Congo or Timneh ?

[texsize]

I went to my local pet shop and they had a baby (4 months old) African Grey.
Does anyone know about color change in baby greys as they get older.
Do Timneh’s beaks not develop the lighter color upper beak unti they grow up.
This bird has a suspiciously dark red tail to be a CAG.

 

[ravvlet]

Looks like a CAG to me. The TAG we had had a dark tail through and through; that little fella looks to have some pretty bright red in there. Additionally I found the TAG to overall have darker bodies even when young, and a warmer grey coloring throughout.

Sorry for the potato photo quality, but if you google “TAG versus CAG” you can see how the TAG babies have overall darker coloring:

 

[ravvlet]

Did they clip only one wing on that baby, or is it just a weird angle? Poor little fella. I hope they didn’t do that to him.

 

[texsize]

The bird was very nervous and it was right next to the register.
the lady that owns the shop doesn’t want photos of her merchandise on social media.
They had a pair of cockatoos stolen a few years ago.
So I couldn’t get a better picture and she was being very rude today.
So I posted it anyway.
But the tail had a lot of dark red/maroon in it with just a few brighter red.

 

[Rozalka]

I agree, a CAG

 

[SailBoat]

Did they clip only one wing on that baby, or is it just a weird angle? Poor little fella. I hope they didn’t do that to him.

Just a weird angle!

Regarding the Parrot, just not enough Amazon features for me to have any hope of identifying that Baby!

 

[ravvlet]

Just a weird angle!

Regarding the Parrot, just not enough Amazon features for me to have any hope of identifying that Baby!

Not green enough for sure!

 

[cnyguy]

Certainly not green enough. Could it be one of those rare parrots I once saw advertised for sale in the local newspaper-- an "Amazon Grey" ?

I can't really tell which type of Grey it is. Big help I am.

 

[Xanic]

Timnehs are the smaller of the two. 9 to 11 inches from beak to tail and 250 to 375 grams. Beak is usually various shades of pink/peach color

My two are 10.25 inches and 275 and 280 grams. Their feathers are darker, especially the wings. Tail feathers are maroon (no bright red). The beak is a salmon or peach color around the nostrils with the sides and lower portion of the beak being black. (Added mine to our family at 3 months, beak was said colors at that age). Eyes are black (don’t change to light we color of silver, white, light yellow until after 12-15 months).

The Congo is larger. 12-16 inches from beak to tail and 350 to 550 plus grams. The tail feathers are bright red (doesn’t have to be all of them). The beak is solid black.

I’m not a professional but OPs pic is that of a Congo, under the age of 12 months.

Regards

 

[Xanic]

Timnehs are the smaller of the two. 9 to 11 inches from beak to tail and 250 to 375 grams. Beak is usually various shades of pink/peach color

My two are 10.25 inches and 275 and 280 grams. Their feathers are darker, especially the wings. Tail feathers are maroon (no bright red). The beak is a salmon or peach color around the nostrils with the sides and lower portion of the beak being black. (Added mine to our family at 3 months, beak was said colors at that age). Eyes are black (don’t change to light we color of silver, white, light yellow until after 12-15 months).

The Congo is larger. 12-16 inches from beak to tail and 350 to 550 plus grams. The tail feathers are bright red (doesn’t have to be all of them). The beak is solid black.

I’m not a professional but OPs pic is that of a Congo, under the age of 12 months.

Regards

 

[GLS4444]

Not green enough for sure!

I love him / her. This store - where is it / location ? Thanks, RSVP.

 

[texsize]

The shop is near me in Southern California.
But I can’t and am not advertising for them.
I don’t even know what they are asking for him/her.
I am curious enough that I will ask if they have a hatch certificate.
Next time I swing by.

I am just puzzled by the dark red tail feathers (not all are bright red only some) and completely unfamiliar with how baby CAG’s differ from adult CAG coloration.

 

[GLS4444]

The shop is near me in Southern California.
But I can’t and am not advertising for them.
I don’t even know what they are asking for him/her.
I am curious enough that I will ask if they have a hatch certificate.
Next time I swing by.

I am just puzzled by the dark red tail feathers (not all are bright red only some) and completely unfamiliar with how baby CAG’s differ from adult CAG coloration.

Thank you for your prompt reply. Very appreciate it.

 

[Botsari]

That is %100 without a doubt a CAG. The lighting is probably weird, but even if the all black beak isn’t a total giveaway - the coloration pattern there does not change at all from the moment either subspecies hatches - the bright red that you CAN see has a hue that almost never appears anywhere on the tail of a TAG. This one is probably no more than 5 or 6 months old based on his/her eyes. More that a few months older than that and the African Grey “goth eye shadow” starts to become clearly differentiated around the lightening irises. Both subspecies do have some motteling of the hues on the tail even as adults, particularly on the underside of the tail. For example the adult male CAGs on average are supposed to have more of this. But this guy will not even develop his full adult plumage for at least another year. In many species of birds the juvenile feathers are starkly different, usually very drab camo style, but even in cases where the change is more subtle the younger ones are always a bit more drab, and it can sometimes vary a lot from bird to bird. I‘m guessing that this is more than enough explanation of some of the darker feathers here. Both CAGs and TAGs are in the category of birds that, unless you are looking for very subtle things, basically do not change coloring that much as they get older. And the beaks not at all.

My older greys (one a CAG and the other a TAG) both developed after about 20 years a few speckles of red feathers in their chests and heads. I though it made them look “distinguished” but I have no idea what a real flock would think. Personally I‘d much rather have parts of my hair turn bright red as I get older, rather that go white as is now starting. Alas, that is not my genetic destiny 😂

Timnehs and Congos are subspecies, not separate species, so technically they can (and have on occasion) be interbred. I don’t know what the result might look like, but there is nothing in the picture, taking into account the young age of the bird and a bit of dim lighting, that would indicate this is anything other than a normal CAG baby. It is really cute, but I always think that about young birds!

 

[TenthDoctor34]

didnt know was more than one subspecies until recently. But I am guessing A congo Grey?

 

[Botsari]

I was looking at the underside of my CAG youngster Goose's tail today - he will turn 1 next week. He hasn't gotten in his adult plumage yet either, and does have several very dark feathers on the underside of his tail. It is hard to tell from the picture but it might be more pronounced there than in goose. However, those feathers are all dark grey, like charcoal was rubbed on his red feathers, and not really like the purplish dark maroon that the adult TAGs have on their tails. The ones on the top of goose's tail are a more solid bright red.