Meet Calvin

Calvin is a Congo African Grey who's about 12 years old. He used to live in the same cage with another grey, Hobbes (an alum). However, they didn't get along very well. They rarely fought, but occasionally one would prevent the other from eating. It was definitely an icy marriage!Together, the two had been through many homes -- something along the lines of 8 homes in their 12 years! We can't understand why, as they are very well-behaved parrots.

Hobbes found a home several months ago, and since then, Calvin has really opened up. He loves coming out of his cage and getting attention -- you open the door to his cage and he often has his foot up, ready to go! He does frequently prefer to step up backwards, so we put our hands behind him, ask him to step up, and there's a grey on your arm.

Greys are prized because they have the reputation of being big talkers. Most greys have the ability to talk, and say at least a few words. Some have enormous vocabularies -- those are the ones we hear about -- but it's not common. You don't have an in-depth conversation with a grey. In our experience, it's frequently greeting each other back and forth, or listening to the grey order the other members of the house around ("Step up!" "Come here!" "Want some!")
Calvin does say a few words, in a very deep voice. He also makes many pleasant grey noises -- beeping, ringing, chirping, etc. With your eyes closed, he might be mistaken for a smoke alarm with low batteries, a microwave that's finished cooking, or a telephone.

It can take a while to earn a grey's trust. Of course there are exceptions, but they don't tend to adapt as well to major changes -- like losing their home -- as other parrots do. Because Calvin has lost his home so frequently in the past, we're really hoping that this next home will be his last and forever one.

If you're ready to make a commitment to a special being, one that can forever enhance your life, Calvin may be the bird for you.