Black Eyes.

Unlike their more mature counterparts baby African Grey Parrots have dark, almost black eyes. The colour of the eye changes to a straw colour at around six months of age. Genuine baby greys will be sold before the eyes change colour. Many retailers claim to be offering babies that are 12 weeks old unfortunately these birds seem to remain at 12 weeks old despite the passage of time. Put simply - If you are viewing a bird with yellow eyes it is NOT twelve weeks old.

Leg Rings.

Reputable breeders ring their babies with (continuous) closed rings. These can only be put on a nestling. As the birds leg grows it will prevent the ring from slipping off. Such rings should carry a breeders identification number and also the year of birth, rings are also colour coded for year identification but our experiences show that it is not uncommon for ring colours to fade and even wear off completely. Split rings are often found on adult birds were they are mainly used to identify the sex of the bird. Because these rings are not continuous they are not a proof of age.

Toes and Nails.

When viewing your potential purchase it should , as all parrots do, have two forward facing and two rearward facing toes on each foot. Foot deformities do occur but may be an indication of endemic problems are are therefore in our opinion best avoided.

Tight Plumage.

Healthy birds should have a sleek appearance with bright clear eyes. A bird that is fluffed up and generally listless is almost certainly ill.

Calm and Steady.

Having established that your potential purchase is genuinely a healthy looking young baby it is time for you to handle it. Some babies will initially be concerned by the presence of a stranger they should however quickly become confident and at ease. Babies that continue to back away and start to growl have probably not been handled much by their keeper during hand rearing or even that the baby is freshly imported. Such actions may be countered with the phrase 'They will soon calm down'. Whilst this may be true there is no guarantee. It is far better to purchase a baby that is already calm and steady.

Over Mothered.

Having detailed the importance of obtaining a baby that is calm and steady. We are now going to draw your attention to birds that have been over mothered. Some breeders with the best of intentions insist on not selling their offspring until they are around sixteen weeks old. We have spoken to several people that have purchased babies from such breeders, in almost all cases these birds had formed a close bond to their hand rearer and when this bond has been broken it has quickly led to physiological problems often resulting in self mutilation.

Conclusion.

Your baby African Grey Parrot should have tight sleek plumage with clear dark eyes and well formed toes and nails.
It should be calm and steady but not excessively bonded to its keeper. The addition of a closed leg band confirms its age and captive bred status.