Psittacus (African grey parrots) is a genus of parrots in the subfamily Psittacinae. It contains two species, the grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) and the Timneh parrot (Psittacus timneh). For many years, the grey parrot and Timneh parrot were classified as subspecies; the former as the nominate, the latter as P. e. timneh. However, in 2012 the taxa were concluded to be separate species by BirdLife International on the basis of genetic, morphological, plumage and vocal differences; the IOC World Bird List adopted the split in 2014. These parrots are found in the primary and secondary rainforest of West and Central Africa. They are among the most intelligent birds in the world. They feed primarily on palm nuts, seeds, fruit, and leafy matter, but have also been observed eating snails. Their inclination and ability to mimic speech and other sounds have made them popular pets.
Taxonomy The genus Psittacus was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. The genus name is Latin for "parrot". Linnaeus included all 37 of the then-known parrots in the genus, and of these George Robert Gray designated the grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) as the type species.
Species The genus now contains only two species:
Behaviour and ecology
Breeding Psittacus parrots are monogamous breeders which nests in tree cavities. The female lays 3-5 eggs, which she incubates for 30 days while being fed by her mate. Young leave the nest at the age of 12 weeks. Little is known about the courtship behaviour of this species in the wild.
Longevity Like many large parrots, they are long-lived birds. The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database states the longest reliably recorded longevity for the species in captivity as 49.7 years. Also acknowledged are claims of captive grey parrots reaching the ages of 73 and 93, whereas the World Parrot Trust lists a longevity of 50–60 years for a grey in captivity. The Guinness Book of World Records listed a grey parrot that allegedly lived in captivity for 72 years as the longest-lived specimen for the species.
Illness and disease Grey parrots have been known at times to contract a non-infectious inflammatory lung disease called lipid pneumonia. Lipid pneumonia can be classified as exogenous or endogenous depending on whether or not the animal inhaled outside material. A necropsy shows that the lungs of a grey parrot with endogenous lipid pneumonia (EnLP) are firm with a diffuse grey discoloration. EnLP is a common illness in other animals as well. The grey parrot is also one of the three parrots that scientists found to commonly suffer from dehydration. Scientists have used plasma osmolality to find more information about the form of dehydration grey parrots have. Another disease that the grey parrots get is cardiomyopathy, which is a heart disease usually presented at a young age. The cause is having parents of the same breed. Some other common symptoms in these birds are weakness, coelomic cavity, and retardation. The grey parrot has been known to contract beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) which causes a highly contagious, and sometimes fatal, psittacine beak and feather disease in parrots. In a PCR-based study, Chlamydiosis, an infectious disease of avians, was found to infect the grey parrot. In the study 253 clinical samples were taken from 27 bird species belonging to seven orders. Thirty-two (12.6%) samples were positive for Chlamydi and two new genotypes were discovered, Chlamydophila psittaci and Chlamydophila abortus. Another ailment that grey parrots commonly suffer from is hypocalcemic-induced seizure activity. Birds between 2–15 years of age contract it, due to a lack of calcium. A symptom of the syndrome can be unsteadiness while standing or falling off a perch along with neurological anomalies or problems.
Intelligence
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