Grey Parrot

Among the 350 odd parrot species worldwide, grey parrots are best able to mimic human speech. Alex, the famous grey parrot, had over 100 words in his vocabulary and could add numbers.

Words can be appropriately used, and even combined to label new objects. The intelligence of grey parrots is equivalent to that of apes, dolphins, and four-year old children.

Grey parrots are sociable, roosting in flocks of up to 1,000 birds. Wild parrots communicate through various vocalisations to coordinate flocking, indicate food availability, warn of danger, and express anger toward rivals.

Scientists have recorded a wild pair producing over 200 sounds, including bird song imitations. Grey parrots feed in the canopy and ingest clay and mineral soil from the ground.

As the world’s most popular pet bird, grey parrots breed well in human care. Despite this, wild parrots are still being poached and trafficked. Around 1.3 million birds were legally traded over the past 40 years.

Tragically, some 60% of illegal wild-caught parrots die in transit. With up to 21% of the wild population harvested yearly, coupled with habitat loss, grey parrots have become endangered.