More time in Andy's World
Here's more info about the Grey parrot

Generalizing about Generalizations
Parrots, like most birds, are skittish by nature. In the wild they are prey and they don't have thousands of years of domestication behind them to shake those instincts. Some parrots adjust to captive life better than others and it's very hard to generalize amongst species. When someone, maybe a pet shop owner or breeder trying to earn a living says... "macaws are gentle, cockatoos are affectionate, conures are screamers" ... don't believe it, these creatures have personality traits that are individual and adaptive. They can demonstrate learned behavior but they are not immune to personal expression.

Living Up To Your Parrot's Expectations
Parrots are sometimes an impulse buy and that's a shame. Especially when it comes to larger birds. They are very child-like, and although they do settle into their surroundings, proper "parrot parenting" can be difficult and stressful, which is why you will find so many "consignment" birds on the market. Parrots have intelligence and sensitivity and, tragically, many abandoned or abused birds will go insane when divorced from their flock no matter how difficult their daily life was.

Demeanor
Parrots have a ton of personality! They have good and bad traits and they can pick up attitudes and behaviors just like kids. Here are a few common ways they will demonstrate their demeanor d'jour:

• Parrots will compete with the volume level around them and parrots LOVE to win.
• Parrots are social creatures and will acquire the traits of their perceived "flock." Lots of activity and visitors means a parrot will be more interactive. Quiet households tend to bring out avian fears of strange noises, surroundings and people.
• Birds do not know how big they are. I've never seen any bird back away from a fight. Tiny sparrows on our backyard feeder will have no reservation getting right in the face of a giant crow. There are many reports of parrots using physical intimidation tactics to strike fear in the hearts of their humans.
• Parrots are attracted to "drama" and will elicit any action to get a reaction. Screaming is just as much fun as laughing to your bird so staying cool and collected is a training must! 
• A trusting, well-cared for parrot can be very loving and affectionate just as you would expect in a contented cat or faithful dog.

Wing Clipping
Unlike lopping off the ears or tails of dogs because someone decided it would look better, wing clipping is not cosmetic mutilation. Feathers grow, fallout and are replenished. Think of this as a haircut. Properly clipped wings are not readily visible and provide safety for your bird. Look, if you were a true champion of animal rights - you wouldn't keep a parrot in captivity in the first place. So do the animal a favor and clip its wings before it gets hurt.

Don't Touch... sometimes
Birds are not dogs. Yes, they will let you handle them but it must be on their terms. They typically don't appreciate contact from overhead and will usually let you know that. Birds are also territorial. They will defend their nest and anything else they perceive as theirs with Clockwork Orange-like zeal. Keep in mind a parrot of Andy's size can crack open a walnut with its beak - your supple flesh is no match for it. Should you attempt to mix it up with most parrots you will undoubtedly wind up with the "Cyclops Smile."

The Cyclops Smile
Ahh, the smile... parrot owners know this - it varies in size but the execution is the same. With an upper mandible formed to a syringe-sharp point and the lower honed to a U-shaped knife edge, any parrot can inflict this unique wound. Now I ask... what did you do???

Talking Ability
The African Grey Parrot has gained notoriety and popularity in the past decade from the phenomenal gift of speech that many of these creatures possess. While many parrots learn some words or phrases, many cases have been documented of African Greys learning multiple lines of songs, poems, or TV shows. While it is not unusual for a talkative Grey to learn hundreds of words, many owners are surprised when their Grey will produce a newly learned word or phrase after hearing it only a few times. This level of amazement is compounded by their gift for perfectly mimicking phrasing and speech patterns so they often sound exactly like the source material. Greys are not limited to imitating speech. Phones, microwaves, answering machines, extensive whistled calls and melodies are all part of their repertoire.

Talking Ability II - Einstein
Andy is good - but he's no Einstein. Check out this amazing African Grey's outstanding TV appearance on Animal Planet's "Pet Star". You've probably seen this clip floating around the Internet but I've scored a high quality Flash-based version for your viewing pleasure. Click here to view this incredible footage!

Grey Parrot Intellect
Greys also demonstrate advanced cognitive abilities that owners and scientists have documented many times over. Some Greys (and other parrots) don't just mimic but actually use words learned in new combinations to communicate their wants, needs and desires. Studies have found Greys to have the intellectual capacity of a 5-year old human child with the emotional development of a human 2-year old.
 
Grey Parrot Intellect II - Alex (1976-2007)
Perhaps the most famous Grey, Alex was over 30 years old and had been studied for years by Dr. Irene Pepperberg. Alex learned, colors, shapes, numbers, and even invented the term "long yellow" to express his desire for more corn-on-the-cob! In his most recent project, Alex was learning to "read" phonetically. If your interested in knowing more about the too short life of this amazing parrot, please check out "That Damn Bird", a fascinating article written by Dr. Pepperberg chronicling the exploits of Alex and the other Greys under her watchful eye. More info is available from the website of The Alex Foundation, a non-profit organization created to support Dr. Pepperberg's continuing research.

I've added two more articles about Alex! A reporter's view of a typical day in the lab called "A Thinking Bird, or Just Another Birdbrain?" and a witty commentary on Alex and his intellect called "A Thing About Alex". 
 
Sad Note: Alex was found dead in his cage at Brandeis University on September 6th, 2007. The news has shocked and saddened parrot lovers all over the world. The research team has lost a beloved colleague and the bird community has lost an icon. You can read the press release here.
 
Life Span
In the past two decades much more is known and documented about African parrots. Greys are a rather long-lived species with an average life span of 40-60 years and recorded instances of 75+ years for the Congo variety. Yes, that's human years. Most larger parrots are willed-away since many out-live their owners. 

Greys Gone Wild  
Greys are extraordinarily social creatures in the wild, tightly bound to their flock. They eat, sleep and play in large groups presumably for mutual protection. Since there isn't a lot of published media on wild greys, it's possible many grey owners have never seen their special pets congregating in their own habitat. Hey, it's your lucky day! Check out this 30 second clip of a typical grey gathering at a local jungle eatery.

The Science Stuff
Many pet stores, even breeders, will refer to the two most widely used classifications of the Grey parrot species, the Congo and the Timneh. But just to set the facts straight, here are the scientific classifications of African Grey Parrots:

African Grey Parrots (the English spelling is the accepted form) are all in the genus Psittacus. Only a single species makes up this genus, Psittacus erithacus. This species is further divided into three subspecies or races...

Congo (the nominate race)
The terms "Congo", "Ghana" and "Cameroon" all refer to supposed slight color and temperament variations of this subspecies. This is the subspecies most often pictured in books and articles about African Greys. The bird is about pigeon sized with a bright red tail, a solid black beak, and a light gray feathered body. Most every written or unwritten source refer to this subspecies as a "Congo" or "African Grey Congo".

Timneh (the "other" grey)
This is the "other grey". Commonly called Timnehs or African Grey Timnehs. These birds are generally smaller than the nominate race. The body feathers are darker gray. The tail is a dull maroon or red brown color. The upper mandible of the beak is all or partially bone colored. There are smaller Congos with darker feathers, however the beak color always has been the easiest and most consistent differentiation.

Princeps (what???)
Some articles have suggested that this subspecies is extinct or has interbred with the nominate race so much that any visible difference has vanished. This subspecies was limited to two islands in the Gulf of Guinea (Principe and Fernando Poo). The "Parrots of the World" reference states that "this subspecies is probably not distinct from erithacus". The bottom-line is this... you probably won't find one offered for sale by a breeder, pet store or bird show and you wouldn't recognize one as anything but the nominate subspecies if you did see one.