Revealing 10 Truths About Living With An African Grey Parrot | PART #1 

Cody is an amazing hair stylist. As for "do African Greys bite?" I've worked with and/or had everything from cats and hamsters to reptiles and a bird, and any animal that has a mouth will bite if they feel the need to.

it takes too Long for you to start talking about the parrot

Cody must have been a hairdresser in a former life, lol. 💇🏻‍♀️

2:37 if you want to go straight to the topic

I have an African grey, when you stated a question was "do they damage things" I actually laughed out loud. Mine used to chew door frames

I've got a 52 year old grey... BOY HAVE I GOT STORIES!!

"...... MEEP!" Freaking adorable 😄

3:30+ to get into the actual vid come on, talking waaaay too much people will click away

I kept thinking Marlene’s phone was going off but it was kody 😂😂😂

I thought I wanted a bird and then I came to the conclusion that it’s not for me! And that’s okay. I still watch your videos and I absolutely love them. Thank you

I just adopted my African grey 2 days ago and he was semi-tame. The family could not really handle him and he was a biter. I found you on RU-vid and literally you are AMAZING! You have helped Piglet (yes his name is piglet) and myself bond in less than 48 hours. He steps up off his perch, flies around the living room and dining room, and we are absolutely #engagednotcaged !!!! Thank you so much Marlene.. you are seriously the best and your videos are HILARIOUS

Today my African Grey passed away, I’m so sad about it. She was really special to me

Nobody: Birds literally every second: SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Love this! Cody likes the 80’s hairstyles I see 😂. With Cody’s new doo you are more gorgeous than ever! 😍 Love watching all your videos!

I love how Cody just destroys your hair😂

I worked for a pet store call Super Pet. My manager stressed to everyone who wanted a bigger bird to learn about the bird. I loved her for that.

I had a African grey as a child. His name was Jacko. He talked so much and screaming when he didn't get what he wanted. As we were children we weren't allowed to pet him due to he wold bite you. Never bit mam tho. He loved here. We miss him. He got to be 38 years old :)

my greys favorite appliance is the microwave. she's honed in on anyone opening or closing it and always does all of it's beeps. my grey is 18 and i got her 2 years ago from a family friend after loving her all my life, despite her never once being friendly with me. i just saw the way she lived and have always loved birds. i used to talk about taking her when i was old enough. well, one day two years ago they finally asked me if i wanted her. she'll do fire alarms and voices, hellos, goonights, goodbyes, always at the right time. her context for making the right noises is always spot on. she makes me laugh so much and is the most polite of my birds. she'll push a hand away before she'll bite if she doesn't want something.

Lmao Cody picking apart your hair is adorable 😭😂 I miss our African grey he was a one-man bird. And I can't wait to see another Vinny video 🥺❤️

A lot of people hear "not all African greys talk" but don't really believe it (at first I didn't either!) - but my bird is proof that it's totally possible they won't! In fact, it's possible they won't mimic at all! My grey Mabawa only whistles and grumbles. Every once in a while he makes a water sound, but he doesn't talk, and that's okay!❤

SAINT LOVE'S THE TOY'S!!! He and I both thank you!! They are GREAT toy's!! His favorite is the SWING!!! THANK YOU AGAIN MARLENE!!! YOU ROCK!!

Life with my darling little Abby (grey) bird, was one of the most amazing adventures of my life. She passed away at 23 years old. She was not the best talker, but communicated very cleverly with me. And I mean CLEVER! She was always one step ahead of me. I could write a book about all our experiences together. It’s already been 7 years since I lost her but I miss her every single day. 😔 Such an honor and a privilege to have a close relationship with a bird. ❤

Oh Marlene hehehehe. My friends have a joke (that comes from a sitcom), that when something is wrong with a person's looks (like food in their teeth, a smudge on the face etc) , we say. "You have a bird on your head ". And never have I thought to see it in reality. So, Marlene, you have a bird on your head.

Do I own a bird? No. Do I want a bird? Also no. Am I still here watching every video Marlene drops? Definitely.

I rescued my African Grey over 20 years ago. She only sleeps in her cage and has the run of the whole apartment. She had a terrible start in life and it took me years to get her trust. I have been very patient with her and she has come on in leaps and bounds. She joins us for dinner every day and gets involved in everything we do. Yep destruction is her middle name. Door frames, removed every letter/number on three keyboards, and chewed furniture. She has many toys and climbing frame but is drawn to things I’d prefer she left alone. She is amazing and chatty and funny and bright and my best friend, her and my dog 😄

Oh, how I love him!!! I had the honor of raising a couple African Greys about 10 years ago, and I fell so in love with them!!!! Awe, they were so, so, SOOO sweet!!! I want a bird right now, so bad!!! It's just not the right time, for me.....😯 Love this video, Marlene!!! Thank- you so very much!!! Love the hairdo you got!!! Lmao!!! You look beautiful no matter what they do to you!! How are the drum lessons going?? Lolol!!!

get into the topic ............................ jesus

I just got a Africa grey and she is so hard to get out the cage but she is starting to get used to us but she is 1 year old and steal does not know how to step up but where trying 😊😊

Now I know who noisiest parrot is in your flock when vlogging in your home. I always wondered who was making a lot of those random sounds.

He’s picking out like 2 notes from that popular iPhone message notification sound and I keep thinking my phone is going off lol

Almost the entire time I was watching this, my dad's African Grey was responding in the background. lol

It's funny I've had a African Grey since I was 10 he's is around 30 years old and his name was George and I love him still we watch TV together . He cusses like a savior and has around a 2000 word vocabulary.. he is a butterfly hole to new people ND every time he see a women he whistles pretty at them

My African Grey is a big talker and glad she continues to pick up new words every day

I literally have a tattoo of my Grey. We are like two peas in a pod. But I was kinda just chosen by him cause my mom decided to get him when I was 11. He then proceeded to bite her all the time and she won't put in the work to mend their relationship. So going on 15 years, we're inseparable. ♥️

LMAO the cut to the cockatoo just jumping and the African grey being confused is hilarious lol

I think Marlene makes the cleaning aspect look easy. I know she says it's not, which it's true, and sometimes shows it. Perhaps, because her house is well kept. I had red masked conure, and it was a lot of work to clean up after him. He would drop seed shells, food, crumbs, water, and have random feathers feathers flying around. He would also take his daily baths and splash water everywhere. Dont get me started with cleaning poop. Perhaps, a video focusing on that can help discourage or show people how much work it's. I know people who had parrots and gave them up becuase of this. I can also see people locking parrots in a cage all day as way to limit the cleaning.

I can't believe Cody hung out with you for the whole entire video. Thats a first.

I’ve always wanted an African Grey, I just got one a couple days ago (a Timneh) and I’m just so excited to learn more about them. I’ve had parrots before, an Australian Cockatoo was the largest, and I just love them so much

I have one CAG that I have wanted for years. I got him when he was 13w-14w old (he just turned 1) he is my first parrot. I had done tons of research over about a 2 year time span of learning everything I could. I decided to add one to my family. There were a lot of people who frowned not only on me getting a baby vs. rescuing but also choosing a grey as my first bird. It is honestly so sad that bigger birds are shown as a "advanced/intermediate" level no bird is an easy pet. Don't expect everything to always be fun and easy, there are always rough patches. All parrots require a lot of time and engagement but are so worth the effort in the end. Every species has both advantages and disadvantages and no one bird is right for everyone. Parrots live a very long time, it doesn't make sense to get one bird just to help prepare you for another ( the one you have your heart set on) and also is not really fair for that bird. Please always do your research. However, don't let talk turn you away from the bird you want regardless of if you are a first time owner or not. I am so happy with my grey and I would have done the same thing looking back. It breaks my heart to think I could have compromised with smaller "beginner bird" and not have my baby Yoshi today. Ill end this rant here although I could go on...lol Reflecting, I wish I would have had this perspective when I was deciding to get my first bird.

She keeps making a sound just like my text sound lol

I too was a bit freaked when the young man got an African Grey less then a year after his conure was "murdered (his word)" by his dog. I appreciate you for telling everyone the truth behind the challenges of bird ownership. We know you are non- judgmental, so please don't worry about apologizing over and over again. We get it...I hope he does. Petra's owner is reaching out to him as well. Hoping for the best!

We have a African grey called Connie and it destroyes anything it can hold...

Hello Marlene ☺️ Today's my birthday 🎂 April 26

Cody is such a characterful bird! She has a huge personality. 🙄

My family has owned an African Grey for 25 years. He is a wonderful pet. ❤ He talks alot. Well over 100 words. Several sentences and even knows a song. It took him a long time to warm up to me. Well worth the wait. They can be extremely affectionate. I love him so much. And yes he is alot of work.

I just got my 2 parrots as rescues from the parrot trust Scotland called Cody and coco. In 4 weeks Cody has managed to stop taking haldol medication for the first time in years and coco has opened up to men when before she would only interact with women. I’m so proud of the work I’ve done. They where both caged parrots and didn’t want to come out their cages for anything. Not food motivated so was tough. Now when I go in to their bedroom they literally bang their beaks on the cage to get out and come be where I am. It’s been one of the best experiences of my life and it’s very hard but the reward out weighs any amount of work. They would bite me and cause bleeding and bruising at the start. They really did not want anything to do with anything that wasn’t being alone in their cage. So for anyone worrying about this please don’t. If you are willing to PROVE To them you will care for them no matter what and no matter how much they bite and scratch you you’ll still love them and be kind to them I used to sit and eat dinner in front of their cage or I’d sit watching videos on the laptop on the floor and talk to them even tho they acted like they hated me. Now I’m their absolute everything. Please If u can help them and are willing to work they can open up and love again

The first video is like watching me.🤣🤣

U „had“ 4 african greys? Where did they go? They should hit around 40+ ... and whoever wants a parrot: dont be a ****, always get a partner, they have a strong urge for one. If u cant get a suiting one you will be their partner - u cannot fulfill that role and it will stress the bird a lot whenever you go missing 8h for work and so on ... be responsible. This video doesnt seem to be a lot

I just went and watched the video of that Logan Paul person, and OMG... The guy wants the baby bird's first word to the long form of "MoFo", the bird almost flew into his aquarium, he seems loud and immature, etc, etc. Maybe buying the bird will help this man-child grow up, but it's not looking good. If you're a fan of the guy, sorry, no NOT sorry... 😔

Jump to 4 mins straight, thank me later

Hey I really like your channel, I’m almost 30 and I got my first parrot and it is African grey I didn’t know nothing about them it was very hard but I could learn because I’m an animal lover so it’s not a matter of edge it’s a matter of personality. But it’s true that a bite of African grey is very strong and if you are not ready for it you have to forget about having a bird especially as African grey. But i wasn’t ready for being bitten too but I was finally, and I could survive but it was very hard decision very painful I didn’t expect such a surprise but I decided it doesn’t matter how many times I’m going to be bitten because bird has to be out of cage every day not less than for 3 hours but commonly for 6-8. Training helped me too.

2:58 Is where video starts

I love this youtuber... She doesn't get distracted and sticks to the topics and points

I didn't know Logan got a bird, I thought you was talking about Giz or Apollo 😆

Love this video!!! So educational, it will help so many birds and new owners that want to decide!! I’m happy you addressed Logan Paul in this video too, I hope it will convince some people out of getting a bird because they saw him. Love the hashtag #PickMeMarlene 😂😂

Your video is impossible to sit through. Rambling...non sequitur...un informative at times. Focus on the topics. Beautiful bird.

Would looove to see Marlene - Logan colab over Sir the gray :D

I’m earlyyy I love ur channel I might be getting two birds if I maintain straight As the next year!!

I’m glad that you mentioned Logan Paul and his new African grey. I’m so happy that u posted this video and maybe it could help him with sir

My family inherited a 40 something year old African grey and he has the biggest personality, never owned a bird before him but I will always have a bird now

If we could speak or like messages eachother just to talk about birds I would be the happiest person in the whole world 🥺❤️

My cousin has an African Grey parrot, he can talk but is a shy talker. The sounds he makes though, amazing.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - "It's a five star video"

So.. I have school and I’m also I go to my dads house every other week so I probably shouldn’t get one right?

Having an African gray is a nightmare, at least for me. My husband wanted one really badly so we went and got one from a breeder. We have had her about 10 years now and there isn't a day that has gone by in all of this time that I have not feared for my life. If she is able to reach me she attacks. I have scars on my head, on my eyelid, on my hands and a foot from her. She is a contributing factor for our upcoming divorce. Married 21 years and for the last 9 I have had to be in a different room than my husband and that bird. If she hears me at all she will spend hours trying to get to me to attack. Everything she knows how to say other than curse words she has learned from me. I am the one who feeds her treats, I am the one who gets her toys and tells him to play with the damn bird but she hates me with a passion. Doesn't matter what I try nothing makes a difference. Because of this along with other things my husband and I grew apart and he decided to look elsewhere. Good luck to whatever woman he brings home with him because the bird has claimed his as her own. I try and talk everyone out of getting a gray.

I’m looking after an African grey. How do I tell if he’s agitated or annoyed and I should respect the distance with him? I just don’t want to upset him and respect his space if he is agitated but I’ve never had birds so don’t know what signs to look for

I got a cockatiel almost 4 years ago now. She is a white-face. She is almost entirely white with only a few grey feathers on one wing. Her name is Pearl. I did extensive research before I got her (I got a baby from a local trusted bird store). What I've learned is you can never be too prepared. So many crazy things will happen. I thought I was getting a female bird but it turns out she is a male. It turns out that she is a special needs bird as well. About a year or two ago she started having seizure like episodes. We took her to the vet. We have worked with the vet extensively to try to figure out why this is happening. We changed her diet. We changed her sleep schedule. Nothing helped. Our vet specializes in parrots and she has never seen anything like what is happening to Pearl. She often expresses how shocked she is that Pearl is even alive. Now more than a year later, extensive research, dozens of vet visits. Blood work. X rays. We still don't know. This far in and with no other signs, we think it is a neurological problem. She is on medication to help reduce her episodes. Every morning and every night like clockwork. She still has the episodes but the medications help. But even through all of that, she is the sweetest thing ever. She sleeps a lot and we have to be careful she doesn't get too excited. But she is still a happy little bird that beeps and bobs her head all the time. She calls out hello when I come down the stairs in the morning. She plays games and dances. She is a little turd that gets herself stuck places and chews on my sketchbook. She screeches loudly if she wants attention. She has bonded with my whole family and loves to sit and pester us all for scritches one moment and then run away and refuse to get off the couch the next. Birds aren't easy. Sometimes things will happen that you never would have expected. But I wouldn't trade my strong determined little Pearl for anything. *If anyone knows anything about this condition happening to a bird please comment. We are still looking for answers.

My channel name bird lover only african grey parrot

Thank you for posting this! I've gotten a green cheek conure last year, and he has taught me so much about birds already. I didn't realize how similar it is to having a bird as it is to a kid! Right now I have my eye on an African Grey, and I think you just talked me into it being the right choice for me :)

Cody seems happiest of all, being on Marlenes head. I know it can be annoying, but, I see how happy she is up there.

Thanks Marlene!! I finished the last week of hand feeding for two of my babies 6 years ago when I got them. It turned out fine, but I would never do it again. Even a week of 2x feeding was so stressful. I was so scared I would hurt them. Never again.

There is so little original content in the video...constructive criticism is to give people actual information on the birds. Cut down on repetitive sentences and opinion. This probably could have been boiled down to 5 mins or less of actual knowledge.

Legends say marlene mccohen replies, but i've never seen.

A lot less talking and a lot more getting to the point would help. I stopped watching less than halfway through because I got tired of the rambling

Hey Marlene! I have an African Grey. Branagh. She is about 37 years old. I have had her since a baby when I finished hand feeding her. (Trained and practiced under the Breeder.). Over the last, maybe 10 years, she began to develop the red feathers on the top of her back. Over time, more and more have come up. Along the outside of her legs, under the wings, on the sides...in the last year, some feathers are coming out both grey and red. I've never seen another Grey with that going on! Until I saw your Merlin in this video. I love it. It's so pretty. Once in a bird article on line, I saw an entirely red African Grey. Anyway, YES. Like you have said and other's commenting have said...DO NOT GET ANY PARROT WITHOUT COMPLETELY INVESTIGATING Parrot information and, informing yourself about the different kinds of Parrots. Watch videos. Especially Marlene's. Listen to the different voices and calls and screams of different Parrots. Food, fruit skins, poop, etc all over the place? It's a bird. You do not make the bird fit into your life. You fit your life to your bird. They are REALLY hard work. Lots of work. They can un-nerve you with screaming like fingernails across your raw brain. Expensive vet bills. Fresh fruit and vegies everyday with their pellets. Everyday. Constant cleaning. Constant watching. Beaks will try out those slots in the outlets and chew electrical cords among everything else they can. So so much. Watch all of Marlenes videos. Do your research. They require immense time and attention. Don't have that? Don't get the bird.

The biggest “eye opener” for us when we got our Grey was the dust. SOOOO dusty! Great bird! Awesome talker, but DUSTY!!!

I’ve been interested in an African grey for a while, and imagine my surprise when I start doing some research on care and temperament, and the first video I click on is of a birb that shares the same name as me. I think it was meant to be 😂😂

Everybody gangsta till the parrot asks you to say deez

Cody is giving you a new hairdo. Or wants a nest. It's cute. Love Cody. She cracks me up.

My channel name bird lover

Why does Cody do better hair than me😂

My recent new family member is tinker receive her October 2019 she born June 30 2029 she really smart she marks my husband-and she Has Great personality great talker this my 3 grey Congo she can hold some conversation she doesn’t care for his Sister blue gold and green wing

4:07 my African gray parot can speak 10 times better he can speak two languages Polish and English and he is very very smart

There are a lot of great African Grays in rescues. Mine was a rescue and she is substantially better rounded than the Senegal that I have that I raised at a very young age.

If you needed a to hear someone speak then listen to your parents

Yeeee!!! Watching this now. 😍 Waking up and in bed. And... Still looking BUT, I might have found a sanctuary that has and I quote "we have several" greys needing a forever home. Once this is over I will be seeing which one will work with my family ☺️❤️ I know il learn more important things from this video. Ok time to listen! 🤗

I dont have patience thats why i got one fish

yay!!!! aww I still love them tho!!! ❤❤❤

I want to gray parrot... How many price

So very true. Owning an African Grey is a huge responsibility. Always think hard and long before making that decision I hope people take to heart all your words

I think you give Mr Paul way too much credit….

I love uuu

My Sun Conure parrot can say a guest sentence

Video starts at 3:37 You're welcome....

Cody is back in the vids! Woo-hoo! 👍 And she can add "experienced hairdresser" to her resume! Can Merlin make a guest appearance in Part 2? Please! Love you all! ❤️

3:32 it starts

We have a 1 year King Charles Spaniel puppy. He definitely clings to my wife. I started looking into owning a bird to call "my own" for more interaction... I'm SOOO glad I watched your video!! At this point, I'll play more with the dog. However I definitely still want a bird years from now when I'm home 24/7. It won't be easy, but my 5 year old son definitely taught me the value of patience 😊 Thanks for delaying my decision!

I have an African grey

You look gorgeous! Long hair, 💇 don't care! Lol, It has definitely grown since we've been quarantined. George was so smart and his voice was unique. Cody has her own language like a mockingbird. I think I heard the smoke alarm battery chirp.

Just get a European one