African Grey Parrot
The grey parrot, also known as the Congo grey parrot or African grey parrot, is endemic to equatorial Africa. The parrot’s body is grey while the tail feathers are red. Because of their vibrant appearance and their mimicry of human speech, their population has declined sharply due to their being poached as pets.
Wild African grey parrots are one of the most traded species in the world. Research published in 2015 reported that the grey parrots have been “virtually eliminated” in Ghana, with losses between 90 to 99 percent since 1992. Thanks to illegal poaching and trading, the wild parrots may end up as pets one day.
A total ban on the trade in wild African grey parrot was implemented in 2016, with the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Fauna and Flora (CITES) listing the species on Appendix I, prohibiting all international trade in wild parrots.
