{"id":416,"date":"2010-04-13T15:03:19","date_gmt":"2010-04-13T15:03:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/windycityparrot.com\/blog\/?p=416"},"modified":"2010-04-13T15:03:19","modified_gmt":"2010-04-13T15:03:19","slug":"information-timneh-african-grey-parrots-congo-african-grey-parrots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/?p=416","title":{"rendered":"Information on Timneh and Congo African Grey Parrots"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">We consider African Grey Parrots <a href=\"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/windy-city-parrot-defines-medium-large-and-large-size-species-of-pet-birds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">medium large parrot species<\/a> from central &amp; west Africa.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">In the wild they live on palm nuts, seeds, fruits, and leafy matter, and have even been observed eating snails.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><!--more--><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">They can be good talkers, we recommend not putting your bird in the same room with a telephone or you may be answering your bird for years.<\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Greys come in two flavors, Congo African Greys and Timneh African Greys. Congo&#8217;s have light grey feathers, cherry red tails, and an all-black beak.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe title=\"Timneh and Congo African Grey Eating\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VVnsZFKCvQQ\" width=\"854\" height=\"480\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Timnehs have a darker charcoal grey coloring, a darker maroonish tail, and a light, horn-colored area to part of the upper beak. They also may be referred to as CAGs &amp; TAGs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">In the wild they like the hollows of old trees in their natural habit. In the United States, importation of wild-caught Grey parrots is prohibited under the <a href=\"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/USCODE-2017-title16-chap69.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">U.S. Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/product-category\/bird\/african-grey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Get stuff for your African Grey on Windy City Parrot<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">In the European Union, an EU Directive of 2007 prevents the importation of this and any other &#8220;wild-caught&#8221; bird for the pet trade.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Because they&#8217;re so smart they can make great pets. But remember, because they&#8217;re so darn intelligent, they really need to be engaged on a daily basis. You&#8217;ll need a good-sized birdcage and lots of interactive bird toys.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Dr. <a title=\"Irene Pepperberg\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Irene_Pepperberg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Irene Pepperberg&#8217;s<\/a> extensive research with captive African greys, famously with a bird named Alex, (recently deceased) had documented the ability to converse with humans and could cognize sizes, shapes, and colors.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Their sociability and intelligence make African Grey Parrots outstanding pets with a strongly devoted following among parrot owners.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">These same qualities mean that African Greys require special commitment by their owners to provide frequent one-on-one interaction, and supervised time out of their cage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/product\/goldenfeast-bean-supreme-cookable-peanut-free-23-oz-652-g\/<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">They also require large cages, a varied diet that includes fresh foods, and plenty of safe and destroyable toys.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">African Greys can live 50 years or more, so a great deal of thought should be put forth before deciding to become a companion.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Acquiring an African Grey (or any parrot) is likely a lifelong commitment, and should not be done on a whim.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Your Zygodactyl Footnotes<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">I asked 3 AI &#8220;LLMs&#8221; (Large Language Models) the following &#8220;What is the difference between a Timneh and Congo African grey parrot?&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">From ChatGPT (Microsoft)<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">The **Timneh** and **Congo African Grey parrots** are two distinct subspecies of the African Grey parrot, and while they share many similarities, they also have several key differences:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">1. **Size**: <\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">&#8211; The **Congo African Grey** is larger, typically around 12 to 14 inches (30 to 36 cm) in length.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">&#8211; The **Timneh African Grey** is smaller, averaging around 9 to 11 inches (23 to 28 cm).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">2. **Color**:<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">&#8211; The **Congo African Grey** has a light gray body with a bright red tail and a solid black beak.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">&#8211; The **Timneh African Grey** has a darker, charcoal gray body, a maroon or dark red tail, and a lighter, horn-colored (almost pinkish) upper beak.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">3. **Personality and Behavior**:<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">&#8211; Both are intelligent and excellent talkers, but the **Timneh** is often considered more independent and might bond quicker with humans. Timnehs are sometimes seen as less prone to developing behavioral issues like feather plucking.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">&#8211; **Congo African Greys** are slightly more sensitive and can be more cautious or reserved, taking longer to adjust to new environments or people.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">4. **Geographical Origin**:<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">&#8211; **Congo African Greys** are found in the rainforests of central Africa, including the Congo Basin.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">&#8211; **Timneh African Greys** originate from western Africa, particularly countries like Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">5. **Availability and Popularity**:<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">&#8211; Historically, **Congo African Greys** have been more popular and commonly seen as pets, though **Timnehs** are becoming more well-known due to their calmer nature.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Both species have similar care needs, but these differences can help potential owners decide which might be a better fit for their lifestyle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe title=\"Natural Habitat Temperament and Personality About African Grey Parrots - Encyclopedia About Animals\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nd932bIfwxU\" width=\"854\" height=\"480\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">From Gemini (Google)<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"markdown markdown-main-panel tutor-markdown-rendering\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<h2 data-sourcepos=\"1:1-1:57\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Timneh vs. Congo African Grey Parrots: Key Differences<\/span><\/h2>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"3:1-3:131\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">While both Timneh and Congo African grey parrots are intelligent and social birds, there are some notable differences between them:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 data-sourcepos=\"5:1-5:23\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Physical Appearance<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul data-sourcepos=\"6:1-9:0\">\n<li data-sourcepos=\"6:1-6:78\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Size: Congo African greys are slightly larger than Timneh African greys.<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"7:1-7:199\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\"><span class=\"citation-0 recitation\">Coloration:<\/span><span class=\"citation-0 recitation citation-end-0\"> Timnehs have a darker grey overall coloration, especially on their backs.<\/span> Their tail feathers are also a darker maroon, while Congo greys have bright red tail feathers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"8:1-9:0\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Beak: The Timneh&#8217;s upper mandible is a light, horn-colored area with a dark edge, while the lower mandible is grey. <span class=\"citation-1 recitation citation-end-1\">Congo greys have a solid black beak.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-sourcepos=\"10:1-10:28\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Personality and Behavior<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul data-sourcepos=\"11:1-14:0\">\n<li data-sourcepos=\"11:1-11:140\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Temperament: Timnehs are often described as being more laid-back and less prone to stress or feather-plucking compared to Congo greys.<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"12:1-12:119\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Vocalization: Timnehs tend to learn to speak earlier than Congo greys and are generally considered to be quieter.<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"13:1-14:0\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Socialization: Both subspecies are highly social, but Timnehs may be more tolerant of strangers and new situations.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-sourcepos=\"15:1-15:21\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Care Requirements<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul data-sourcepos=\"16:1-18:0\">\n<li data-sourcepos=\"16:1-16:142\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Diet: Both subspecies have similar dietary needs, primarily consisting of a high-quality parrot mix, fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts.<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"17:1-18:0\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Housing: The size of the cage or aviary should be appropriate for the bird&#8217;s size. Both species require plenty of space for exercise and enrichment.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"19:1-19:321\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">In summary, while both Timneh and Congo African grey parrots are wonderful companions, their differences in appearance, temperament, and behavior may make one more suitable for certain individuals or lifestyles than the other. It&#8217;s essential to research both subspecies to determine which one is the best fit for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"attachment-container search-images\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">From Claude (Anthropic)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">The main differences between Timneh and Congo African grey parrots are:<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">1. Size: Timneh African greys are generally smaller, about 22-28 cm in length, while Congo African greys are larger, typically 30-35 cm long.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">2. Coloration: <\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">&#8211; Timneh: Darker gray body with a maroon tail<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">&#8211; Congo: Lighter gray body with a bright red tail<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">3. Beak color: <\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">&#8211; Timneh: Upper mandible has a light horn color<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">&#8211; Congo: All-black beak<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">4. Origin:<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">&#8211; Timneh: Native to western parts of Africa (Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">&#8211; Congo: Found in central and eastern Africa<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">5. Temperament: While individual personalities vary, Timnehs are often described as being slightly calmer and adapting more quickly to new situations compared to Congo&#8217;s.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">6. Talking ability: Both are excellent talkers, but Congo&#8217;s are generally considered to have a slightly larger vocabulary potential.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">7. Maturity rate: Timnehs tend to mature slightly faster than Congo&#8217;s.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">These differences, while notable, are relatively minor. Both subspecies make intelligent, engaging pets and are highly prized for their talking abilities and companionship. Would you like more information on any specific aspect of these parrots?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We consider African Grey Parrots medium large parrot species from central &amp; west Africa. In the wild they live on palm nuts, seeds, fruits, and leafy matter, and have even been observed eating snails.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":94278,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","_mo_disable_npp":"","_thinkrank_schema_form_data":"","_thinkrank_selected_schema_type":"","_thinkrank_additional_schemas":"","_thinkrank_canonical_url":"","_thinkrank_og_title":"","_thinkrank_og_description":"","_thinkrank_og_image":"","_thinkrank_twitter_title":"","_thinkrank_twitter_description":"","_thinkrank_twitter_image":"","_thinkrank_imported_from":"","_thinkrank_focus_keywords":[],"_thinkrank_focus_keyword":"","_thinkrank_robots_meta_enabled":0,"_thinkrank_robots_meta":"","_thinkrank_advanced_robots_meta":"","_thinkrank_primary_category":0,"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[206,195],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-africa-grey","category-bird-parrot-care"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":{"landsacpe":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/2-afirican-grey-parrots-allo-preening-blog-7.jpg?resize=600%2C445&ssl=1",600,445,true],"list":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/2-afirican-grey-parrots-allo-preening-blog-7.jpg?resize=463%2C348&ssl=1",463,348,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/2-afirican-grey-parrots-allo-preening-blog-7.jpg?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1",300,300,true],"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/2-afirican-grey-parrots-allo-preening-blog-7.jpg?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1",600,600,false]},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/2-afirican-grey-parrots-allo-preening-blog-7.jpg?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/phcfkq-6I","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=416"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/94278"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}