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Acquiring Gray Parrots

Before the two Gray Parrots move into their new home, all preparations must be complete: the aviaries, the fixtures, food, etc. must already be in place and ready for use. As the future owner, I should have familiarized myself with the nature, needs and the containment conditions for quite some time. In any event, I should have some basic knowledge about the species to prevent any bad surprises. Make absolutely certain that your birds do not already suffer in the early stages of ownership. The beginning and the first impression are critical foundations for the future trust-based relationship between human being and animal. If I am stressed out because some things have not yet been taken care of by the time the birds arrive, I will end up destroying the trust basis between the bird and myself right away. Gray Parrots are highly sensitive beings, and it will take some time for them to trust individuals who are strangers to them. Hence, make sure you do not make any mistakes that could unnecessarily confuse the birds. After all, they have been taken from an environment they are familiar with into a world that is completely new to them. This is further compounded by the stress of being transported and the unusual circumstance of riding in an automobile.

Once we arrive at home, I place the transportation cages on the floor of the new aviary and leave its vicinity. The birds will now contemplate and study their new environs thoroughly. They will internalize the dimensions, fixtures, and other spatial scenarios. I leave the birds alone for about half an hour to allow them to inspect their new world with abandon. After about 30 minutes, I enter the room very calmly, without exuding any hectic behavior and still keep a respectful distance from the birds.

After they have had the chance to look me over for a while since I am also a stranger to them, I talk to them in a very calm, soothing voice without moving. It is actually beneficial to also talk to the birds while they are being transported from the breeder’s location to their new home. However, this must always be done in a calm voice and definitely not in a hectic, excited or shrill tone. After another 30 minutes have passed, I carefully approach the transportation cages, open both simultaneously and take a few steps back. The aim is to get the birds to leave their transportation boxes on their own and to explore the new environment. This may happen very quickly or take a bit of time. You should not remove them from the cages under any circumstances. Allow them to do this voluntarily. If they leave the transportation cages on their own, they have accepted the new environment and they will become curious. Patience is the name of the game – just like it is with anything related to the handling of Gray Parrots.

For the next few days, it is best to restrict your interactions to feeding, watching and talking calmy to win over the birds’ trust. It is important not to cross any boundaries under any circumstances and to ask them to do anything they do not want to do. Once a basis of trust has been established, the birds will demonstrate through their behavior whether they want more closeness or whether they still need more time.

Once you have found a breeder you trust, you will have to choose the two birds to bring home. Make absolutely sure you choose birds of different genders, i.e. a rooster and a hen of about the same age.

Never opt for siblings and make sure they are not of the same bloodline, i.e. they are not closely related. Every good breeder keeps records of his breeds, pairings, offspring, and degrees of kinship.

You should ask to review these documents to avoid surprises and to prevent inbreeding. It goes without saying that the birds must wear closed rings and that they come with all required records. The lineage certificate is one of the mandatory documents. The breeder uses it to document that he or she raised the fledgling birds. The lineage certificate contains the ring number and the bird’s date of birth as well as the address and signature of the breeder. An EU Marketing Certificate is also mandated by law for every Gray Parrot in Germany and other countries. This certificate accompanies the bird throughout its entire life; it works like a personal identification card. Since February 4, 2017, Gray Parrots are listed in Annex A and are consequently members of the highest category of protected animal species. As a rule, the required EU Marketing Certificate is issued by the competent nature conservancy agency and handed over to the breeder upon registration of the fledgling birds. The breeder passes the Certificate on to the buyer. A Gray Parrot must not be sold or even be given as a gift without this Marketing Certificate. Violations are subject to criminal prosecution of both, the breeder and the buyer.

Based on which criteria should I choose my two new roommates?

 Never choose birds from commercial/backyard breeders, but always from reputable private breeders.

 No hand raised birds, opt for natural broods.

 Birds must wear closed rings.

 Trust in the breeder is absolutely essential.

 Do not have the birds shipped, pick them up yourself. Parrots are not catalog merchandise but must be personally inspected.

 The birds should be subjected to a current virus test for 5 viruses and must have negative test results for the following:Circo virus (PBFD)Borna virusHerpes virusPolyoma virus (French molt)Chlamydia (Psittacosis / parrots’ disease)

The birds should be agile, curious and interested in their owner, which can be easily determined through observation. Invest a lot of time into the observation of the birds since you are acquiring them for the rest of their lives. Good breeders are patient with new potential owners and do not push them to buy. Ask the breeder any question you have concerns about. A dedicated breeder will answer all questions patiently and credibly. Will the breeder be available as a point of contact after the purchase? Will the breeder assist you if any problems arise? If you do not like even one detail, you should not buy. The cloaca must be dry and not sticky. The eyes must be clear, the feathers must be full and fit smoothly around the body. All claws must be intact and must not be bitten off under any circumstances. The latter does happen quite frequently.

The fledgling birds should still live with their parents and should be at least six months old. In nature, fledgling birds stay close to their parents until they are about eight months old, and they have learned everything they need to lead independent lives. A Gray Parrot is considered a fledgling bird until the age of one year. In most cases, they are given to new owners when they are just 12 weeks old, which is much too early. Generally, they are not yet 100% food secure, which can be very problematic for new parrot owners. Moreover, they have not yet developed any social skills at this age, which can lead to problems in their later handling in captivity.

Cat carrier boxes are the best transportation option for the birds. Especially on colder days, the bottom should be covered with a towel. One of the added benefits of using a towel is that it will prevent the bird from sliding around and provide more secure seating for the parrot. I don’t use perches in my boxes. Usually, the birds will sit on the base during transportation and will avoid perches. Furthermore, in the event of a panic, they pose a risk of causing injury. If it is extremely cold, it is best to wrap a towel around the box. The locks and the plastic material must be sturdy as parrots a true escape artists. It is best to provide a separate transportation box for every parrot to prevent accidents in the event of panic attacks.