Illegal Sales of African Grey Parrots and the CITES Agreement

Parrots and African Greys

Parrots are social, exploratory animals. In nature, they live together. Their social nature also makes them good candidates for forming friendships with people. A parrot separated from its flock becomes attached to people and tries to stay close to them, singing to them as if they were birds. Therefore, it is not comparable to keeping a predatory, non-social bird, such as an eagle. For this reason, parrots are often preferred as pets.

This image, captured by akbarnemati, was sourced from Pixabay.

The African Grey Parrot is the most intelligent parrot species. Macaws and cockatoos are also highly intelligent, but African grey parrots have a special status. They are excellent talkers, and some experts say they can learn hundreds of words by the age of five. In exceptional cases, they can use thousands of words. They can also say meaningful sentences. They are set apart from other talking birds by their cognitive ability to not only imitate what they hear but also to make sense of human language, recognize objects, solve simple problems, and comprehend numbers. Dr. Irene Pepperberg’s work with her parrot, Alex, has scientifically proven their superior intelligence. For instance, it’s easy to teach them to say “good morning.”

This superior ability of African grey parrots is an evolutionary advantage that also makes them attractive to humans. These creatures, which resemble a six-year-old child, are plucked from their natural habitat by humans and sold. The demand is generally for younger parrots because older parrots are far less trainable and difficult to bond with new owners. At a young age, the birds must wait in an uninteresting and boring environment for a long time. The older they get, the harder they are to sell.

The African grey parrot is an endangered species because it does not easily choose mates and takes several years to reach adulthood. As advanced creatures, they have also developed complex social dynamics. It can take mature African greys up to two years to choose a mate. Their slow reproductive process and human demand for them have made them an endangered species.

What is CITES?

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was opened for signature in Washington, D.C., on March 3, 1973. It entered into force on July 1, 1975. As of 2025, 184 countries or regional economic integration organizations worldwide are members of CITES. This makes it one of the largest conventions in the field of environmental protection. Introduced in the 1960s as a solution to the uncontrolled international trade of wild animals and plants, CITES was adopted in 1973. The populations of many species were declining at alarming rates, primarily due to the popularity of exotic pets, the harvesting of valuable tree species, and the collection of plants. Countries found it difficult to control this trade through domestic laws because species were being traded across international borders. Trade banned in one country could be legal in another, paving the way for smuggling.

Thanks to CITES, smuggling a crocodile across borders without a license is now considered a serious crime, akin to illegal arms trafficking. As a result, transferring animal and plant species between countries has become very difficult and is subject to strict legal controls. However, illegal trade continued in countries where inspections were insufficient. Nevertheless, this treaty has made international trade of these animals nearly impossible, as most countries now have robust border controls.

Most sellers in the country continue to produce illegally with animals and plants obtained from other smugglers, selling them through various channels. These channels include social media, advertised websites, and even pet shops. Unfortunately, inspections may not be sufficient in this area.

African Grey Parrots and CITES

The African Grey Parrot is one of the most trafficked species protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). These expensive creatures can be sold at very satisfactory prices, and there is high demand for them. Selling African grey parrots requires a CITES certificate. If someone sells you an African Grey without a CITES certificate, you know you have an illegal animal. If this illegal animal is discovered, for instance if you take it to the vet, it will be confiscated.

Just like humans, the ministry in charge of CITES animals keeps population records. You must notify the ministry when these animals die. Owning an escaped African grey parrot can be challenging since they live 30 years or more. African greys are often sold in pet shops without CITES documentation. If you, as a consumer, buy an African Grey parrot without knowing about CITES, you may unknowingly care for it for years, and it may become attached to you. Then, one day, you may have to face reality. The animal is unlicensed and will be taken away as soon as it is caught. You could also face legal action for knowingly buying an illegal animal. If you consider selling the animal to someone else after buying it, you will also become part of the criminal network. The best thing you can do in this situation is to learn about CITES in advance and prevent it from happening. Another hope is that the state will carry out strict CITES inspections.

Unlicensed animal production poses risks to both animals and consumers. Some countries don’t care about this issue and pretend otherwise. However, if even one of the hundreds of employees in charge of controlling these situations took the initiative to go after these people, many would be caught. I have personally witnessed this crime happening in pet shops in my country. I wanted to buy an African Grey parrot myself. I contacted the sellers from online advertisements. All of the sellers were polite and informative. But when I asked them about CITES, they immediately became rude and said the animal had been sold. They immediately became rude and told me that the animal had been sold. They started using street language. These criminal and shameless people deserve to be caught and fined. I am worried by the fact that this business, which has fallen to pet shops, has become so widespread in my country. I believe many people in my country keep these animals in their homes without a license. This situation is indeed sad.

Why They Prefer Illegal Production to CITES Moderation

Sellers prefer to sell without CITES because it allows them to produce animals quickly and without control or inspection. That means more money. CITES includes strict controls for African Grey parrots. Parrot pairs from a CITES-legal seller must be licensed as well. So the parents should be licensed. Production can only take place during the animals’ natural breeding period. This is one of the main reasons for illegal sales. Production must take place in hygienic and appropriate areas. For example, one smuggler I met does it in a caravan next to his house. It must be much easier for him because he doesn’t have to rent a plot of land. This is one reason why people resort to illegal production. There are many responsibilities that come with CITES, and sellers don’t want to accept them. These requirements are burdensome and severely reduce profit margins, driving producers away from these animals. Until they exploit illegal loopholes, that is.

TL;DR

Be aware of CITES and act responsibly. Animals are not toys. Don’t enable these flagrant crimes by acting as an intermediary. Don’t be stubborn and buy from sellers without a CITES license. Do your research and choose sellers who actually have one. Report those without licenses to the authorities to prevent this crime. This is much better for animals and plants. An African Grey parrot produced by these sellers will be flagged for life and face difficult situations. It may be caught at the vet, have to live in a shelter, be separated from its owner, and become depressed. It is best to prevent this situation before any of these things happen.