African Grey parrots are not typically known as very “active” birds, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be happy in a tiny cage that doesn’t allow them ample room to flap their wings, climb and move around.
Your cage set up should ensure that your African Grey’s cage has several types of perches, food and water bowls, and lots of different kinds of toys. Make sure the perches are positioned so that droppings don’t fall onto toys or water and food bowls below — allowing bird poo to get onto other items below can be very unsanitary (and, face it, a pain in the butt to clean).
Below are examples of African Grey parrot cage set ups, including examples and photos of African Greys in their cages.
Two African Greys in a Double Cage
Double cages (with or without a divider) are great for multiple birds. Below are two African Grey parrots, Mojo and Shinda, who share a large 7ft x 6ft x 3ft cage. Their double cage is set up with large sisal ropes spanning the length of the cage, naturally knotty wood perches, two cardboard tubes, flat wooden platforms, and food and water bowls positioned along the edges of the cage, along with an assortment of toys.
Henry the African Grey’s Dometop Cage
A dometop cage allows a bird plenty of “head room”. If your African Grey parrot prefers to perch up high, make sure none of the perches are positioned above the food/water bowls, or move the bowl to the top of the cage. Henry the CAG has plenty of colorful perches and some toys, with a nice amount of space for climbing and moving around, but his owner says she plans to move him into a bigger cage setup soon.
Bart Henry’s Large Corner Cage and Play Stand
Bart the Grey spends most of his day out of his cage with his work-at-home parent. His time is split between his large corner cage (which isn’t necessarily in a corner – nobody puts Barty in the corner!) and his large manzanita playstand, which is set up next to his cage. Bart likes to take naps on his tree, which has plenty of toys as well as climbing room.
Bibi Bird Uses ALL of Her Playtop Cage
Bibi has a playtop cage that includes a large toy hook, and she likes to climb up to the top of the hook to act as a look out and to swing off whatever toy is hanging up there. She uses all of her cage space inside and out. She can be seen on Ustream perched on top of the toy hook practicing her words, running around the top of her playground (practicing her words), climbing the perches placed on the outsides of her cages and playing with her toys inside the cage (while practicing her words).
Hope you enjoyed these photos of African Greys and their cages. As you can see, there are a variety of ways to set up a cage for an African Grey parrot and creativity always pays off.
If you’re unsure how large your African Grey parrot’s cage should be, check out our parrot cage size chart.
Also check out our cage setup ideas, including more double cages, for large cockatoos and our conure cage page.
Image credits: All photos used with permission. Big thanks to the contributors — Top image: Ty by Rebecca K. O’Connor; Images of Mojo, Shinda, and Henry’s cages by Pippy; Bottom image: courtesy of Bart Henry