During the finale of the musical "Cats," the ensemble sings: “So first, your memory I'll jog and say: A cat is not a dog.” And parrots aren’t dogs either. While humans have bred dogs for thousands of years, creating numerous breeds, a Congo African grey parrot is a species of bird. Parrot breeding is in its infancy. Unlike dogs, grey parrots are not bred to create new parrots with desirable traits. There are no guarantees that mating two wonderful grey parrots creates wonderful offspring. The biggest difference between male and female Congo African grey parrots is females, also called hens, lay eggs with or without a male present.
Seeing Double
Congo African grey parrots are monomorphic; males and females look identical. Greys are very social and happiest living in flocks. Some people think male greys are more aggressive until you talk with someone who owns a territorial female. Both sexes learn to talk; both sexes might not talk. One sex does not talk earlier than the other. Both sexes are as intelligent as human toddlers, needing lots of stimulation and activities. Both sexes require good nutrition and clean cages. Egg-laying hens require a calcium-enriched diet during that time. Otherwise, there is no concrete evidence to support claims that female greys differ significantly from males.
References
Resources
Photo Credits
-
Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images