Timneh African Grey

The Timneh (pronunciation: tim-nuh) African grey parrot, found in West Africa, is part of the genus given the moniker, ‘the Einstein’s of the bird world,’ and by no means is the epithet a stretch. It is rapidly catching up with the Congo African grey in terms of popularity for adoption as pets, and with good reason, as the Timneh is smaller and easier to maintain than the Congo.

Timneh African Grey

Scientific Classification
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Psittaciformes
Superfamily	Psittacoidea
Family	Psittacidae
Subfamily	Psittacinae
Genus	Psittacus
Scientific Name	Psittacus timneh

Quick Information
Other Names	Timneh grey parrot, Timneh African grey parrot, TAG
Size	11-13 inches (28-33 cm)
Weight	9.7-13.2 oz (275-375 gm)
Color	Mottled grey plumage, white face mask, pale yellow eyes, dark maroon tail and the upper mandible is black with pink patches on either side
Distribution	Liberia, Sierra Leone, extreme western parts of Ivory Coast, Southern Guinea
Habitat	Dense forests, forest edges and clearings, savannah woodlands and mangroves Sometimes also found in gardens and cultivation fields
Sounds & Talking	Noise levels are moderate with this bird, while their talking ability is excellent, they are also skilled mimics and tend to pick up sounds they listen in the environment around them
Clutch	3-5 oval eggs
Incubation Period	30 days after laying the first egg
Breeding Season	Variable
Fledging	12 weeks
Sexual Maturity	4 years
Lifespan	An average life expectancy of 15-25 years, some can live in captivity for up to 70 years
Diet	Fruits, seeds, nuts, and leaves
IUCN Conservation Status	Vulnerable

Color mutations

Red pied
Albino
Ino
Blue
Cinnamon
Red

African Grey Timneh

Red Timneh African Grey

As pets

The Timneh African grey has recently gained considerable popularity as pets across the world owing to its easy going ways, good sociable characteristics and cheerful demeanor.

Housing

Provide your bird a cage with as large a size as possible, preferably 4’x4’x4’, as Timnehs are an active bird who like to spread their wings frequently. It needs to be let out of the cage for as long as possible. The cage should be placed somewhere that is draft-free and well-lighted. A parrot perch or a playpen will ensure that you TAG is kept busy for most of the day, without requiring too much of your attention.

Perches made out of natural wood must be provided to your bird, as well as toys such as parrot swings, bells, chains, climbing ropes, and destructible bird toys.

Temperature

The Timneh African grey can be kept at room temperature.

Timneh African Grey Baby

Timneh African Grey Bird

Temperament & Personality

Compared to its close cousin, the Congo African grey parrot, Timnehs are less nervous around new surroundings and has a more inquisitive behavior by nature. In fact, when it comes to being able to learn to talk, the Timnehs have excelled more than their cousins from Congo by being able to pick up lessons at a much younger age. Training must be started from an adequately young age to get the best results.

One thing to keep in mind with all African grey parrots, including the Timneh, is that they tend to have hard beaks and sometimes instead of giving a gentle nip to warn off its human, it bites hard. Although this happens very rarely, often while the parrot is being asked to do something that it does not like, and taking a cue from its body language is a way to avoid such painful biting wounds.

Feeding

Food items that you can give your pet Timneh are sprouts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and commercial pellets. You can also share some of the nutritional foods that you consume with your bird. A cuttlefish bone or a calcium block should be a good source of calcium for your pet.

Avoid giving the parrot avocado and chocolate, as they can turn out to be life-threatening for the bird. Also, sugar and salt should not be given to it.

Care

Timnehs enjoy the occasional bath, and you can provide this to them by way of a mist-spray or a fine spraying hose, the water should be tepid and later on the bird should be allowed to dry itself out under sufficient sunlight.

Trimming the wings of the bird should be done regularly to discourage flight. But this must be done with utmost care, and only some feathers should be trimmed. Otherwise, this heavy bird may injure itself by taking flight, before crashing down to the floor below.

Perches and toys should take care of keeping the beak and claws in top shape, but in case they don’t, you would need to have those clipped as well.