Many people dream of acquiring a feathered friend, while parrots, which can easily learn human speech, are of particular interest to bird lovers. One of these birds is the gray parrot.
Grays selection rules: wild or tamed?
If you decide to buy a gray parrot, first decide on whether you are interested in a wild or tamed bird. The fact is that tamed grays are much more expensive than those that were caught in the wild and immediately put up for sale. Very often, in pursuit of profit, cunning sellers try to pass off a wild bird, which has not yet been in contact with a person and does not fear him, as a tamed one. If the bird did not have time to frighten, and it willingly makes contact, then it is quite possible to tame it in the future.
It is quite easy to determine how accustomed a parrot is to communicating with people. One has only to run your hand along the bars of the cage in which the bird is located. At the same time, the wild and already frightened by people, the gray will jump to the side and will probably start to behave restlessly, start screaming, rushing about and even may show aggression. It is better to refuse to buy such a bird, since it will be difficult to tame it. Therefore, if you have no experience with wild parrots, living in the same apartment with such a gray can be a real challenge for you.
Young or adult gray: how to make the right choice
If you are interested in a young bird, choose the one that is not yet frightened by people and easily makes contact. If you are interested in an adult gray, it is worth purchasing only a tamed bird, since in adulthood, wild parrots adapt very poorly to new conditions and get used to people for a long time.
How can you tell if the seller is offering you an adult or a young gray? Determining the age category of a bird is quite simple. The paws of young birds are pinkish, while those of adult Grays are brown and coarse. The shade of plumage in birds at a young age is lighter, and there are no detachments on the surface of the beak, in contrast to adult birds. And, of course, young parrots are more active.
How to determine the health status of a bird
Buying a parrot, many fear that they will be deceived and sold a sick bird. To buy a healthy Grays, you should know a few basic rules that will help you not to make mistakes. When choosing a gray, it is very important to pay attention to the plumage of the parrot. If the feathers are dull and sparse, then you should be on your guard, especially if the bird sits ruffled at the same time and does not show interest in what is happening around. A healthy parrot is active, curious and has beautiful bright plumage. The beak of a healthy Grays has no cracking, and there are no outgrowths on the legs.
