In the parrot world, often times, parrot owners get curious about why their parrot looks a particular way.
Some answers may lead themselves to show as a part of their evolution, while others may lean more toward a health issue.
Either scenario needs to be known by the parrot owner.
Hence, they’re aware of any changes that might occur that require some extra assistance.
Considering all parrots have various health concerns that can affect how they actually look, the history behind a parrot’s physical appearance is needed.
With this in mind, why do African Greys have red tails?
To answer this question…African Greys have red tails as a result of their evolution and as a way to attract partners. Considering red is popular color amongst birds as a way to show interest in another bird, the red on their tail easily allows them to express their love. Even outside of parrots, African Greys are very well-known to show their tail to humans as a sign that they appreciate and love them.
As you can tell, it can be quite knowledgeable to know the history behind why an African Grey parrot has a red tail, as it’ll be great for you to know when they’re expressing themselves.
Seeing as it’s always a plus to be aware of when a parrot is happy as opposed to wondering how they’re feeling, looking at the sign of them expressing themselves or not is vital to understanding their happiness.
Thus, why so many people beg the question about a parrot’s physical appearance since it’s a good sign from the realm.
Nevertheless, down below, we’re going to discuss everything there is to know about African Greys and them having red tails.
We’ll begin by discussing if African Greys have always had red tails, do all African Greys have red tails, and health concerns tied to the matter.
From there, we’ll discuss various other information for you to note down that’ll be useful for you in this particular case.
Be sure to utilize this information to the best of your ability as it’ll give you plenty of information to look at with regards to your African Grey.
Let’s get started!
Have African Greys always had red tails?
As far as we know, African Greys have always had red tails.
Some fables like to tell the tale that African Greys got their red tail from years of being around red flowers, but depending on your worldview with this sort of thing, it’s up to what you believe.
Still, it begs the question of how long red-tails have been the case for African Greys, since it’s always a compelling area to know the history behind something.
It’s part of the reason so many humans are interested in the area related to the history of humans.
Of course, people are more interested in their own species more than anything else.
Still, it’s a worthwhile area of concern.
Plus, there’s plenty of parrot experts who have been studying their history since the early days of their beginnings.
So yes, it’s definitely possible African Greys didn’t once have red tails, but it’s still a worthwhile area to check out for the sake of knowing more.
Regardless of the topic at hand is, it’s always ideal to know as much as you can about your African Grey.
However, for the time being, it’s not really clear how long they’ve had red tails since it’s been a part of their history for as long as people know.
Still, it makes for a fascinating discussion to bring up with your fellow African Grey fans.
Do all African Greys have red tails?
Nowadays, many of you might be more interested to know if all African Greys have red tails.
Considering this is more of a concern than the past, it makes sense why so many of you might be more interested in this matter than anything before.
Nevertheless, all African Greys have red tails in modern times.
Still, it’s vital to know some have different red shades since this may cause some confusion among people who aren’t aware of the specifics tied to the matter.
Nevertheless, let’s take a look at what this means:
Congo African Grey
The Congo African Grey is generally the more famous African Grey that’s available to adopt.
Although the two both have red tails, Congo African Greys have much brighter tails and are much larger than the Timneh African Grey.
Physically, the Congo African Grey has shades of dark covering the body with a more obscure look on the head.
They sometimes have white edging, which can fall under the silver mark as well.
Still, the most notable difference between the two is the size of the Congo African Grey and the bright red tails associated with them.
Both are magnificent creatures, which makes it so familiar for them to be adopted.
Timneh African Grey
As noted, the Timneh African Grey is the more modest of the two subtypes of African Grey parrots.
Aside from their size, Timneh Greys are an observably more profound shade of Grey than the Congo.
The feathers on its head, back, and upper chest are a more obscure Grey, and an unmistakable “V” shape lays over Grey’s lighter shade on the midsection.
White scalloping of head quills is additionally more unmistakable on the Timneh while looking blue in some instances.
Meanwhile, the tail itself more of a red or maroon, and the tail plumes are dull red to brown or maroon.
Aside from their color differences, as touched upon, the Timneh African Grey is also a touch smaller than the Congo, meaning the Congo tends to several inches more extensive than the Timneh.
Still, both African Greys are highly sought after parrots for being as beautiful and generous as they are.
Is it a health concern if my African Grey doesn’t have a red tail?
Generally speaking, you shouldn’t overreact in the situation if your African Grey’s red tail isn’t as red as it used to be, but there are some factors to note.
Before we discuss the subject anymore, let’s highlight a few reasons why your African Grey’s tail isn’t as red:
Aging
First and foremost, the primary reason an African Grey’s red tail might be fading is due to aging.
Just like we start to get wrinkly and appear older in our later years can also be applied to African Greys as they age.
Since the red tail is such a notable feature of an African Grey, it makes sense why this becomes the primary area of concern for them to technically age in.
Still, we need to know this, so we don’t overreact if it starts to fade as time goes on.
Feather Disease
Aside from aging, like any other parrot, African Greys have a never-ending list of health issues that come and go throughout their lifetime.
Fortunately enough, there are plenty of issues to address the situation.
Generally speaking, when it comes to shading of their physical appearance, a lot of it has to do with a particular feather disease.
With this in mind, don’t be afraid to get them help in this instance sooner than later.
Nervous Plucking
As humans, we tend to have a strong understanding of nerves and the danger associated with anxiety.
All of us go through a time at one point or another that takes a deep dive into what it means to be anxious.
With this in mind, it can happen to your African Grey as well.
No matter how happy your African Grey might be, be mindful of what you can to help them in the situation.
They typically develop a nervous plucking habit in this particular instance, which is a sign for you to help them and seek out their vet.
Other Health Concern
Other than everything that’s been listed, there’s plenty of other possibilities associated with why your African Grey’s red tail might not be as red as it once was.
Still, make sure you go out of your way to ensure everything is copacetic before moving them forward.
A good rule of thumb is to reach out to their vet and online forums and groups to help you in the matter.
Since these two areas of concern are significant for people to look at, you might as well note them in the instance.
Should I care about my African Grey’s red tail?
Before we conclude entirely, let’s go over why this should matter for you and what you should do moving forward.
First and foremost, yes, you should care about African Grey’s red tail since it can tell you a lot more than you might realize.
As stated upon earlier, African Grey’s can utilize their tail as a way to express their love for something.
Whether this is directed at you or someone else, it’s vital for you to look at the matter to see everything that’s involved in it, especially when it comes to something like love.
Basically, it can be a sign to show if you’re doing something right, which is always crucial when it comes to an African Grey.