# Grey parrot (*Psittacus erithacus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/grey-parrot  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) is a bird in the parrot subgroup, belonging to the family Psittacidae in the order Psittaciformes. It is a small bird with an adult body mass of 333 g, with values up to 402 g reported. The grey parrot is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and its clutch is 3 eggs with an incubation period of 30 days.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 333 g – 402 g |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 49.7 years |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 73 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | forest |
| Egg incubation | 30 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 2.4 – 3 |
| Lifestyle | Perching |
| Migration | Sedentary |
| Conservation status | Endangered (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Aves
- order: Psittaciformes
- family: Psittacidae
- genus: Psittacus
- species: *Psittacus erithacus* Linnaeus, 1758

Synonyms: *Psittacus erithacus erithacus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the grey parrot?

The grey parrot is a bird in the parrot subgroup, classified in the family Psittacidae and the order Psittaciformes.

### How heavy is a grey parrot?

An adult Grey parrot has a body mass of 333 g, with values up to 402 g reported. It falls in the small size class.

### What does the grey parrot eat?

The grey parrot is classed as an omnivore, with a trophic level of herbivore.

### Is the grey parrot endangered?

Yes. The grey parrot is listed as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List, which is a threatened category.

### How long does a grey parrot live?

The grey parrot has a lifespan of 49.7 years, with values up to 73 years reported.

### How many eggs does a grey parrot lay?

A grey parrot clutch is 3 eggs, and the eggs are incubated for 30 days.

### Who named the grey parrot?

The grey parrot was named Psittacus erithacus by Linnaeus, 1758. It is also called the African grey or African grey parrot.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7), CC BY 4.0, v7. Tobias, J.A. et al. (2022) AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13898. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/grey-parrot