Why Do African Greys Mostly Use Their Left Foot?

African Greys and foot dominance has not received a great deal of true scientific study. However, it does draw the attention of African Grey owners and inquisitive bird watchers. Most information available concerning foot dominance comes from African Grey owners who observe and make note of their particular Grey's foot dominance; in fact, one owner reports that her bird is ambidextrous. As of 2010, there is no single authority that claims all African Greys are left-foot dominant. To the extent that the characteristic is observed more frequently than not, it may be due to behavioral modification rather than to genetics.

  1. History

    • In a 1896 New York Times article, S. Stephen, superintendent of the Cincinnati Zoo, addressed the issue of foot dominance in parrots. At that time, he claimed there was no proof parrots in particular are left-foot dominant. However, this may be due to a lack of testing or biased data. African Greys are known as the most intelligent of the bird species; unfortunately, we still know relatively little about them.

    Observations

    • African Grey owners who have observed their Greys, as they are commonly known, claim that their Greys do exhibit foot dominance. However, the Grey owners who have shared their observations on African Grey Forum report just as many righties as lefties. After careful observation, one owner found her Grey to be ambidextrous, capable of using each foot equally well.

    Expert Insight

    • More recent studies on African Greys and left-foot dominance follow the same trend as in S. Stephen's report. The article Your Parrot's Feet, posted on Bird Tricks in 2009, supports the theory that most African Greys exhibit left-foot dominance. However, the article also goes on to say that those same left-footed Greys will choose to lead with their right foot at times.

    Considerations

    • Although more parrot owners claim that their African Greys are left footed, this concept of Greys being particularly left-foot dominant may be misleading. S. Stephen's theory on foot dominance in parrots considers the relationship between parrot training and learned behavior. As he explains, a right-handed individual training a parrot may condition that parrot to use the left foot more frequently, resulting in a left-footed habit. Taking this into consideration, left-foot dominance may be seen as a learned behavior, rather than as a true dominance feature.

    Identification

    • When observing your Grey for foot dominance, attempt to eliminate any potential underlying structural factors with a balance test. Gently place your Grey on your finger, hand or wrist. As you slowly walk around the room, try to feel if your Grey's grip is evenly distributed between both feet. If both feet grip evenly, proceed to make note of which foot your Grey uses most.

    Warning

    • If you find that your Grey has an uneven or imbalanced grip, check with your avian veterinarian for potential underlying problems. A weak grip or lame foot may be a sign of malnutrition or muscle atrophy. Malnutrition causes a bird to be weak and is normally associated with a seed-only diet. Atrophy is a condition in which the muscles become weak from lack of use. In both cases, your veterinarian will be able to diagnose the problem and discuss possible treatments.