An African forest parrot with grey plumage and a striking bright red tail.
Its curved bill cracks hard nuts. Toes pointing both forward and backward help it grip branches.
In a forest clearing in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Grey Parrots followed a steady morning routine. During observations between July 2021 and July 2022, they first perched and called in nearby trees, then landed on the ground to feed, drink and interact. First birds arrived an average of 55 minutes after sunrise, and the first landed about 145 minutes after sunrise. An average of 39 birds were on the ground at a time.
Feeding took 62% of recorded activity time, while interaction and movement each took 15%. Parrots were more likely to land on dry mornings, and visits were shorter on days with a recorded disturbance from people or predators.
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species · Endangered (EN) · Global
The IUCN global assessment published in 2021 classified the Grey Parrot as Endangered (EN). The assessment date was 2 April 2020.