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Who We Are · Family Aviary Since 2014 · Midland, Texas
Trusted African Grey Parrot Breeders — Meet the Family Behind C.A.Gs
We are Mark & Teri Benjamin, and we have hand-raised captive-bred Congo and Timneh African Greys in our Midland, Texas home since 2014.
Most online sellers disappear after the deposit; we built C.A.Gs to be the opposite — a USDA-licensed, CITES-documented breeder who hands you the paperwork before you pay and answers the phone long after your bird comes home.
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Our Story
Our Story52
Verified Reviews
4.9
Average Rating
USDA AWA
Licensed Breeder
2014
Midland TX Since
The short version
What Makes C.A.Gs a Trusted African Grey Breeder?
2014
Family Aviary
Mark & Teri Benjamin have hand-raised Congo and Timneh African Greys in their Midland, TX home for over a decade.
USDA
AWA Licensed
We hold a verifiable USDA Animal Welfare Act license you can check before you pay anything.
100%
CITES Documented
Every Grey is U.S. captive-bred with CITES Appendix I paperwork — never wild-caught.
DNA
Sexed & Vet-Checked
Each bird ships with a PCR DNA sexing certificate and an avian-vet health certificate.
Paperwork
Before The Deposit
You hold the documents in your hands before any money changes hands — the opposite of how scams work.
72-hr
Health Guarantee
Every Grey is backed by a written health guarantee, in addition to the pre-ship avian-vet exam.
$1,500+
Honest Pricing
Timneh Greys from $1,500, Congos from $1,700 — no $400 bait listings, ever.
24h
We Answer
Mark or Teri reply within one business day, before the sale and for the bird's whole life.
About C.A.Gs · The Full Story
On This Page
6 sections · who we are, how to verify us, and the birds
- 01Why We Started Breeding African Greys
- 02Why Should You Trust C.A.Gs With a 40-to-60-Year Companion?
- 03How Do You Tell a Trustworthy Breeder From a Scam?
- 04What Do Families Say After Buying From C.A.Gs?
- 05Which Documented C.A.Gs Greys Are Available Right Now?
- 06Do We Also Sell African Grey Eggs and Breeding Pairs?
- 07What Do Buyers Ask Before Trusting a Breeder?
Our Story
Why We Started Breeding African Greys
We could not stand how many African Greys were being sold sick, undocumented, or shipped by people the buyer would never actually meet.
Families were wiring thousands of dollars to a Facebook listing and getting back either nothing at all or a frightened, paperwork-less bird that landed in an avian clinic within the week.
That is the problem we set out to fix when we began raising Greys in our Midland, Texas home in 2014.
So we built C.A.Gs as the deliberate opposite of that. Every chick is hand-fed inside our home — by us and by our family — never warehoused in a back-room commercial facility.
We chose to raise just two species, the Congo African Grey and the Timneh African Grey, and to raise fewer of them well rather than churn out volume.
We made mistakes early on, learned from our avian vet, and tightened our health protocol every year since.
A decade on, the principle has not changed: hand-feed every clutch, document every bird, and stay reachable long after pickup.
We are a real family — not a brand, not a reseller — and the birds you see here are the ones we are actually raising right now.
That is what we mean when we call ourselves trusted African Grey breeders: you can verify every claim on this page before you ever send a deposit.
How Do You Verify Us Before You Pay?
Don't take our word for any of it — check us the same way you should check every breeder.
Ask for our USDA Animal Welfare Act license number and run it through the federal APHIS search yourself; a legitimate breeder hands it over without hesitation, and a scammer changes the subject.
Which Document Do You Ask For First?
Start with the CITES Appendix I captive-bred certificate for your specific bird. It anchors everything else — the closed band, the hatch certificate, and the PCR DNA sexing result all have to agree with it, detail for detail.
Then Ask for the Live Video Call
We put your exact Grey on camera before any deposit, band in frame.
Why a Live Call Beats Paperwork
Paperwork can be forged; a live bird answering to its own band number cannot.
Mark & Teri Benjamin · Est. 2014
Meet the Breeders
Who Are the Breeders Behind C.A.Gs?
We started raising African Greys in our Midland, Texas home in 2014 — because we could not stand how many were sold sick, undocumented, or shipped from people the buyer would never meet. So C.A.Gs became the opposite: every chick is hand-fed inside our home, never warehoused in a back-room facility.
Every Grey we raise is DNA-sexed, examined by an avian veterinarian, closed-banded, and CITES Appendix I documented before it leaves us — and you hold that paperwork before any money changes hands. A decade on, the principle is unchanged: raise fewer birds, raise them right, and stay reachable long after pickup.
— Mark & Teri Benjamin, C.A.Gs
✓ USDA AWA Licensed✓ CITES Appendix I✓ DNA Sexed✓ Avian-Vet Certified
Credentials You Can Verify
Why Should You Trust C.A.Gs With a 40-to-60-Year Companion?
Because trust on a bird this long-lived has to be verifiable, not promised.
Our Animal Welfare Act license is the first thing we hand a buyer — checkable against the USDA APHIS Animal Welfare portal — and every one of the documents below comes with your bird before any money moves.
If a seller cannot produce these, walk away.
CITES Appendix I Docs
U.S. captive-bred documentation on every Grey — never wild-caught, never imported.
PCR DNA Sexing
A certificate from PCR-based DNA testing so you know exactly which Grey you are bringing home.
Closed Band + Hatch Cert
A seamless closed band and hatch certificate — the physical proof a chick was aviary-raised, not poached.
Avian-Vet Health Cert
A board-certified avian-veterinarian exam — with PBFD and APV screening — dated within 10 days of travel.
Written Health Guarantee
Every Grey is backed by our written health guarantee — see the full terms on our health-guarantee page.
Want the fine print? Our full African Grey health guarantee spells out exactly what is covered and for how long, our captive-bred African Grey page explains how we prove every bird was raised in our aviary, and our CITES documentation guide walks through the Appendix I paperwork that travels with each Grey.
Red Flags vs Green Flags
How Do You Tell a Trustworthy Breeder From a Scam?
The single fastest way to vet any seller is to run them against a short checklist before you send money — and to read our full guide to avoiding African Grey scams first.
Here is the side-by-side we wish every buyer had seen before getting burned.
Scam red flags
- Price far below the $1,500 floor for a documented Grey
- Payment demanded by CashApp, Zelle, or gift card
- No USDA license number and no physical aviary
- Refuses a live video call of your specific bird
- Stolen or stock photos; "paperwork after payment"
How C.A.Gs checks out
- Honest pricing from $1,500 with no bait listings
- Reversible payment — card, PayPal Goods, bank wire
- Verifiable USDA AWA license + a real Midland, TX aviary
- Live video call of your exact bird on demand
- Real photos; CITES & DNA paperwork before the deposit
Conservation groups such as the World Parrot Trust are clear that since the African Grey was uplisted to CITES Appendix I, the only ethical bird is a documented, captive-bred one — which is exactly why a closed band, a hatch certificate, and the Appendix I paperwork detailed at CITES matter so much.
If a deal feels too cheap or too rushed, it almost always is.
Verified C.A.Gs Reviews
What Do Families Say After Buying From C.A.Gs?
These are real, verified buyers. Our full African Grey reviews page carries more C.A.Gs reviews — and settles the question "is congoafricangreys.com legit?" for good.
★★★★★
"They made buying a bird online stress-free."
At first I was hesitant about buying a bird online, but C.A.Gs made the process stress-free. They handed me the CITES paperwork, the DNA certificate, and the vet health certificate before I paid, and my parrot arrived in perfect condition. My Congo African Grey is now the star of our family.
Richard Woodard, Winter Haven, FL
Congo African Grey
★★★★★
"Affectionate, intelligent, already picking up words."
I searched for trusted African Grey breeders for months before finding C.A.Gs. Their birds are truly top-notch — my African Grey is affectionate, intelligent, and already picking up words. The shipping process was seamless, and they included a written health guarantee.
Archie Obrien, Farmingdale, NY
Congo African Grey
★★★★★
"Healthy, friendly, and well-documented."
I ordered a Congo African Grey from C.A.Gs and the experience was flawless. Everything was verifiable — USDA license, captive-bred CITES papers, an avian-vet exam. My parrot is healthy, friendly, and well-trained. I recommend C.A.Gs to anyone asking is congoafricangreys.com legit.
Catherine Kempf, Schaumburg, IL
Congo African Grey
This Week's Aviary
Which Documented C.A.Gs Greys Are Available Right Now?
Every Congo and Timneh below is a real bird we are hand-raising right now — PCR DNA-sexed, avian-vet checked, CITES Appendix I documented, and fully weaned. No waitlist tricks, no bait listings.
Baby Boy Midland, TX
Roys
Male · 4 mo · Congo African Grey
"Hand-raised in our home from day one."
Hand-raised male Congo, 4 months old — DNA-sexed, vet-checked, and fully documented before he ever ships.
CITES Cert PCR DNA-Sexed Vet Certified PBFD & APV Screened Fully Weaned
Ships nationwide · $185 airport · $350 home
$2,300 + $200 deposit
Inquire →
New Arrival Midland, TX
Amie
Female · 3 mo · Congo African Grey
"Socialized by our whole family."
Premium hand-raised female Congo, 3 months old. Closed-banded, hatch-certified, CITES Appendix I documented.
CITES Cert PCR DNA-Sexed Vet Certified PBFD & APV Screened Fully Weaned
Ships nationwide · $185 airport · $350 home
$2,500 + $200 deposit
Inquire →
Best Value Midland, TX
Bery
Female · 1 yr · Congo African Grey
"Gentle, settled, paperwork in hand."
Soft temperament, easy to handle. 1-year-old female Congo with full health and CITES documentation.
CITES Cert PCR DNA-Sexed Vet Certified PBFD & APV Screened Fully Weaned
Ships nationwide · $185 airport · $350 home
$1,700 + $200 deposit
Inquire →
Timneh Midland, TX
Elad
Male · 5 mo · Timneh African Grey
"Smaller bird, same documentation standard."
Hand-raised male Timneh, 5 months old. DNA-sexed, avian-vet certified, captive-bred and never wild-caught.
CITES Cert PCR DNA-Sexed Vet Certified PBFD & APV Screened Fully Weaned
Ships nationwide · $185 airport · $350 home
$1,600 + $200 deposit
Inquire →
Timneh Midland, TX
Evie
Female · 6 mo · Timneh African Grey
"Calm, clever, ready to come home."
Hand-raised female Timneh, 6 months old. Closed band, hatch certificate, and CITES Appendix I paperwork included.
CITES Cert PCR DNA-Sexed Vet Certified PBFD & APV Screened Fully Weaned
Ships nationwide · $185 airport · $350 home
$1,500 + $200 deposit
Inquire →
Must-Go Pair Midland, TX
Jins + Jeni
Pair · 4–6 mo · Congo African Grey
"Two bonded birds, one documented package."
Unrelated pair, must be adopted together. Jins (male, 6mo) + Jeni (female, 4mo). Both hand-raised and fully documented.
CITES Cert PCR DNA-Sexed Vet Certified PBFD & APV Screened Fully Weaned
Ships nationwide · $185 airport · $350 home
$3,500 pair + $200 deposit
Inquire →
✓ CITES Captive-Bred Cert✓ PCR DNA Sex Certificate✓ Avian Vet Health Cert✓ Hatch Certificate
More Than Single Companions
Do We Also Sell African Grey Eggs and Breeding Pairs?
We do — and they carry the same paperwork we put behind every hand-fed chick. Alongside our weaned babies, here at C.A.Gs we place candled African Grey parrot eggs for sale for hobbyists who incubate their own clutch, and proven, DNA-sexed breeder pairs for aviculturists building their own program. Both ship with the CITES Appendix I documentation our captive-bred birds are known for — never wild-caught, never undocumented.
Hatching Eggs
African Grey Hatching Eggs
Incubator-ready, candled Congo & Timneh eggs — fertility-checked before they leave us. $95 each, free US shipping when you buy five or more.
See our hatching eggs →
Breeder Pairs
Proven African Grey Breeder Pairs
Bonded, DNA-sexed, aviary-proven African Grey pairs for serious breeders — $3,000, with the same closed-band and CITES paperwork as our pet chicks.
Meet our breeder pairs →Not sure which fits your setup? Ask Mark or Teri and we'll talk you through incubation, pair compatibility, and what travels with each.
About C.A.Gs · Questions
What Do Buyers Ask Before Trusting a Breeder?
C.A.Gs is a small, family African Grey parrot breeder run by Mark and Teri Benjamin, with our family, in Midland, Texas.
We have hand-raised captive-bred Congo and Timneh African Greys in our home since 2014 — over a decade of breeding the same two species, not a flipping operation reselling birds we have never met.
Every Grey is hand-fed inside our home and socialized by our family before it goes anywhere.
Yes. C.A.Gs holds a verifiable USDA Animal Welfare Act license, places only U.S. captive-bred birds with CITES Appendix I documentation, video-calls you to show your specific bird on demand, and hands you the paperwork before any money moves.
You can read real C.A.Gs reviews from verified buyers on this page and on our reviews page, and we accept reversible payment methods — none of which a scam storefront can offer.
Each Grey leaves us with a CITES Appendix I captive-bred certificate, a PCR DNA sexing certificate, a board-certified avian-veterinarian health certificate dated within 10 days of travel, a hatch certificate, and a closed band number — all backed by our USDA Animal Welfare Act license and a written health guarantee.
You receive the documents before the deposit, not after.
Ask for our USDA AWA license number and check it against the public USDA APHIS Animal Welfare records, request a live video call showing the exact bird you are reserving, and confirm we will send the CITES Appendix I and DNA paperwork before payment.
A legitimate breeder passes all three tests; a scammer fails at least one. We hand you everything upfront precisely so you never have to guess.
A trusted African Grey breeder has a verifiable USDA license, a findable physical aviary, captive-bred CITES documentation, and accepts reversible payment.
The classic scam is a Facebook or Marketplace listing far below our $1,500 floor, payment demanded by CashApp, Zelle, or gift card, stolen photos, and a seller who vanishes after the deposit.
We built C.A.Gs as the opposite of that — read our guide to avoiding African Grey scams to see every red flag side by side.
Yes. African Greys are listed on CITES Appendix I, which bans commercial trade in wild-caught birds, but captive-bred African Greys are legal to own and transfer domestically in the United States with proper documentation.
Every Grey we place is U.S. captive-bred — never wild-caught — with a closed band and a hatch certificate that prove it was raised in our aviary, so your ownership rests on solid legal ground.
Still vetting us? Read real C.A.Gs reviews, see exactly how scammers operate in our scam-avoidance guide, and check the CITES documentation that travels with every Grey we place.
Start Your Journey With Us
Now You Know Who We Are — Ready to Reserve a Documented African Grey?
Every Grey from C.A.Gs is hand-raised by our family, PCR DNA-sexed, avian-vet certified, and placed with full CITES Appendix I documentation — never wild-caught, paperwork in your hands before any deposit.
Tell us about your home and which Grey caught your eye in the form below, and Mark or Teri will reply within 24 hours. Still comparing the two species? Our Congo Greys and Timneh Greys are both ready to meet you.
Adopt an African Grey — Inquiry Form
We review every application. Expect a response within 24 hours.