, and their fantastic talking abilities. They make really good pets, because they are very sociable birds, which thrive on human attention. However, these attributes can also lead to problems, because if you don’t give an African Grey the amount of attention it requires, it will become very bored, which can very quickly develop into behavioral problems. So, if you want to avoid your pet becoming aggressive, or plucking out his feathers, you need to be prepared to spend a lot of time interacting with him.
Whether you choose a Timneh African Grey, or a Congo African Grey, you won’t be disappointed. Give him the care and attention he requires, and you will have a loving and amusing companion for many years.
photo credit: diana_dee_sophia
