Grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus).
Image: Quartl, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
At a glance
- IUCN category
- EN · Endangered
- Animal group
- Birds
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- FaunaHub record reviewed
- Checked against IUCN
- Matches source — IUCN's 2021 global assessment of Psittacus erithacus says EndangeredChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment
Conservation overview
The grey parrot (African grey) is a highly intelligent parrot renowned for its ability to mimic speech. It is assessed as Endangered.
Wild populations have been heavily reduced by capture for the pet trade.
Range & habitat
Rainforests of central and western Africa.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Trapping for the international pet trade
- Habitat loss
Why it matters
One of the most popular pet birds in the world, the grey parrot shows how demand for wild-caught pets can drive a common, intelligent species toward decline.
Heavily affected by the cage-bird trade.
Gallery
Grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus).
Image: African_Grey_Parrot,_peeking_out_from_under_its_wing.jpg: Avenue derivative work: Avenue (, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
Sources for Grey Parrot
- IUCN Red List — look up Grey Parrot (authoritative status)
- BirdLife International