Are the two types separate species?
The two types of grey are currently said to be closely related to each as other as subspecies. But this may change and they may soon be considered as separate species. When seen together they are quite distinct from one another.
The African grey is nearly a third bigger than the
Timneh being around 33cm (13in) in length. All adult African greys have a vivid
red tail; immature birds' tails are also red, but with a dull brownish band
near the tip. The beak is all black. An immature bird's eyes are dark when only
a few weeks old but this turns to pale grey and finally a straw-coloured yellow
by the time the bird is a year old.
The natural habitat of grey parrots is lowland tropical rainforest. The population of the Timneh grey is much smaller than that of the African grey and the Timneh is found to the western end of the bird's complete range. They can be found throughout their range in dense forest or at the edges of the forest close to farmed land where they may feed on farmed crops. The birds are secretive in their habits and difficult to see except when flying overhead between feeding and roosting sites.