The African grey parrot is among the most cognitively sophisticated of all birds and one of the most heavily traded, a combination that has proved devastating for wild populations. Prized for its intelligence and remarkable capacity to mimic human speech, the species has been captured for the international pet trade on a scale that — together with the loss of its forest habitat — has driven steep declines across West and Central Africa [BirdLife 2021; CITES CoP17 2016]. This profile examines the parrot's biology and intelligence, its equatorial forest range, the pressures threatening it, and the international measures now in place to curb its decline.
Biology and Identification
The African grey parrot is a medium-sized parrot, roughly 33 cm in length with a wingspan of about 46–52 cm and a body mass on the order of 400 g, give or take [Wikipedia 2026]. Its plumage is predominantly soft grey, set off by a distinctive bright red tail and a black bill — a combination that makes the species readily identifiable [Wikipedia 2026].
The species is renowned for its cognitive abilities, which are among the best documented of any bird. The grey parrot Alex, studied over decades by researcher Irene Pepperberg, learned to use a large vocabulary and to distinguish objects by color, shape, and material, and grey parrots have been shown in controlled studies to perform some tasks at a level comparable to that of a young human child [Wikipedia 2026]. This intelligence, and the species' striking ability to mimic human speech, are precisely the traits that have made it so sought after as a pet.
African grey parrots are long-lived; in captivity they can survive for decades, far longer than typical wild lifespans [Wikipedia 2026]. They are primarily frugivorous, feeding on fruits, nuts, and seeds, supplemented by other plant material, and they congregate in large numbers at favored feeding sites and mineral-rich forest clearings [Wikipedia 2026; Habel et al. 2024].
Habitat and Range
The African grey parrot inhabits the lowland equatorial forests of West and Central Africa, across a band of countries including Angola, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda [Wikipedia 2026; BirdLife 2021]. It depends on intact forest for nesting in tree cavities and for the fruiting trees that supply its diet, and it makes regular use of forest clearings where birds gather in groups [Habel et al. 2024].
The species has been lost or greatly reduced across substantial parts of its former range. In Ghana, populations are reported to have declined by roughly 90–99% since the early 1990s, a collapse attributed to a combination of trapping and high rates of deforestation [BirdLife 2021; Cornell 2024].
In accordance with NRWL sensitive-species policy, specific roost locations, nest-cavity sites, and seasonal movement details are not disclosed in this article.
Conservation Status
The African grey parrot is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, assessed by BirdLife International (e.T22724813A154428817); the species was uplisted from Vulnerable to Endangered in 2016 in recognition of rapid, ongoing population declines [BirdLife 2021]. The species is listed on CITES Appendix I, having been transferred from Appendix II to Appendix I at the 17th Conference of the Parties in 2016, which prohibits commercial international trade in wild-caught birds [CITES CoP17 2016].
The decline has been driven primarily by the international trade and by habitat loss. The CITES proposal documenting the uplisting concluded that the combination of trapping for trade and deforestation had caused severe population reductions across the range, with very large numbers of wild birds entering international trade over preceding decades [CITES CoP17 2016].
Threats
Capture for the pet trade is the foremost threat. The species' intelligence and talking ability make it one of the most desired cage birds in the world, and decades of large-scale trapping have removed enormous numbers of wild birds. Capture and transport also impose heavy additional mortality before birds ever reach market [CITES CoP17 2016; WPT 2024].
Deforestation and habitat loss reduce the mature forest the species needs for feeding and for nesting in tree cavities. Logging and agricultural expansion across the range diminish and fragment suitable habitat, compounding the effects of trapping [BirdLife 2021; Cornell 2024].
Continued illegal trade persists despite the CITES Appendix I prohibition. Because demand remains high, wild-caught birds continue to be trafficked, requiring sustained enforcement and confiscation efforts to interdict shipments [WPT 2024].
What Is Being Done
International trade prohibition. The transfer of the species to CITES Appendix I in 2016 banned commercial international trade in wild-caught African grey parrots, the single most important regulatory measure addressing the primary driver of decline [CITES CoP17 2016].
National protection. Range states have strengthened domestic protection; the Democratic Republic of the Congo — a country central to the species' distribution and trade — has moved to grant the grey parrot full protected status [Mongabay 2025].
Confiscation and rehabilitation. Conservation organizations operate programs to receive, rehabilitate, and where appropriate release birds confiscated from illegal trade, addressing both animal welfare and the recovery of affected populations [WPT 2024].
Field research and monitoring. Studies of grey parrot abundance, threats, and habitat use — including work at forest clearings and across multiple range countries — provide the evidence needed to target conservation action and to track whether populations are stabilizing [Habel et al. 2024].
How Readers Can Help
Never buy wild-caught parrots. Avoid purchasing African grey parrots of uncertain origin. Demand for the species fuels both legal pressure in the past and ongoing illegal trapping; refusing to participate in that demand directly reduces incentive to capture wild birds [WPT 2024].
Support enforcement and rehabilitation. Backing organizations that interdict illegal shipments and rehabilitate confiscated birds strengthens the practical enforcement of CITES Appendix I protections [WPT 2024].
Policy engagement. Support legislation and international cooperation that uphold CITES Appendix I commitments, combat wildlife trafficking, and protect Central and West African forests [CITES CoP17 2016].
Education outreach. Share accurate, science-based information about the conservation cost of the wild-bird trade and the ecological role of parrots in African forests with schools, community groups, and social networks.
References
[BirdLife 2021] BirdLife International. (2021). Psittacus erithacus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22724813A154428817. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22724813/154428817
[CITES CoP17 2016] CITES. (2016). Consideration of proposals for amendment of Appendices I and II: Psittacus erithacus. CoP17 Prop. 19, Seventeenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties, Johannesburg. https://cites.org/sites/default/files/eng/cop/17/prop/060216/E-CoP17-Prop-19.pdf
[Cornell 2024] Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Bird Academy. (2024). African Grey Parrot: Species in Decline. https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/african-grey-parrot-species-in-decline/
[Habel et al. 2024] Study of visitation patterns of Endangered grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) at a forest clearing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (2024). PubMed Central. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11327609/
[Mongabay 2025] Mongabay. (2025). African gray parrots get complete protection in DR Congo. https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/08/african-gray-parrots-get-complete-protection-in-dr-congo/
[Wikipedia 2026] Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Grey parrot. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_parrot
[WPT 2024] World Parrot Trust. (2024). Grey Parrots: Confiscation and Rehabilitation. https://parrots.org/projects/grey-parrots-confiscation-and-rehabilitation/