Make sure you do your homework first. Adopting a bird should not be taken lightly and they are a huge responsibility but owning one is very rewarding. We have a Blue & Gold and a Citron Cockatoo and they both get a big chunk of our time daily but I wouldn't have it any other way. If you are also a new bird owner, make sure you subscribe to "Bird Talk" which is a very informative publication about pet exotic birds but make sure you think it through before you adopt. Forgive me but I only have the best interest of the bird in mind but many of these exotic birds are left to just rot in a cage and they need human contact and mental stimulation because they are extremely intelligent. Very often they turn on themselves if it is not provided. Now I'm done!
I agree. African Grey Parrots have an average life span of 60-80 years. So this is not like adopting a dog.....pretty often, you need to will them along to other bird lovers when you pass away. If you spend some time looking on Craigslist, ebay Classifieds, you will see that many birds are having to be rehomed because their owners admit lack of time. They do require a very active lifestyle with lots of conversation, dancing, head rubs and kisses. My life would not be the same without all of that though. These two bring me tons of daily laughter.
If you have any questions, I'll be glad to share what I know as well.