The African grey parrot is a medium sized bird that has a history of being kept as a pet for over 4000 years. They were kept as companions by the ancient Greeks, a custom that was later continued by affluent Roman families who kept them in flamboyant cages.

There are two sub species of the breed, the Congo African grey and the Timneh African grey. The Congo is slightly larger than the Timneh and has red tail feathers. The Timneh usually has a darker colouration than the congo and has maroon tail feathers.

African grey parrots are often hand reared by professional breeders and handlers for the pet trade as they make affectionate and rewarding pets. They are usually long lived with an age span ranging from 25 to 50 years, this can vary dependant on diet, disease and stress. They are very intelligent birds, some have exhibited the ability to process words and information and respond with an appropriate response (ie a conversation rather than repetition). The birds are excellent mimics with a capability of over 2000 words as well as imitating household sounds such as phones ringing.

Getting African greys to mate and breed can be problematic as the birds have no specific mating season, initially the best way is to house a male and female in a cage until they have bonded (look for sitting next to each other engaging in mutual preening). Once this has been achieved purchase a nest box to imitate their natural breeding environment, the birds usually choose a small dense location therefore light and open conditions are not conducive to breeding. Look for cosy L shaped nest boxes, as well as some wood chippings to make sure your birds eggs remain secure. The eggs hatch within one month and need to be carefully removed to ensure the mother does not become distressed and aggressive. Hand rearing your birds is rewarding but requires lots of dedication. Chicks need to be kept in a brooder that can be adjusted for temperature as well as somewhere very clean as young chicks are prone to infection. Most breeders recommend spoon feeding (bent teaspoons are great shape wise) or syringes to feed your chick. Also ensure you have some quality scales to keep an eye on your chicks weight.

Your birds cage is its home and needs to be a sanctuary for your pet. With this breed in particular the cage needs to be as large as possible with room for exercise and horizontal bars for ease of climbing. A large cage door aids the bird when exiting and helps with ease of cleaning and castors are great for manoevre ability as the breed requires the stimulation of being moved into different rooms. The more you can spend on a cage the better as these birds require quality housing to keep them safe and secure. Its well worth taking advantage of online discount codes to get the best possible pad for your new companion!

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The African Grey Parrot is the perfect mix of brains and is we believe one of the most beautiful parrots of them all. This species of parrot has become quickly recognised as the … Read More >>>

African Grey Parrot Species Defined
The African Grey Parrots are all in the genius Psittacus. Only a single species makes up this genus, Psittacus erithacus. This species is further divided into three subspecies or races … Read More >>>

Mimicry And Intelligence
While comparative judgements of animal intelligence are always very difficult to make objectively, Psittaciformes are generally regarded as being the most intelligent of birds … Read More >>>

African Grey Parrots As Pets
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 … Read More >>>

A pet Congo African Grey ParrotThe 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. 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 behavior 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 imprinted on humans at maturity. This is done primarily to produce tamer birds, as they learn how to interact with other animals from their parents’ behavior, and the often untamed breeder birds may pass down a fear of humans. The degree to which a bird was hand reared may vary depending on the breeder’s method – some are hand-reared from the point of (artificial) incubation, while others may be left with their parents for a few weeks. The degree to which a bird has been deprived of its natural parents can adversely affect its behaviour once it is an adult; birds which have been raised at least partially by natural parents tend to show fewer behavioural problems (such as plucking or fearfulness) upon maturity (Schmid et al 2005), though birds raised entirely by their parents may be less tame. Some breeders may hand rear babies in the presence of tame adult pet Greys that may serve as role models for the babies. Also to be considered is how a baby grey is weaned and fledged. A baby Grey should be abundance-weaned (allowed to wean at its own pace) and be allowed to learn to fly. Force-weaning and clipping a baby before it learns to fly are believed to occasionally cause development of fearful behaviors when the young grey reaches several years of age. Some grey parrots may not be compatible with small children. African Grey parrots are very strong and can inflict serious wounds on human flesh with their powerful beaks. Their nails are naturally sharp and can scratch, though the birds do not 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 from the substantial time commitment required. While captive-bred birds usually assimilate into their new households with relative ease, wild-caught African Grey parrots (which are no longer legally available in the US or EU) can find it difficult or impossible to adapt to life in a cage as a pet. They may show great fear of humans, 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[who?] 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[who?] 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, as African Greys are essentially social animals, they will benefit from being kept in the company of other birds.

Juvenile Congo African Grey Parrot. Irises are dark grey.Grey parrots are prone to behavioral 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 regularly changed toys to keep them occupied, including destructible ones made from natural materials such as cardboard, wood, or natural fibers. Toys should also include “puzzle toys” or “foraging toys,” which hold food treats that the bird must learn how to extract from the toy. Boredom and overuse 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 cages too small to allow the bird to fly, and occasionally for young, clumsy or very nervous Greys (often Greys that have been clipped at a young age), a smaller cage may indeed be necessary for a time to avoid the bird from falling and injuring itself or becoming frightened. However, most Greys will benefit greatly from a large cage which allows more space for different perches, toys, and exercise. Provided the bird spends several hours each day out of the cage, interacting with its caretaker and/or other birds and people, a cage which is 4 feet long by 3 feet deep and 3 feet high is adequate. The bar-spacing should be 1/2 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, including a playstand holding 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, to allow the bird to be occupied with observing 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 due 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; this ensures most birds can fly safely and removes the ‘need’for wing-clipping. Wing clipping is very controversial. Some owners prefer to clip to prevent potentially dangerous indoors flying. However, wing clipped birds are no safer than full-winged birds, but merely subject to different risks as pet birds (Glendell 2007). African Greys are heavy-bodied birds and more prone to clipping-related problems than some other parrots. Clipped birds may crash and injure themselves, often on the sternum. Clipping birds may also damage new “blood” feathers, as these grow down in the moulting process, which can result in painful persistent bleeding. Severely clipped birds may have balance problems and fall often. Preferably, greys should not be clipped at all. If a Grey is clipped, it must be done by someone who understands the moulting sequence of the bird so as to avoid damage to blood feathers when these grow down on a clipped wing during the bird’s moulting period. A clipped Grey should still be able to fly or glide short distances to avoid injury. 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.

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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, which are believed to have evolved as a consequence of their history of cooperative feeding as largely tree-dwelling birds in central Africa.

Irene Pepperberg’s extensive research with captive African greys, especially the one known as Alex, have provided evidence that these parrots are capable of associating human words with their meanings, at least to some extent, though these conclusions are disputed. Ambitious claims of language use have been made for another African grey, N’kisi, who has a vocabulary of around a thousand words and speaks in sentences.[citation needed] Although there exists a great deal of debate as to just how well these birds actually understand the meaning of the words they speak, there is little doubt that Greys and other parrots (especially macaws and cockatoos), along with corvines (crows, ravens, and jays), are highly intelligent in comparison with other birds.

It is widely believed in the parrot-keeping community that Greys understand their human companions at various human intelligence levels. For example, some believe that a young Grey (under a year) has the equivalent understanding of a human toddler and the cognitive ability of a 6-year-old human child.

Many greys are excellent talkers, with a capacity of over 1500 words. They don’t repeat all words they seem to favour a few and just learn new ones and say the words they know at random along with household noises such as the telephone ,doorbell or microwave, often so well that they confuse their owners! greys have a unique capacity for putting their words and sounds into the right context as opposed to simply repeating them, which shows their intelligence, Our grey Reggie will call my son and tell him to go and put on his shoes as we are going in the car simply when he hears me pick up the car keys!

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The African Grey Parrots are all in the genius Psittacus. Only a single species makes up this genus, Psittacus erithacus. This species is further divided into three subspecies or races … Read More >>>

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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 … Read More >>>

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African Grey Parrot Species Defined : P.e. erithacus – the nominate race.

The terms “Congo”, “Ghana” and “Cameroon” all refer to supposed slight color and temperament variations of this subspecies. This is the subspecies most often pictured in books and articles about African Greys. The bird is about pigeon sized with a bright red tail, a solid black beak, and a light gray feathered body. Most every written or unwritten source (Bird Talk, American Cage Bird, breeder ads in these magazines, “The Guide to the Well Behaved Parrot” (a.k.a. the r.p.b. bible), the r.p.b. newsgroup, every exhibitor at every bird show we’ve attended and every pet store we’ve visited) refer to this subspecies as a “Congo” or a African Grey Congo. In rec.pets.birds the acronym CAG is used to refer to Congo African Grey.

African Grey Parrot Species Defined : P.e. Timneh

This is the “other grey”. Commonly called Timnehs or African Grey Timnehs. These birds are on the whole smaller than the nominate race. The body feathers are dark gray. The tail is a duller maroon or red brown color. The upper mandible of the beak is all or partially bone colored. We have seen imported Congos are smaller than either of our Timnehs. We have also seen some Congos with body feathers that are as dark gray as our darker Timneh with less than bright tail feathers. However the beak color always has been the easiest most consistent differentiation. In rec.pets.birds the acronym TAG is used to refer to Timneh African Grey.

Timneh Mutations

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 Pies 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 scalloped found in its feathers)
• Blues (white pigment in the tail)
• Parino (very light scalloping found in its feathers)

African Grey Parrot Species Defined : P.e. princeps

Some articles we’ve read have suggested that this subspecies is extinct or has interbreed with the nominate race so much that any visible difference has vanished. This subspecies is (or was ?) limited yo two islands in the Gulf of Guinea (Principe and Fernando Poo). Forshaw in his “Parrots of the World” states that “this subspecies is probably not distinct from erithacus”. The bottomline is you probably won’t find one offered for sale by a breeder, pet store or bird show and you wouldn’t recognize one as anything but the nominate subspecies if you did see one. We can’t remember a posting in rec.pets.birds that discuss this subspecies.

Okay, now we’ve laid out the scientific classification stuff, but what do you, the perspective pet owner need to understand? Just this, from a practical standpoint you have two subspecies of African Grey Parrots to choose from as your pet. These two subspecies are currently referred to “Congos” and “Timnehs” by 99% of those dealing with these birds.

One last note about naming and this is mostly our opinion and comment. If you were to read Bird Talk issues of five years ago you’d find that it wasn’t as simple as “Congo” equals nominate and “Timneh” is the Timneh subspecies. The “Ghana” and “Cameroon” terms were attempts by those breeding and in the pet trade to differentiate their “wares” from those of their competitors.

The results was confusion. Now that things seem pretty straight forward a few members of the “African Parrot Society” seem to want to stir the pot again. They have suggested that the common name for the nominate subspecies become “African Grey Parrot” while the name for the Timneh subspecies become “Timneh Parrot”. This sort seems like a deja vu since those suggesting striping “African Grey” from the name of the Timneh subspecies breed the nominate race for profit and would likely gain financially if people thought of their “product” as the only true “African Grey”. They claim this proposed change is to avoid confusion, however we’ve never met anyone confused by the “Congo” = nominate and “Timneh” = Timneh subspecies terminology.

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The African Grey Parrot is the perfect mix of brains and is we believe one of the most beautiful parrots of them all. This species of parrot has become quickly recognised as the … Read More >>>

Mimicry And Intelligence
While comparative judgements of animal intelligence are always very difficult to make objectively, Psittaciformes are generally regarded as being the most intelligent of birds … Read More >>>

African Grey Parrots As Pets
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 … Read More >>>

Breeding African Grey Parrots
African grey parrots are often hand reared by professional breeders and handlers for the pet trade as they make affectionate and rewarding pets. They are usually long lived … Read More >>>

The African Grey Parrot is the perfect mix of brains and is we believe one of the most beautiful parrots of them all.

This species of parrot has become quickly recognised as the best speaking parrot of the lot, I write this while listening to Reggie our family Grey chatters in the background, god knows where he picks up half the things he says, he seems to pick up words and string them together, now that’s intelligence to the higher degree!!!

While many parrots learn some words or phrases, many cases have been documented of African Greys learning multiple lines of songs, prayers, or plays. The Guinness Book of World Records lists the best talking parrot or parrot like bird as a African Grey named Prudle. Prudle was captured near Jinja, Uganda in 1958 and when “he” retired from public life in 1977 had a vocabulary of nearly 1000 words.

The speed in which African Grey Parrots can pick up new words is phenominal, they can pick words only after hearing them a handful of times, so be warned if you are considering taking on a pet African Grey Parrot just be very careful what you say in earshot of it, Reggie has an amazing vocabulary of obsecenities, which can be somewhat troublesome when you have children or the boss visiting for dinner.

African Grey Parrots don’t just mimmick speach they also pick up all storts of weird and wonderful sounds, Reggie has a habit of dialing a number on the mobile telephone, having a conversation with some random person, saying goodbye then hanging up with the beep of the phone. You could quickly find your pet African Grey mimmicking the microwave, other birds or animals you have in the house or even trumping if you have a flatuance problem. Many owners and some studies suggest that Greys (and other parrots) don’t just mimic but can use words learned in new combinations to convey new wants, needs and desires. Alex, a famous Grey that has been studied for years by Dr. Irene Pepperberg, invented the term “long yellow” to express his desire for more corn on the cob. A European study found Greys to have the intellectual capacity of a 5-year-old human child with the emotional development of a human 2 year old (read as terrible two year old).

African Greys have become extremely popular in homes all over the UK and are not as exotic as other parrots you may wish to own, they are pretty easy to breed given the right conditions, they’re retrospectively inexpensive they don’t take up as much space and they love human interaction … the perfect mix.

There are three species or types of the African Grey Parrot they are Psittacus Erithacus, Psittacus Erithacus Timneh and Psittacus Erithacus Princeps all of which are explained on the African Grey species page.

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African Grey Parrot Species Defined
The African Grey Parrots are all in the genius Psittacus. Only a single species makes up this genus, Psittacus erithacus. This species is further divided into three subspecies or races … Read More >>>

Mimicry And Intelligence
While comparative judgements of animal intelligence are always very difficult to make objectively, Psittaciformes are generally regarded as being the most intelligent of birds … Read More >>>

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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 … Read More >>>

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African grey parrots are often hand reared by professional breeders and handlers for the pet trade as they make affectionate and rewarding pets. They are usually long lived … Read More >>>

Accepting offers between £500 – £600. The price will include his cage, toys and food if wanted. Also have an acrobird playgym if interested.

montana Hacienda playtop in antique very good condition, no skirts and only one bar on play top £150.00

uk parrot cages cage 22″ by 32″ by 46″ high cage size, overall height 65″bar spacing 3/4″ Antique, like a smaller hacienda with opening top drop down landing platform, slide out trays on castors no skirts (was very expensive) very good condition £80.00
pics in my photo bucket under cages and java tree. http://s929.photobucket.com/home/Debidogs/allalbums
they got to go if I trip over em one more time!

I am in ellesmere port near the wirral and chester.
Thank you

Karl is her chosen one but she stil is a little stubborn for him when he wants her to step up out of her cage, she wont bite him but she just refuses, there’s no way no how he can get her to do it he has to wait for her to come out by herself.

So me beinG me i just had to test the “coco stick” (buddy perch) and see if i could get her out the cage as welL as put her back
and guess what ?? SHE DID IT

So now Coco gets loads more time out the cage as befor if i let her out whilst karl wasn`t around she would come out and run under her cage and then I couldn’t entice her out well if i wanted to keep my fingers that is!!

Coco was hatched 19yrs ago this month (may) and not knowing a exact date we have decided she can share mine and peach`s(one of my other greys) birthdays.

Coco is my little destroyer so im sure come her birthday she wil apreciate a good shredable toy , until then i wil continue amusing her and the rest with anything they can destroy with pleasure

So Busby came out to keep me company while I was weeding he loves nothing more than to sit and watch me busy out in the garden he will sit anywhere I put him he favourite spots are on the back of one of our patio chairs or he likes to sit on the Java tree we have in the garden.

I took him over to see our Blue Fronted Amazons Kerry and Jerry he was really interested in them, Only Jerry was out as Kerry was in her nest box sitting tight on some eggs which should hatch any time soon.

Here are some photos of him enjoying his time out in the garden.

He has also had a tiny chew on some wooden beads on his toys, I’m hoping all this will help his beak and encourage him to see that he can have fun with toys.

He still loves Charlie and because their cages are next to each other they often sit trying to kiss each other through the bars and they try to preen each other too. I’m still allowed tickles at night time and I now get tickles every morning too. His head goes down and he let’s me tickle until I’ve had enough of tickling then he likes me to stroke his wing at the side. His talking is really good but again he only chats at night when Sandy has gone upstairs to watch football.

He’s now saying, “tickle, kiss, come on, come on then, hello sweetheart, hello Georgie” he will also kiss me through the bars if I ask him.
He really is making progress.

Although it’s small steps I’m really impressed that he feels comfortable enough to chat away at night as it’s lovely to sit and listen to him to what he’s picked up from us.

He’s really enjoying his showers now and his feathers are much improved. He seems to be moulting the odd tail feather and the odd chest feather, they are moulted out and not pulled out as the quill in intact and not chewed at all.He’s enjoying his diet of vegetables, chop, mash, Harrisons, AZ parrot muesli and he loves parrot cereal warm first thing in the mornings.

He’s a really wonderful bird and he fits in lovely with our other birds. He’s one of the family and I’m so glad we have the time to spend with him to watch him grow and develop into confident bird.

We love him to bits!

His vocabulary is increasing with things like, hello baby, alright chicken, Parrot power etc etc. I am sure this is all from his previous home and he is relaxing now.

I take him to work with me whenever I am travelling around so in the car with him most of the time. He absolutely loves been out and about, quite the traveller.

He did seem to have a problem with the hoover when he first came but is now completely desensitized to it…….no wonder as I love my hoover and always have it on the go….very strange I know.

Hopefully we will get some sun this weekend as Archie and I have some serious gardening to be doing!!!

In the year since she has lived with us, we’ve had tears, tantrums, ranting and raging and that’s just from Penny!

She’s a darling really I love her to bits even though the feeling isn’t mutual it doesn’t stop me from treating her exactly as I treat my other Grey, Charlie.

Penny is a plucker, whether she will ever stop or not is debatable, she lets her feathers get so long and then she sits and nips them back, little bit by little bit. As long as I know she is happy and healthy it really doesn’t matter to me what she looks like.

At the moment she is growing new tail feathers again and every time that happens I keep my fingers crossed that she will leave them this time.

We have moved her cage next to the window so that she can see out in the garden and I think that has helped her a bit. A telephone directory is her main toy, she loves to sit looking out of the window and rip shreds out of the book.

Penny continues to eat well, she has Animal Zone foods with a bit of fresh veg and sometimes fruit. I very rarely give her a tiny bit of cheese and wow you should see her run for that lol.

I’ll update again in a month to let you know how her feathers are doing.

Soon it will be 2012 and we’ll start a fresh year with a whole fresh outlook, but before we get there we have Christmas to contend with.

The Christmas fund raising efforts have been stellar, especially with the Christmas raffle that we have to say Pat organised from start to finish almost perfectly even finishing it off with a completely videoed draw with out takes at the end, if you haven’t already seen it and have an hour to spare I’d highly recommend viewing it, it’s WELL worth it.

We’ve had the cook book, the recipe book and the AGPC ™ 2012 calendar on sale amongst other things that people have been buying, all of the profit from these has and continues to go into the rescue fund.

We totally appreciate those that have donated to the rescue find in 2012 enabling us to help more rescues than ever but the sad truth is we need more donations if we are to have a chance at helping EVEN more rescues, so if you can find it in your hearts and you haven’t donated then please do so then we can continue to grow the rescue in 2012 and maybe even becoming a registered charity for which we need to have at least £5,000 incoming donations to achieve.

We’re still about £130 short of being able to help poor Angel the rescue we took on earlier in the year that sadly needs an operation to help her have some sort of a normal life, again if you haven’t donated to Angel’s appeal and you have a few pounds spare this Christmas please think about helping make her Christmas this year the best of her life!!

One last thing, one of the members of our forum John H has asked us to pass an eCard to everyone to say Merry Christmas to you all, you can check it out by clicking on the following link.

Merry Christmas 2011

I just can’t put into words how exciting it was to be out in the fresh air. My owner stayed close to my cage while I was out so that she could check whether I needed anything. She brought me fresh grapes and a bottle to spray me with, she really had thought of everything, as is right and proper, I even got one of my favourite walnuts while sitting in a patch of sun. My only problem was the dogs, they seemed very confident and their barks sound so loud and imposing outside, they were showing off running about and barking at everything. People passing were obviously scared of them but when I went through my repertoire it just didn’t have the same effect, they called me cute and only backed off when the dogs started to bark. People should heed my wishes and I shouldn’t need dumb beasts get people to do my bidding. If it wasn’t for my owner there I would have been mobbed by well wishers, some people just have no respect. I object to being called “cute” when I am obviously trying to get people to keep a respectful distance.

I am working on getting my owner to let me out again tomorrow. She has a fondness for brazil nuts so I’m going to save a couple to offer her when she does something I like such as take me outside. I’ll have her trained in no time.

The show ( the smallest of the 2 held there each year ) was already packed at 10.30 with people looking to buy toys, cages, food, souvenirs and every type of parrot paraphernalia imaginable. Many a bargain was to be had on the toy stalls with old favourites up for grabs and plenty of BOGOF’s and 3 for 2 offers. Shopping around for food items such as palm fruit extract and soaking mixes gave plenty of opportunity to save money off the usual costs, but the Harrisons stall, which claimed to be selling at discounted prices, proved to be even more expensive than buying on line.

Birds from finches, pigeons,greys and amazons to cockatoos and macaws could be seen. Some birds proudly displayed their awards for all to see, others were for sale. Not all looked happy to be there but people talked to them gently and some responded by offering their head for a scratch.

Thanks to Pat’s badges some members had already bumped into each other and introduced themselves, but in general the big meet happened on the balcony outside the cafe.

It was very exciting and quite a sight as purple haired people, ladies with greys on a lead, blokes in ‘ I love Greys ‘ t-shirts and rope samples hanging from their backpacks met up on mass whilst people were trying to tuck in to their bacon butties. The posse moved out to the gardens to chat, share bird experiences, offer advice on recent posts and look at Irene’s pottery purchases.

Members were so pleased to meet each other but all agreed that there just wasn’t enough time to talk to everyone for as long as they wanted to. Members dispersed to go back and secure a cage they had seen, or look for the bargains that other members had told them about, but all went home having made firm friends and agreeing that Geoff was exactly what they imagined him to be !!

Roll on the October show which is said to be bigger and better than the one held in July.

Thanks to Rachel for this excellent write up, and thanks to Pat for the vast majority of the following photography, check out the photo’s from the Stafford Parrot Society Show.

I really wasn’t impressed with my female owners treatment of me. She should know by now that I deserve much better treatment than that. I have made my feelings know. She will no longer be enjoying my company over breakfast or when I am out of my palace until I think she has suffered enough. I will not be performing any of those little “tricks” she likes so much and I definitely won’t give her the honour of being allowed to scratch my head until she shows that she understands her treatment of me was wrong. I have to say that she wasn’t demonstrating any repentance this morning, she seemed quite happy to enjoy her breakfast alone. She is obviously just being brave and trying not to let me see how much I have hurt her but refusing to give her any attention.

She has promised to get my outside cage up and sorted. It has been sitting outside in pieces for days and it is sheer laziness on her part that means I can’t enjoy any of the beautiful sunshine. If she does that then that will go some of the way towards making up for my disgusting treatment. I can see her now, trying to enjoy a coffee. Usually I’d go over for a head scratch but I won’t this time. She is putting such a brave face on it and pretending not to care. It almost makes me feel guilty.

Ohhhh what’s this. Walnuts. Now you’re talking. A few of those and things might be alright between us again. I feel like such a tart when she opens the bag, but I can’t help myself, I’d do anything for their nutty goodness. Till the next time fellow tweeters!

I have been watching the way she strips off the wall paper, it looks like just the sort of thing that I love to do. I get some lovely shredding toys in my cage and I think she has just been letting me practice so that I can help out with the stripping. There is a patch right next to my stand that I thought I would start with. Such fun. Unfortunately I don’t think I’m doing it right because my owner keeps getting in right state. She moves me away and tries to stick the bits back down. Crazy behaviour. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong; I watched her do the kitchen and I’m just doing exactly what she did. I can only assume that she has such fun doing it that she wants to save it all for herself. That’s just selfish in my opinion.

Now all you parroty peeps out there should be starting a campaign to persuade your owners to put in some of the new vertical blinds that my owner has just had fitted. They are fabulous. I can climb up them, slide down them, nibble the bottom and the sides. They are just the best. Every house should have them. I keep looking in the toy magazine so that I can point them out to my owner and persuade her to have them fitted to the other window in the front room as well but I can’t seem to find them. It makes me think that there is another toy magazine that she is keeping from me. Really very unfair of her.

The weather has been getting much better recently. The dogs are a little put out as well because their beds have all been changed and on the sunny days they have had their beds moved outside into the sunshine and they are such stupid animals that they lie in the sun for ages and overheat. Do they have no common sense? I have been sitting on my windowsill but have been getting sprayed nice and regularly and still have my bowl of water to bathe in. The battle of wills over the harness is still going on but I honestly don’t see why I should have to be leashed like a dog to go out and my owner doesn’t seem to be backing down.

Don’t tell her but I am seriously considering it, I would love to be able to go outside. Maybe I’ll let her have her way next week, or maybe not, we shall see if the treats are forthcoming.