Today it is African Grey (African Grey Photo Blog)

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Hi Everybody!


Please come in and find a comfortable chair. To those of You returning to this site, Thank You! To those of You tuning in for the first time, Welcome. This Google Blog was created as an informal gathering of Nature Lovers around the World. We are United in our love for Nature and our Earth regardless of where we physically reside on the Earth. 
Each Blog Page in this Collection (over 100 now) is different, so you may return at anytime to see other pages! Basically, we look at topics or ideas that have something to do withNature- Mother Earth Nature, Father Space Nature and Human Nature.  Please add ideas for topics in comment boxes and I will check it out. Sharing knowledge is the best thing we can do for each other.  Tonight, we are looking at Bird Nature (African Grey Parrots) in relation to Human Nature (Researchers, trappers, pet trade, pet owner).


The African Grey Parrot is a wonderful bird as you will see in the video lineup. The first 3 vids are of the Parrots in the Wild, where they live in Nature. They briefly explain why these birds are disappearing and may soon be gone from the Earth Forever.


Next, I chose 2 famous African Grey Parrots, Einstein and Alex. (There are more in depth vids on these birds on You Tube, I chose the shorter ones here). The women who trained these birds truly loved them and bonded with another species. You will see this is true. These 2 birds had a wonderful life and taught us so much about communicating with another species. The last parrot video is about what we have learned from birds about human speech. (Very interesting).  ENJOY!

Baby African Gray Parrot

African Grey Parrot

The African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus), also known as the Grey Parrot, is a medium-sized parrotfound in the primary and secondary rainforest of West and Central Africa. Experts regard it as one of the most intelligent birds. They feed primarily on palm nuts, seeds, fruits, leafy matter, but have been observed eating snails. Their overall gentle nature and their inclination and ability to mimic speech have made them popular pets. This has led many to be captured from the wild and sold into the pet trade. The African Grey Parrot is listed on CITES appendix II, which restricts trade of wild caught species, because wild populations can not sustain trapping for the pet trade. As a pet, they must be kept entertained and busy with a person or toy or they may become stressed and begin self-destructive behaviour.

African Grey Parrot
Congo African Grey Parrot
Timneh African Grey Parrot
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)

Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Psittaciformes
Superfamily:	Psittacoidae
Family:	Psittacidae
Subfamily:	Psittacinae
Genus:	Psittacus
Species:	P. erithacus
Subspecies
Psittacus erithacus erithacus Linnaeus, 1758 Psittacus erithacus timneh Fraser, 1844 and see text
Ranges shown by the red areas

A one day old Congo African Grey Parrot chick that was hatched in an incubator

Status and conservation

Rarer than previously believed, it is uplisted from a species of Least Concern to Near Threatened in the 2007 IUCN Red List.^[5] A recent analysis suggests that up to 21% of the global population may be taken from the wild annually,^[5] primarily for the pet trade.

The species is endemic to primary and secondary rainforest of West and Central Africa.^[6] Grey parrots depend on large old trees for the natural hollows they use for nesting. Studies in Guinea and Guinea-Bissau have found that the preferred species of nesting trees are also preferred timber species.^[7] There is a positive relationship between the status of the species and the status ofprimary forest:^[8] where the forests are declining, so too are populations of Grey parrots.^[7]

Congo African Grey Parrot in a bird park

The African Grey Parrot is listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This requires both that exports be accompanied by a permit issued by a national authority and that a finding has been made that the export is non-detrimental to the species in the wild. With exports totalling more than 350,000 specimens from 1994–2003,^[9] the grey parrot is one of the most heavily-traded CITES-listed bird species. In response to continuing population declines, exceeded quotas and unsustainable and illegal trade, including among range states, CITES included the grey parrot in Phase VI of the CITES Review of Significant Trade in 2004. This review has resulted in recommended zero export quotas for several range states and a CITES Decision to develop regional management plans for the species.

In the United States, importation of wild-caught Grey parrots is prohibited under the U.S. Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992. In the European Union, an EU Directive of 2007 prevents importation of this and any other "wild-caught" bird for the pet trade.

Mimicry and intelligence

Unlike other parrots, wild African Greys have been documented imitating the calls of several other species.

Dr. Irene Pepperberg's research with captive African greys, most notably with a bird named Alex, has scientifically demonstrated that they possess the ability to associate simple human words with meanings, and to intelligently apply the abstract concepts of shape, colour, number, zero-sense, etc. According to Pepperberg and other ornithologists^[who?], they perform many cognitive tasks at the level of dolphins, chimpanzees, and even a humantoddler.^[10]

Many pet Congo African Greys learn to speak slowly until their second or third year.^{[citation needed]} Timnehs are generally observed to start speaking earlier.^{[citation needed]} Both subspecies seem to have same ability and tendency to produce human speech, but vocal ability and proclivity may range widely among individual birds.

One notable African Grey is N'kisi, who in 2004 already was said to have a vocabulary of over 950 words and was noted for creative use of language,^[11]as had been Alex. For example, when Jane Goodall visited N'kisi in his New York home, he greeted her with "Got a chimp?" as he'd seen pictures of her with chimpanzees in Africa.^[12]

A study led by Dr. Dalila Bovet of Paris West University Nanterre La Défense, published in 2011 demonstrated that African Grey Parrots were able to coordinate and collaborate with each other to an extent, to solve problems set by scientists, for example two birds pulling strings at the same time in order to obtain food – or one bird standing on a perch in order to release a food-laden tray, whilst the other then pulled the tray out from the test apparatus (both would then feed). The birds in question were observed waiting for their partners to perform the necessary actions so that their behaviour could be synchronized. It was also noted that the parrots appeared to express individual preferences as to which of the other test birds they chose to work with.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Grey_Parrot

Mutations

African Grey Parrot red-factor mutations, including the all-red individual discussed in this section.

Several mutations occur naturally in the wild, like the F2 Pied Mutation, which results in a broad red band across the abdomen. 1998 saw the first created Grey mutation when South African bird breeder Von van Antwerpen and New Zealand partner Jaco Bosman selected F2 Pieds and created the first red African Grey.

Other mutations include:

• Albino (no pigment)
• Lutino (yellow pigment)
• Incomplete Ino (mostly white, but with small percentage of melanin)
• Grizzles (soft pinkish scalloping found in its feathers)
• Blues (white pigment in the tail)
• Parino (very light scalloping found in its feathers)

This is Einstein!  Just Push Play>

This is Alex   Just Push Play>

This is Love for Alex,  Just Push Play>

This is a short documentary about bird brains,    Just Push Play>

This concludes our look at the African Grey Parrot.  The ideas presented here tonight give us all much to think about. I am just one old lady who owns a Bird Sanctuary. I have a wildlife habitat and wild birds, no cages. Personally, I regret that any bird has to be in any cage for any reason anywhere on Earth. I will not buy anything from pet stores. I encourage Everyone to save these birds and NOT buy anymore Parrots to put in cages.


So Goodnight, my friends. I leave you with one more great performance with the Beautiful Nature of Africa!

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http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.avianweb.com/images/birds/AfricanGreyParrot2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.avianweb.com/africangreys.htm&h=389&w=467&sz=196&tbnid=4K_g8_rqbbuWDM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=111&zoom=1&docid=ItTh65PggbnQZM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=VcaVT-agCMOdgwf36dCdCA&ved=0CFgQ9QEwDg&dur=3773

http://www.petworkssanantonio.com/birds-for-sale.html

Baby African Gray Parrot

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Grey_Parrot




....this is brendasue signing off from Rainbow Creek.
See You next time!




O+O