Maara has been part of the Soeker family for 13 years now. Taking care of her is like having a kid in the house J
African Grey Parrots are one of the most brilliant breeds on Earth. They have the ability to put together whole phrases and can actually learn fast.
One of them main reasons people seek African grey parrots as pets is because they are one of the species more likely to learn to mimic sounds or talk. What is particularly interesting about their mimicking ability is that its often so exact it is difficult to tell the bird from the real thing. This carries over to other sounds as well. Some of these sounds are ones that humans are not capable of copying. A favorite sound to copy for many African grey parrots is the sound of water pouring. African grey parrots also copy most beeping sounds they typically hear such as microwave beeps, home phone ringing, door bell etc.
Maara has learnt many words and sounds over the past few years. She greets you when u enter the room for the first time or after a while. She says Hello and Salaamalaykum. When she’s outside and she’s wants to come in then she says ”Maara is getting cold”. She understands simple words like come and when she bites then she says “don’t fight”. And how she knows this, I don’t know but when she sees someone with a big head then she says “vetkop”. She’s embarrassed us many times calling guests that, esp cause they did have large heads.
African grey parrots have a reputation for being “intelligent.” Of course intelligence is a tough thing to measure and people like Dr Irene Pepperberg and the infamous Alex the African grey have spent a lifetime trying to provide data to support our casual observations.
If properly cared for the African Grey Parrot can live up to 60 years.
African Greys require constant attention from all members of the household to keep them from bonding with only one person. They need to have a great deal of socialization and stimulation to remain a happy, healthy member of your family.
An African grey is a real commitment, and takes patience, but it is something we do without a feeling of duty or resentment. It is just pure love.
If you think bird people are overboard, I suggest u get an African grey parrot to see what the big deal is JMaara is so much fun to have around J
