How Long Do African Greys Live? (African Grey Parrot Lifespan)

African gray parrot (Parrot) is one of nature’s best mimics. These popular and long-lived pets are traded and bred in captivity around the world. Many of us have seen and interacted with these incredibly intelligent birds in captivity, but there is another side to these animals that many may not be aware of.

The African gray parrot is native to the forest and savannah woodland habitats of the equatorial regions of Africa. They occur from Guinea in the west to Kenya in the east. They are social birds in nature, foraging for fruit, seeds and bulbs in flocks of up to 30 individuals. There are three recognized subspecies of African gray parrots, although the timneh parrot (Pe Timnay or P. timneh) is also considered a complete species by many sources.

The average lifespan of the African gray parrot in the natural environment is estimated to be 22.7 years. They have a very long lifespan in captivity, with the potential to live 40-60 years with good care. The oldest known African gray parrot was 55 years old when it died.

African gray parrots face many threats in the wild, including predators, habitat destruction, hunting and illegal trapping. African gray parrots are intelligent and long-lived pets, although they can be affected by many infectious and non-infectious diseases.

Read on to learn about the lifespan of one of the world’s most remarkable birds.

In the wild, African gray parrots live about 22 years, but in captivity they can live up to 60 years

How long can the African gray wolf live in the wild?

African gray parrots are long-lived birds in captivity and in the wild. Their average estimated lifespan in the wild is 22.7 years. These birds must withstand the elements and predation of vultures, eagles, squirrels, monkeys, and humans to reach this age.

How Long Can African Grays Live in Captivity?

African gray parrots can live very long lives in captivity if cared for properly. These birds can live up to 40 to 60 years, which means they often outlive keepers. For this reason, careful consideration should be given to adopting a young African gray parrot.

African gray parrots in captivity can live a long time with proper care

How Do Most African Grays Die?

Despite new laws and trade restrictions, African gray parrots are still caught in the wild and traded in the exotic pet market. It is estimated that more than 40 percent of wild-caught birds die before being sold by trappers. By the time they reached trading centers, further losses meant more than 60 percent of the birds had died before being sold as pets.

Unfortunately, these intelligent birds can easily become trapped and hunted in nature due to their reliance on natural salt licks. However, not everyone sees these birds as companions. African Ash is often eaten as “bush meat” and used in traditional medicine.

In the wild, African gray parrots are vulnerable to a variety of predators, diseases, and extreme weather events. Chicks and eggs are vulnerable to predation, flooding, vegetation overgrowth, and the collapse or felling of trees where they nest.

In captivity, African gray parrots are susceptible to many infectious and non-infectious diseases that can be fatal. Here are some of the most commonly reported health problems:

• Parrot Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD)
• Avian Borna virus (ABV)
• parrot fever
• Sarcocytosis
• Aspergillosis

An African gray parrot perched on a pole

What is the life cycle of an African gray?

African gray parrots are considered monogamous, and they provide a high degree of parental care to their offspring. These birds also reach sexual maturity very late, meaning it can take four years or more for a baby parrot to start breeding.

African gray parrots nest in natural burrows 30-100 feet (10-30 m) above the ground in tall forest trees. Females lay 1-5 eggs (usually 2-3) between April and May. The eggs are incubated by the female for about 31 days, during which time the male brings her food.

African gray chicks are helpless when they hatch. The female feeds the chicks for the first few days, but the male brings food to the nest. When the chicks are about a week old, both parents will start feeding the chicks.

African gray parrot chicks develop slowly, reportedly taking up to five months to leave the nest. After fledgling, parents will continue to feed the baby parrot for a month. African gray parrots are ready to breed in their third or fourth year and will mate in March or April in preparation for breeding a new generation of the species.

Close up of a three month old African gray parrot chick

What are the natural enemies of the African gray?

African gray parrots are vulnerable to predation at every stage of their life cycle. Palm fruit vultures and other birds of prey are the most important predators of nesting African gray parrots, but squirrels and humans are also enemies.

Large reptiles such as carnivorous mammals, birds of prey, and pythons may also prey on adult African gray parrots. Humans also trap and hunt adult African gray parrots, both for sale in the pet trade and for food and medicinal purposes.

What is the longest-lived African gray parrot?

The oldest surviving African gray parrot may be a male named Tarbu, born in Tanzania in 1957. This particular bird lived a full 55 years before passing away in England in 2012.

The world’s oldest recorded bird nautilus The order (parrot, macaw, cockatoo, etc.) is Major Mitchell’s cockatoo named Cookie. This amazing bird lived to be over 82 years old. Cookie’s lifespan is a good indication of the potential age of a captive parrot, although he is not an African gray.

A pair of African gray parrots flying in the wild

How Long Can African Gray Parrots Live Without Eating?

It is said that African gray parrots can go two to four days without food, although under normal circumstances they will eat every day. However, many factors will determine how long a bird can survive without food.

The most important factors are:

• personal energy reserves
• ambient temperature
• Bird Health and Activity Levels

Are African grays endangered?

African gray parrots are an endangered species. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), numbers of the species are still declining and the species has become extinct in some parts of its original range.

African gray cats are most threatened by collection by the pet trade. An estimated 21 percent of the population is hunted each year. This combined with habitat destruction from forestry and agriculture is the most significant threat to this species.

As of 2016, all trade in wild African gray parrots has been banned. As a measure to prevent illegal trade, captive breeding facilities must now register with CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

Closeup of a perched African gray parrot

How do you know the age of an African Ash?

Knowing when an adult African Gray was born is the only really reliable way to know its age. However, the age of birds about five years old or younger can be estimated by looking at eye color.

African gray parrots have black irises until they are about four months old. By about one year of age, the eyes lighten to gray. At about two years of age, the eyes of most African gray cats will turn a straw color, and by four years of age, the irises should have turned the characteristic yellowish color of adult animals.