Flocks of chattering African gray parrots, more than a thousand flashes of red and white on gray at a time, were a common sight in the deep forests of Ghana in the 1990s. But a 2016 study published in the journal Ibis reveals that these birds, in high demand around the world as pets, and once abundant in forests all over West and central Africa, have almost disappeared from Ghana.

According to the study, the pet trade and forest loss—particularly the felling of large trees where the parrots breed—are major factors contributing to the decline.

Uncannily good at mimicking human speech, the African gray (and the similar but lesser-known Timneh parrot) is a prized companion in homes around the world.