Olivia
is a Timneh African Gray parrot. She was captured in the wild and imported here several years ago. This practice is no longer legal but the numbers of birds
captive bred now adequately supply the demand for pets. She has adapted pretty well to us but it took a long time. At first she would growl if anyone got near her. She now looks forward to a head scratching and orders the kids around. Timnehs have finally become appreciated because they posses all of the personality of the "Congo" gray, but seem to have not so many stress related behavioral problems such as feather
picking.
The bird pictured here is a Congo African Gray parrot. They are generally larger and lighter in color than the Timneh. They also are distinguishable by the solid black beak, opposed to the horn colored mandible on Timnehs, and the very noticeable scarlet tail. African grays are most noted for their ability to imitate sounds including human speech to near perfection. Not only do gray parrots imitate sounds, they have shown an ability to apply words to objects, naming shapes and colors in studies. One person who believes in cognitive skills being displayed by these birds is Dr. Irene Pepperberg who works with a famous parrot named Alex. Go to the link below to learn more.