African Grey Parrot Quiz

1.) From which regions of the African continent do African greys originate?
a. Southern and eastern (wrong)
b. Northern and western (wrong)
c. Central and eastern (wrong)
d. Central and western (right)

Sources: Lang, Angelika. Exotic Birds From a to Z. Barron's, 2005. 32.
  Wright, Maggie. African Grey Parrots. Barron's, 2001. 8.

 Right Answer: Correct!
Wrong Answer: Good try! African greys originally hail from central and western Africa, from Mali south to Zaire.

2.) What are the two subspecies of African Grey Parrots?
a. The Congo African grey and Nigeria African grey (wrong)
b. The Congo African grey and Timneh African grey (right)
c. The Nigeria African grey and Angola African grey (wrong)
d. The Nigeria African grey and Timneh African grey (wrong)

Source: Wright, Maggie. African Grey Parrots. Barron's, 2001. 8.

Right Answer: Correct!
Wrong Answer: Almost! The Congo African grey and Timneh African grey are the only two recognized subspecies of the African grey, though some aviculturists claim more subspecies exist.

3.) Which of the following is not part of an African grey’s natural diet?
a. Seeds (wrong)
b. Leaves (wrong)
c. Insects (right)
d. Flowers (wrong)

Source: Wright, Maggie. African Grey Parrots. Barron's, 2001. 7-8.

Right Answer: Correct!
Wrong Answer: Nice try! African greys eat seeds, leaves and flowers in the wild, along with fruits, stems, roots and soil.

4.) African greys typically live about ________ years in captivity.
a. 20 (wrong)
b. 30 (wrong)
c. 40 (wrong)
d. 50 (right)

Source: Moustaki, Nikki. Parrots for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, Inc., 2005. 21, 33.
*I found out they can live into their seventies from multiple sources.

Right Answer: Correct!
Wrong Answer: Maybe next time! African greys usually live to be about 50 years old in captivity. Some have even lived into their seventies!

5.) African greys can be found in _________.

a. Lowland tropical forests and mangroves (right)
b. Desert regions (wrong)
c. High plains (wrong)
d. Salt marshes (wrong)

Source: Juniper, Tony, and Mike Parr. Parrots: a Guide to Parrots of the World. Yale UP, 1998. 376.

Right Answer: Correct!
Wrong Answer: Not quite! African greys live in lowland tropical forests and mangroves, and some make their homes in wooded savanna areas and cultivated land.

Congratulations! You answered all questions correctly. You’re an ‘Einstein’ on African grey parrots.
Great job! Four out of five correct.
Way to go — three out of five correct.
Well … two out of five isn’t bad.
Oops! Just one correct! Good try!
Oh, no! No answers correct! Better luck next time.