African Greys:

African Greys
This mid-size parrot is also known as the grey parrot and it comes from the primary and secondary rainforest of west and central Africa. The African grey is known as one of the most intelligent birds. Their overall gentle nature and their inclination and ability to mimic speech have made them popular pets as they have been kept as pet for over 4000 years. This has led many to be captured from the wild and sold into the pet trade. The African Grey is listed on CITES appendix ll, which restricts trade of wild caught species, because wild populations cannot sustain trapping for the pet trade. As pet they must be kept entertained and busy with a person or toy or they may become stressed and begin self-destructive behavior such as plucking. With the proper nutrition an African Gray Parrot can live up to 80 years.

There are two subspecies of the African Grey: the Congo and the Timneh.
The Congo African Grey is the nominate subspecies, larger than the timneh. About 33cm (13in) long, grey feathers, cherry red tails, and all black beaks. These birds also initially have grey irises which change to a pale yellow colour as they get about a year old.
The Timneh African Grey is smaller in size have a darker charcoal grey colouring, a darker maroon tail, and a light, horn-coloured area to part the upper mandible. The timneh grey parrot is endemic to the western parts of moist Upper Guinea forests and bordering savannas of West Africa. As pets the Timnehs begins learning to speak earlier than Congos and are often said to be less nervous around strangers and novel situations.
In order to keep these parrots healthy a balanced diet is a must. Malnutrition can also lead to some of the following issues: poor health, hyperactivity, persistent screeching, bad temper, nonreplacement of feather after moult, biting, continuous moulting, and feather plucking. A good diet should be supplemented with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with grains and proteins, a small amount of seed mix can be fed to keep your African Grey parrot healthy and happy. Keep on mind that seed can be very fattening and are poorly balanced so they should not form a large part of the diet.

Choosing the right cage for your African Grey.
When choosing a cage you should consider the width between the bars, they should not be so wide that the parrot could get his head between the bars. Cages come in a variety of shapes, it is important not to choose a round cage as it has been known to cause psychological and orientation problems for African Grey Parrots.