African Grey Parrot for Sale: What $1,700–$3,500 Actually Gets You

When families first start shopping, the question we hear most is simply "how much is an African Grey parrot?" — but the honest answer is that the number only makes sense once you know what comes with it. Here at C.A.Gs in Midland, TX, two birds at wildly different prices can look identical in a photo; the difference is the paperwork, the health screening, and the years of support behind them. Before you compare any two listings, it helps to know exactly what is included in every Grey we place (we break it down below).

We hand-raise both Congo and Timneh African Greys ourselves, so the price you see reflects what we actually put into each chick — not a markup on a wholesale bird. Our full African Grey price breakdown covers first-year and lifetime costs in detail; this guide focuses on the purchase itself and what your money buys.

What Does an African Grey Parrot Cost?

Our pricing is published, not negotiated in a back-channel. Here is the full range across everything we place:

If you are weighing the two species on price, our Timneh African Greys sit a step below the Congo and are often the gentler, first-timer-friendly choice, while our Congo African Greys are the larger, classic red-tailed talkers. Families wanting a ready-made breeding project can also reserve our bonded Jins + Jeni Congo pair.

What's Included in Every C.A.Gs Grey

This is the part that separates a documented bird from a gamble. Each Grey we place leaves with the full paperwork packet in your hands before any money moves:

PCR-based DNA sexing certificate

African Greys are sexually monomorphic — males and females look identical — so we sex every chick by PCR-based DNA testing from a feather or blood sample, not invasive surgical sexing. You get the certificate, so you know exactly which sex you are bringing home.

Board-certified avian-vet health certificate

Each Grey is examined by a board-certified avian veterinarian before placement, with PBFD (Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease) and Polyomavirus screening as part of our health protocol. The signed health certificate ships with the bird.

CITES Appendix I captive-bred documentation

The African Grey is listed on CITES Appendix I, which bans commercial trade in wild-caught birds — and conservation groups such as the World Parrot Trust are clear that the only ethical bird today is a documented, captive-bred one. Every Grey we place is U.S. captive-bred and fully documented, so your ownership is on solid legal ground.

Hatch certificate, closed band, and a 3-day written health guarantee

A closed band plus a hatch certificate is how you prove a chick was raised in an aviary rather than taken from the wild. On top of that, we back each placement with a 3-day written health guarantee — and Teri stays reachable long after pickup, because a bird that lives 40–60 years deserves support for the whole journey.

Why a Cheap African Grey Costs More in the End

The math is unforgiving. Ethical captive breeding — the months of hand-feeding, the DNA test, the vet exam, the documentation — simply costs too much to sell a fully weaned, documented Grey for a few hundred dollars. When you see a bargain bird, the savings come from skipping exactly the things that protect you: the health screening, the papers, or the existence of the bird at all. We walk through the warning signs in detail in our guide on how to avoid African Grey parrot scams, but the short version is that the cheapest listing is almost never the cheapest bird.

The First-Year Costs Beyond the Purchase Price

Your Grey's price is the start, not the whole budget. Plan for these in year one:

• Cage + setup: roughly $450 for a properly sized cage, perches, and starter toys
• First-year food + vet: around $700 for a pellet-first diet, fresh produce, and a wellness check
• Shipping: $185 airport pickup or $350 home delivery, IATA-compliant to all 50 states
• Enrichment over time: rotated foraging toys — non-negotiable for a bird this intelligent

Still deciding between the two species before you reserve? You can compare our Congo and Timneh African Greys side by side on size, talking onset, temperament, and price.

Frequently Asked Questions