This bird has a simple color scheme, the body plumage is gray, but the shade of gray varies depending on the region of the continent from which it came.
Males are usually darker than females.
The feathers of the head and neck are margined with very pale gray, the rump is so pale a gray as to be almost white, and the tail and adjacent tail coverts are scarlet. The beak is black and the iris is pale yellow. The feet are dark gray and the bare skin surrounding the eye is white. The size of this bird varies but an average would be 13 inches in length and weighs about 320 - 340 grams. Occasionally you might see an African Grey, which has areas of pink feathering and many birds have a few pink feathers scattered throughout the plumage.