African Grey Parrots have been popular pets for over 4,000 years — ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all kept pet African Greys, and England's King Henry VIII was known to have an African Grey Parrot. African Grey Parrots are extremely sociable, loving, and intelligent animals. They are capable of learning hundreds of human words and sounds, which can be used in their proper contexts. Some researchers say that African Grey Parrots have intelligence equivalent to that of a six year old child.

One of the most famous African Grey Parrots is a bird named Alex, who is owned by animal psychologist Irene Pepperberg. Since 1977, Dr. Pepperberg has engaged Alex in intensive language training activities to measure his innate intelligence, first working at University of Arizona, and currently at Brandeis University. To date, he knows more than 100 words, and is capable of answering simple questions, i.e. "What color is this toy?" A nonprofit organization called the Alex Foundation helps to fund Dr. Pepperberg's work with Alex and two other African Grey Parrots, Arthur and Griffin.

A parrot called N'kisi is also famous among African Grey Parrots for his language skills. N'kisi's owner, Aimee Morgana, has taught him over 950 words, which he is able to use in complete sentences. He is also known for coming up with his own imaginative phrases, such as "pretty smell medicine" to describe his owner's aromatherapy oils.

Because Alex and N'kisi have undergone extensive training with their owners, they are exceptional cases. However, many pet African Grey Parrots are able to recite numerous words and phrases, and even imitate sounds like laughter or a ringing phone. Because African Grey Parrots are so intelligent, they have a tendency to be neurotic at times, and may engage in self-destructive activities like feather-pulling. They tend to bond very strongly with one person, and may be apprehensive or aggressive around others.

For people who are considering buying or adopting African Grey Parrots, it is important to make sure that you will have ample time to spend with the bird, and that he or she will not be confined to a cage all day long. When the parrot is in the cage, make sure that you have an assortment of toys to keep the bird busy. African Grey Parrots are extremely intelligent and can be a wonderful addition to any home, but if you're planning to bring one home, make sure that you will be able to give the parrot the home that it deserves.