Andy's World
All about Andy, our Grey parrot

Andy is our "Congo" African Grey Parrot. He is a second-generation domestic bird hatched to a wild-caught female Grey by a breeder specializing in African parrots in Florida. We called Andy a "he" for a long time without really knowing if if he was truly a male bird. Birds don't have exposed sexual organs, and unlike some other parrot species, Greys have no unique coloration or markings to distinguish male from female. Andy's size (about 11") and flatter head shape was suggestive of a male, so we went with that. A couple years ago during some routine blood work we finally decided to make it official and had his DNA tested. Andy is definitely a "he" so we won't have to change the spelling of his name! ;)

Andy was one of several eggs hatched on March 4th, 1996. After some careful attention by mother and breeder alike, the siblings were driven from Florida to Valle Exotic Birds in Turnersville, New Jersey, where Eileen and I first saw this adorable little creature trying to snag some quality shut-eye amidst a flurry of activity and endless squawking of his raucous cellmates. We took Andy home on May 25th and weaned him on formula for the next 8 weeks.

Greys are great talkers and mimics. It took Andy about a year to start talking and we haven't been able to shut him up since. We estimate his vocabulary at about 150 words. Although many have come and gone over time, he seems to have a batch of favorites and adds and subtracts other words for no rhyme or reason. He makes up his own words and juxtaposes others. For instance, any fruit is "apple" except an apple, which is sometimes a "cranberry". As for mimicry, Andy derives a great deal of pleasure from making us pick up the phone, reset the alarm, or shut off the microwave when none of those items are in use. Chastising him for this behavior usually results in a wheezy, mocking laugh.

Andy's real talent lies in his whistling ability. Full song passages (usually 60's sitcom themes or children's songs), creative melodic compositions, or unique combinations of the two are his specialty. He's also been know to "scat" on occasion when the local jazz station is left on the radio for too long. There is no doubt Andy is a music-lover. Just about any beat gets his head bobbing to the exact tempo and he's bound to join in song - like it or not!

It's difficult to believe Andy is over thirteen years old now. He keeps us on our toes every day. He knows he rules the roost and doesn't let us forget for one minute that he has made our house a home. We never take the novelty of a talking pet for granted - he's much more than that to us. Andy is an amazing creature; a constantly entertaining companion; and most of all, a beloved family member. - dp

That's enough about our little guy for now.
If you want to explore his world a little more... click here!