The African grey parrot is one of the largest parrots in the continent, most noted for its intelligence, and ability to mimic human speech.
The species can be found across tropical Africa. They mainly inhabit primary and secondary lowland forests there.
The parrots are infamous for damaging maize crops, but they mainly feed on fruits, seeds and nuts, particularly those of the oil-palm.
The intelligence of a grey parrot is such that they can easily mimic human speech, and learn number sequences. A famous example is Alex, the captive parrot that could utter over 100 words, differentiating between colours, materials, objects and shapes.
However, these birds are often exploited for the pet trade. Another major issue is the loss of nesting areas. According to a study conducted in 2016, the population of these parrots has declined by more than 90 per cent in Ghana due to poaching for pet trade and habitat loss.
There are many efforts made to conserve the species, including banning of their export, increased monitoring etc. Salonga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo is one place where the birds are protected.
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