Ybarra was about a year old when he started talking and he constantly amazes me with his vocabulary. African Greys are known for their talking ability among parrots, but it's more than just asking for a cracker. He's completely fascinated by our dog, Decker. I wouldn't trade Ybarra for anything, but he's not always an angel. He loves to mangle and shred things like cardboard, wood, plastic, shoelaces, carpet, shirts, bed sheets, and even a college degree.
African greys can be moody sometimes, and they tend to pick out a single person to bond with.
Fortunately, Ybarra picked me. Ybarra is nice, but likes to put up a tough image, so we try to humor him and act scared when he stands tall and runs across the floor attacking our toes. I also have Thibodeaux, the Catalina Macaw, and even though Ybarra is less than half the size, he'll never back down when the two of them play. Ybarra is fairly quiet most of the time, but he loves to whistle and sing and talk as soon as the sun comes up. If you have the interest, the time and the patience to put up with a bird who acts like a small child, you can be rewarded with a companion who may stay with you for the rest of your life.