[left]African Grey's have the most extraordinary flair for speech. But do not think that they are limited to speech only! They can mimic almost any sound in your home. Although most greys do not start talking until a year in age, there are many cases where they will speak earlier. Some greys do not start speaking until 2 years, so never give up hope! They have the capacity to have a vocabulary of over 2000 words. I would like to add this "food for thought"... there is no guarantee that a Grey will speak. This should never be the sole reason for buying a grey. There is so much more to an african grey than just speech. a They are more human than some will admit. They feel our emotions and act accordingly. They do not mimic, they learn from us. Speaking in sentences, responding appropriately to questions, the physical motions to comfort us when we are sad, the list goes on and on.
African Grey's have the intellectual capacity of a 5 year old child with the emotions of a 2 year old. Because of this higher intelligence, they can be demanding pets and rightly so. They require constant attention along with a stimulating environment .

by Monica Gonzalez
It's A Grey's World

I miss my Gipper!!!! He was so intuned to me. There is nothing like a grey! Give Boca and Libby a hug for me!

My Mr Buddy is special. We just have a bond. I see it in his eyes and I feel connected to him in a different way than the other 3. He is my familiar.

I know exactly what you mean.

Yes, there are special grays but they are lots of grays that are not like that. The kind that don't 'tune' in to humans, don't say more than a couple of words and can live very happily on their own without human intervention. I have three like that, Pookey, Nina and Ellie. Pookey is 'normal' (doesn't pluck, is not overly aggressive, etc), but she just doesn't care for people. Nina is a chronic plucker that, although has gotten much better since she came to me, will always have huge phsychological problems. Ellie lived with the same couple for 18 years but she doesn't really crave human attention and is very happy interacting with Pookey, instead. And then there is Miss Sophie, who is just like everybody thinks a Gray should be: affectionate, cuddly, intelligent, with a large vocabulary, etc. She is the one to fly to me as soon as I open the door and there she stays, on my shoulder, all the time I am in the birdroom. She kisses my cheek constantly, she cuddles against me (she likes to put her beak firmly against my cheek and just stay like that, staring and without moving), she eats from my hand, she talks to me, tells me secrets in my ear, makes 'jokes' (she thinks that a raspberry is the funniest thing), scolds the other birds when they scream too much or the dogs when they bark telling them to "SHUT UP!" and mumbles to herself when they don't obey her, she sings and dances with me, consoles me when I get bit by another bird, etc.

But she is one out of four and, as attractive and lovable as she might be, the 'others' need our love, too.

I think this article was in general but, yes, my Libby is like yours Bea.

Not to break up the Grey thread, but I think some of this could be said about most parrots. Amazons have similar personality traits and some of the same abilities as Greys. But I've been told many times I don't have the typical Amazon. He's not independent and he's the most lovable, gentle guy out there. I just think it all depends on the bird.

And...every Zon I have ever met was just the oposit.

Thanks for posting that...it's good stuff. Harrison is 2 1/2 years old and has been talking since she was 3 months old before we brought her home. I know that's not the norm and that makes me proud..even though it has nothing to do with anything I did. ha. I will ask my husband a question and almost every time, she'll answer it appropriately. She's very independent. If she doesn't want to do something, she doesn't do it and I don't push it unless it's something like when we were at the vet. She's clingy to me...she's been warming up to my husband since the hormones have died down A LOT...I would say that that article is pretty much Harrison...

Heather