African Grey
There are variety of birds that is breed and kept in Wildlife Fauna Janda Baik. Here is only some of them.
The African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus) is a medium-sized parrot of
the genus Psittacus, endemic to primary and secondary rainforest of West and
Central Africa, and is one of the most intelligent birds. They feed
primarily on nuts and fruits, supplemented by leafy matter.
There are two subspecies; the Congo African Grey Parrot and the slightly
smaller Timneh African Grey Parrot. As their names imply, both subspecies
are predominantly grey. They have dark grey wings, and a pale-grey rump. A
featherless rim of skin around the eyes is whitish to light grey. The head
and neck feathers have paler margins, giving that part of the body a
scalloped appearance. The Congo African Grey has a red tail and the Timneh
African Grey has a dark-maroon tail.
The African Grey Parrot is popular as a pet or companion parrot, especially
the Congo African Grey Parrot, partly because of its ability to imitate
speech. 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.
There are two subspecies universally accepted:[2]
Congo African Grey Parrot, (Psittacus erithacus erithacus):
This is the nominate subspecies, larger than the Timneh being about 33 cm
(13 in) long, with light grey feathers, cherry red tails, and an all black
beak.[2] Immature birds of the nominate subspecies have tails a darker,
duller red towards the tip (Juniper and Parr 1999) until their first moult
which occurs within 18 months of age. These birds also have initially, grey
irises which change to a pale yellow colour by the time the bird is a year
old. The Congo grey parrot is found on the islands of Príncipe and Bioko and
is distributed from south-eastern Ivory Coast to Western Kenya, Northwest
Tanzania, Southern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Northern
Angola. In aviculture, it is often called a "CAG".
Timneh African Grey Parrot, (Psittacus erithacus timneh):
These are smaller in size, have a darker charcoal grey coloring, a darker
maroon tail, and a light, horn-colored area to part of the upper mandible.
The timneh grey parrot is endemic to the western parts of the moist Upper
Guinea forests and bordering savannas of West Africa from Guinea-Bissau,
Sierra Leone and Southern Mali east to at least 70 km (43 mi) east of the
Bandama River in Ivory Coast. In aviculture, it is often called a "TAG".
Some aviculturalists recognize a third and even a fourth subspecies, but
these are not distinguishable in scientific studies.[3]
The "Ghana African Grey", formerly recognized as subspecies Psittacus
erithacus princeps, is described as similar to the Congo African Greys, but
darker and slightly smaller which originates from Fernando Poo and Principé
Islands.
The "Cameroon African Grey", most often referred to as "the big silvers", is
supposedly a larger and lighter form which actually has its origin in birds
not from Cameroon but from today's Democratic Republic of the Congo.
While comparative judgements of animal intelligence are always very
difficult to make objectively, Psittaciformes are generally regarded as
being the most intelligent of birds. African grey parrots are particularly
noted for their cognitive abilities, believed to have evolved as a
consequence of their history of cooperative feeding as largely tree-dwelling
birds in central Africa.
The history of African Grey parrots kept as pets dates back over 4,000
years. Some Egyptian hieroglyphics clearly depict pet parrots[verification
needed]. The ancient Greeks also valued parrots as pets. This custom was
later adopted by wealthy Roman families who often kept parrots in ornate
cages, and parrots were prized for their ability to talk. King Henry VIII of
England also had an African Grey parrot. Portuguese sailors kept them as
companions on their long sea voyages.
Today, many African Grey parrots are hand-reared by breeders for the pet
trade, and they can make wonderful and very affectionate companion parrots;
however, the methods used to produce the birds for the pet trade greatly
affects their behaviour and 'pet quality' once the birds are mature at 2 to
4 years old. The hand-rearing process deprives the birds of parental
interactions, which results in the birds becoming sexually imprinted on
humans at maturity. The degree to which a bird was hand reared may vary;
some are hand-reared from point of (artificial) incubation, others may be
left with their parents for a few days, or a few weeks, depending on the
breeder's method. The degree to which a bird has been deprived of its
natural parents (has been hand-reared) can adversely affect its behaviour
once it is an adult; birds which have been raised largely or solely by their
natural parents tend to show fewer behavioural problemes upon
maturity(Schmid et al 2005). Some grey parrots may not be compatible with
small children. African Grey parrots are very strong, and they can inflict
serious wounds on human flesh with their powerful beaks. Their nails are
naturally sharp and can scratch, although they don't use them aggressively.
Pet owners often liken the experience of keeping an African Grey to that of
raising a young child, not only because of the birds' intelligence, but also
arising from the substantial time commitment required. While captive-bred
birds usually assimilate into their new households with relative ease,
wild-caught African Grey parrots require (which are no longer legally
available in the US or EU) can be difficult or impossible to take to life in
a cage as a 'pet' bird. They may show great fear of humans and emit a
growling sound as a fear response and may panic when approached. Unlike more
common pets, African Grey parrots have not been greatly "modified" by
selective breeding; they are only available as wild-type birds. As opposed
to the many color varieties available in budgies and Rose-ringed Parakeets,
the closest African Grey Parrots get to a color variant are the "Cameroon
African Greys" which, are a natural variation of the normal wild bird's
colour.
African Grey parrots, like most pet parrots, are considered by many to be
very high-maintenance pets, as they require a good deal of personal
attention and many hours each day out of their cages. While numbers vary
with each source, most agree that three hours out of cage daily and 45
minutes of physical interaction is the minimum attention required for good
mental health. African Greys – particularly Congo African Greys – are known
to be wary of strangers, and tend to bond solely with their main carer if
they do not interact with different people regularly. While interspecies
friendships with other parrots are uncommon with African Greys, as
essentially social animals, they will benefits from being kept in the
company of other birds.
Grey parrots are prone to behavioural problems if they are not provided with
a stimulating environment and allowed plenty of time out of their cage each
day. They should be given a range of toys, changed regularly, to keep them
occupied and these toys should include destructible ones made from natural
materials such as cardboard and natural fibres. Toys should also include
'puzzle toys'. These hold food treats and require the bird to learn how to
extract the food from the toy. Boredom and over-use of the cage can
typically lead to problems such as self-plucking, where the bird damages or
removes its own feathers. Many Greys are traditionally kept in small cages
(small enough to prevent the bird from flying). But such confinement if
sustained on a daily basis, risks inducing severe behavioural problems in
the bird. Provided the bird spends many hours each day out of the cage,
interacting with its carer and/or other birds and people, a cage which is at
least 4 feet long by 3 feet deep and 3 feet high can be used, but a bigger
cage or aviary is preferable. The bar-spacing should be ¾ inch to 1 inch.
The height of a cage is typically not important, except in the case of
playtop cages that are taller than the owner, in which case the bird may
show some aggressive behaviours. Grey parrots kept as companion animals
should have access to a range of other places within the room in which they
are kept and these should include a playstand which holds a range of perches
and further toys. A companion African Grey should be kept in a bird-safe
environment and placed in a fairly 'busy' part of the home, such as the
living room, where the bird can occupy himself or herself in watching the
household activities. However, the cage should always have a solid back or
be placed against a solid wall, as this helps to give the bird a feeling of
security not otherwise available to the 'goldfish bowl effect' of being in a
cage.
Grey parrots should be trained to accept some requests or 'commands' from
their carers, including flight requests (Glendell 2007). While many people
still advocate that a bird should have its wings clipped, the danger this
poses to the bird is rarely explained. Clipped birds may crash-land and
injure themselves, often on the sternum. Clipped birds may also damage their
new 'blood' feathers as these grow down in the moulting process and this can
result in persistent bleeding and is painful for the bird. Immature greys
(birds less than 2 years old) should never be clipped at all. Birds with
clipped or damaged flight feathers can have flight restored immediately by a
specialist avian vet imping (splinting)donor feathers back onto the bird's
clipped feathers. Birds which have evolved as fundamentally flying creatures
have no behavioural reperetoire to cope with enforced flightlessness (Glendell
2008) and such a degree of disabling can have adverse effects on the bird's
well-being. Using reward-based training methods based on applied behaviour
analysis (see Dr Susan Friendman's articles at
www.thegabriellefoundation.org) most birds can be taught to fly to and from
their carers on request. They can also be taught to fly off certain places
in the home which may not be safe for them to perch on. This basic training
obviates the need for any wing-clipping and allows the bird to perform its
normal behaviours. Wing clipping is a severe form of environmental
impoverishment to a creature which is adapted to a flying lifestyle.
African Greys have special dietary requirements, and should be fed plenty of
foods rich in calcium and Vitamin A — such as almonds, small amounts of
cheese, or leafy greens including mustard greens or broccoli. It is usual to
give African grey parrots carefully calculated quantities of calcium and
vitamin supplements. An excess of these added vitamins and minerals in an
African Grey's diet can lead to health problems. If very young birds are
wing-clipped, they may never gain full coordination and agility in flight.
Feather clipping should never be attempted by those inexperienced at it, as
serious injury could result. African Grey parrots' lifespans are up to about
60 years, or more, in captivity.
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 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 totaling more than
350,000 specimens from 1994-2003,[12] 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.