Everyone knows that there are talking parrots. However, it is also known that they only memorize some words or phrases without understanding their meaning.

Now scientists have doubts - is this true? African gray parrot Alex, who lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, not only speaks, but also understands what he says.

Parrot intelligence

Parrots, as it turns out, have fairly high intelligence. If the aforementioned parrot Alex says to his owner “Come here,” then that’s what he means—for the owner to come over.

Irene Pepperberg from the University of Arizona, who studies this intelligent bird, is absolutely sure that Alex does not just rattle off some mechanically memorized “sound complexes”, but understands their meaning. “These birds have emotional and social communication skills that a human child can use at two or three years of age,” she says. “As for intelligence, in some cases it corresponds to the age of a child of five or six years old.”

Alex is able to distinguish about 50 objects by their characteristics, he differentiates seven colors of the rainbow, can count to six, and so on. “If you ask Alex about the color, shape of an object or the material from which it is made, you will be convinced that this bird knows from which set of features the answer should be selected. In other words, if a parrot is asked what color an object is, it certainly won’t say “four.”

When Alex wants to return to a safe place, he will let you know in specific words: "I want to come back".

Irene Pepperberg claims that she once asked a bird, “Do you want to go home?”, and the parrot rearranged the phrase itself: “I want to go back.” What does this mean? Can a parrot think?

The researcher holds two keys in her hands - one large purple, and the other is small Green colour. She asks the parrot a question: “Can you tell me what the difference is?” And the bird answers: “In color.” “Which color is smaller?” And the parrot says: “Green.” But does a bird really think in the same way as a person does? No one can say this for sure.

And again the line between man and animal becomes blurred. The only remaining difference is that in some ways man has actually surpassed all other animals. But just think what a bird with a brain the size of a walnut can learn! So it’s in vain that we repeat like parrots: “Butt is a fool”! It turns out he's not such a fool after all.

If the presence of not just a chirping bird is important to you, but its ability for socialization and relationships with humans, a parrot will be the most the right choice. Each breed of these birds is talented in its own way and you definitely can’t call them stupid. They can be taught to talk, sing, dance and imitate a wide variety of sounds.

A certain type of parrot has varying degrees of communication skills and building relationships with humans. It’s up to you to understand what you expect from a bird and choose the most suitable breed for this.

Parrots are one of the most popular pet birds. We love them for their inquisitive, cheerful and restless disposition, their ability to learn quickly and become real family members.

The stunning bright color of the plumage, the variety of sizes of birds and their prices make parrots not only desirable, but also possible inhabitants of your home.

Don't forget that any pet needs care. A certain amount of time will be spent not only on playing and learning with him, but also on maintaining high level quality of life of the bird. Among parrots, there are breeds of wonderful talkers or magnificent tricksters, imitators of human speech and surrounding sounds.

Let's look at the species of birds that have earned the reputation of being the smartest and most talented birds.

The first on the list of the smartest parrots is, of course, the African gray parrot, which is more often known to us as.

Despite the calmer gray color of the plumage, the bird, after the first minutes of acquaintance with it, attracts all attention.

Grays are the most capable parrots and, in intellectual development, showed the highest results. The gray parrot is listed in the Guinness Book of Records and awarded the title of the smartest parrot in the world!

This award was given to the gray parrot Alex (1976-2007), who participated in the experiment of Dr. Irene Pepperberg. Thanks to this scientific work, scientists were able to refute the opinion that birds are not smart enough and can only unconsciously, but successfully imitate speech and sounds.

Alex proved that parrots know how to apply logic and draw conclusions based on given tasks; they have the ability to do simple mathematical calculations. They understand the meaning of the words they have learned entry level and can consciously apply them when communicating with people.

Alex distinguished between the concepts of “more” and “less”, “different”, “for”, “under”, “the same”, “yes/no”, recognized 7 colors and 6 shapes. The bird only knew 150 words, but the important thing was that Alex understood what he was talking about. The researcher taught the parrot several letters and it even read syllables. After lengthy experiments, the parrot once said: “I want to leave,” and when he saw that Irene was upset, he asked for forgiveness, for a treat in the form of a nut, and said: “I want a banana.”

The parrot distinguished monochromatic objects made from different materials, knew the numbers and understood the significance of defining zero. Perception optical illusions the bird's was similar to that of a human. If it weren't for Alex's death at age 31, which is quite early for , (who live on average about 50 years), he might have been able to reveal some of the secrets of the bird's worldview in first person.

The last words Irene heard from her pet: “Be good. “I love you” - Alex said this phrase every evening before the mistress left. easily copy the timbre of the voice, its intonation. Scientists believe that these parrots can reach the intelligence of a 5-year-old child, and emotional condition 2-3 year old.

Gray parrots have their own complex sides of character; along with high intelligence, they can be touchy and stubborn. You should not treat “jakoshas” like chickens (no offense to the latter) and underestimate the bird’s needs for fair and friendly treatment.

Amazon

The most capable types of Amazons:

red-fronted, white-fronted, blue-cheeked, festival - imitate human speech and sounds very well;
blue-faced people are the best imitators, they can imitate all kinds of sounds of animals, nature, everyday sounds, crying, laughing, barking and perfectly copy human speech;
Yellownecks, in addition to excellent abilities to imitate speech and sounds, can pronounce entire sentences.

All these species have a great or little ability to speak, recognize the owner in a group of people, and are excellent imitators. These birds can sing and convey melodies very accurately. It is also not difficult for them to parody an animal, sounds of nature, technology or a musical instrument.

Amazons are considered one of the easiest to train among large parrots.

The domestication and adaptation of birds goes smoothly; they quickly become close and attached to humans. These are not conflict parrots; they are very easy to approach. Due to their sociability, birds are in dire need of constant contact with humans; these birds urgently need attention from the owner.

Cockatoo

Cockatoos build a very affectionate relationship with their owner. They literally become dependent on his attention. They are very sensitive to separation and neglect, and can get sick if they do not receive enough warmth from the owner. You will immediately notice that the parrot is trying to attract your attention: the bird can scream for a very long time and loudly until you approach it. Cockatoos are focused on their owner and require increased attention.

You need to have enough free time to devote it to this eccentric bird.

Macaw

They buy a young male for conversation. Budgerigars have amazing lexicon, but the pronunciation is with a clear bird accent.

More Difficult words and they modify phrases, they can “mock” any word, changing syllables or adding the ending of another word. Also, the wavy children can be taught easy children's quatrains, which, memorizing, they tell either sequentially or shuffling the lines, which cannot but amuse.

Parrot monk (kalita)

Despite the fact that these parrots can scream very loudly, they are excellent at learning phrases and words, and enjoy communicating with their owner.

Birds are very active, playful and sociable. can pronounce words clearly and loudly and distinguish people's names, calling to them those with whom they would like to play.

Kea

It is impossible not to mention the intellectual abilities of these parrots. Despite the fact that this species is not "domestic", the thinking of parrots is worthy special attention. Watching these birds in their homeland in New Zealand, people were amazed by the behavior of these birds, and after studying their intelligence, kea were recognized as one of the smartest birds on the planet.

They are able to solve problems and puzzles in an organized manner, distribute responsibilities, plan their actions and carry them out consistently to achieve results.

The intelligence of a chess player with the reckless courage of a robber makes for complex and very smart birds.

You cannot ignore such beautiful and smart birds as: eclectus, rosella, nymphs, Senegal parrots, necklace parrots and loris parrots. They are smart and interesting creatures who like to communicate with people.

They can also be taught both tricks and conversation. Of course it's the feathered variety bright colors will not construct sentences and will not be able to reason on the topic, but no one doubts that these are smart and intelligent birds.

The gray parrot is recognized as the smartest parrot in the world, but other species also have amazing abilities. Each bird is endowed with different talents. Any parrot owner can prove this. Not all birds talk, but some are very hardy, others are inventive, and still others are simply wonderful companions for humans.

Your friendship with him and patient training with your pet will help to reveal the intellectual abilities of the parrot. Every bird is talented in some way, but its abilities are simply not always appreciated by humans. We simply do not notice or belittle some of their skills, so do not forget that any parrot can surprise you, just listen to it a little and watch.

Video about the talented Gray Alex:

Jaco Einstein:

Macaws and cockatoos perform in public:

Parrot performance:

A cappello of a yellow-necked Amazon in the shower:

Talk budgerigar:

Kalita communication:

Necklace parrot talking:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqfqB5cAMTc&nohtml5=False https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw3RW_u-3FU&nohtml5=False

Talkative Eclectus:

Eclectus puzzle game:

How kea cope with difficult tasks:

A distinctive feature of parrots is the ability to remember and reproduce words. That is why, when purchasing a bird, many people pay attention not only to its appearance, but also on intellectual abilities, wanting the pet to be the smartest parrot.

Birds can even copy intonation and timbre. However, birds have their own gradation in intelligence. Let's take a closer look at the breeds of the most intelligent parrots.

It is believed that large birds are distinguished by developed intelligence. And this is true, since the gray parrot is considered the smartest parrot in the world. He easily remembers melodies, is able to imitate the timbre or intonation he hears, and pronounces over a hundred phrases and words. Such pets have difficult character. If the bird Bad mood, then she will show it to the owner with all her appearance. Ambitiousness and touchiness are the qualities most often demonstrated by the parrot breed. In order to make friends with Jaco, the owner needs to find an approach to the bird.

Parrot Alex is an intelligent representative of the species, included in the Guinness Book of Records thanks to his amazing abilities. Raised by a psychologist from the University of Arizona, the bird learned to correctly name the colors and shapes of objects, count and read syllables. Alex expressed feelings and thoughts using words. According to scientists, he was at the same level of development from five summer child

Cockatoo

. Of course, outstanding successes in the development of an intelligent parrot are the result of the efforts of a researcher who believes that these indicators are not the limit of the bird’s capabilities.

The cockatoo has a cheerful disposition. He has a great grasp of rhythm and loves to dance. A smart bird quickly remembers up to twenty phrases and immediately begins to reproduce them. The pet studies the objects around it with interest, but cannot stand loneliness and strives in every way to attract the attention of its owner. Lack of communication causes stress in the bird, so it is necessary to equip the bird’s personal space with toys and a mirror, which will help the pet have an interesting time when the owner is not at home. But you should not leave a cockatoo alone for several days. The parrot is so attached to its owner that without seeing him long time

often refuses food and water. Some birds even pluck themselves and die after a while. For this reason, the cockatoo is not suitable for people who have traveling jobs. Important!

Cockatoos can take offense at a person and take revenge by biting him. Representatives of this genus have a strong beak, so their bites are painful and sometimes result in a broken finger. The parrot does not get along with children, so the pet is not suitable for families with children.

Macaw

In terms of abilities, cockatoos and Amazons are on the same level, so it is difficult to say which parrot is the smartest. In order for your pet to learn to speak, daily ten-minute sessions are necessary. Twice a week their duration can be increased to 30 minutes.

The macaw is a very beautiful and intelligent parrot. The bird's plumage is striking in its brightness and variety of colors. Representatives of this genus are the largest parrots. A special feature of the macaw is its strong curved beak. This genus includes more than 35 species, seven of which are no longer found on the planet.

The ability to reproduce human speech in a macaw depends on the age of the individual and how its owner treats it. Young birds that are surrounded by care and attention quickly learn to repeat words. However, feeling indifference, the pet can become aggressive and, in some cases, dangerous.

Macaws are not as smart as cockatoos and grays. Their intelligence is no lower than that of cats or small breeds of dogs. At the same time, individual individuals can learn up to hundreds of words and reproduce sentences. There are cases when macaws were able to teach unusual tricks.

Some smart representatives of the genus can:

Eat with a spoon;
Depict a bird without signs of life;
Move the small cart;
Throw and hit the ball.

The macaw recognizes only its owner; the bird treats his loved ones with distrust.

Amazon

These are unusually beautiful and intelligent pets with rich green plumage with multi-colored spots.

Each type has its own characteristics:

Festival and blue-cheeked - perfectly copy human sounds and speech;
Blue-fronted - capable of not only repeating words, but also sounds made by animals;
Yellownecks can even speak sentences.

Amazons are easy to learn. Smart birds can remember about 50 words. Once in new conditions, they easily adapt, quickly get used to people, and do not initiate conflicts. These are very sociable pets that require a lot of attention.

Budgerigar

Budgerigars are popular pets that many owners purchase to teach them to speak. The intellectual abilities of individual birds can vary greatly, but all representatives of the species have a good memory.

The advantage of a budgerigar is its calm nature, ability to speak and imitate sounds. These are the smartest parrots suitable for home use.

One of the representatives of the species, a bird named Puck, became the record holder among parrots for the richness of its vocabulary. He knew and used 1,728 words, which is the vocabulary of a five-year-old child.

Budgerigars are one of the five most sociable species. However, even having memorized dozens of phrases, the bird will not pronounce them meaningfully.

It is better to teach young males to speak. Females and adult birds learn to speak less well. Budgerigars can change the endings or the sequence of syllables in a word. Smart individuals are able to remember small quatrains.

Kea

The kea is a bird that is highly intelligent among parrots, but is not kept in captivity. Intelligent birds are known for their ingenuity and curiosity. They become interested in the things found in houses, cars and trash containers.

Representatives of the species are considered pests in New Zealand. For a long time they were shot, which almost led to the extinction of the species. Now it is listed in the International Red Book.

Parrot monk (kalita)

Monks are known for their loud shouting. However, it is a trainable parrot that can remember phrases. As a result of regular training, a smart pet can learn at least ten phrases. Representatives of the species have a specific voice, so when choosing a bird, you must take this feature into account.

Birds quickly get used to being kept in captivity. They enjoy communication. Pets learn the names of family members and sometimes invite them to play. Monks are friendly and good with other pets.

Parrots are intelligent pets whose abilities are determined by both the species and the characteristics of the individual. However, whether a bird learns to talk largely depends on the owner. By being patient and regularly paying attention to your pet, you can achieve amazing results.

Can your pet talk? Does he perform tricks? Tell us about your bird training experience in the comments.

In addition to the basic needs - food, water, sleep, a place to hide, communication, your bird also needs mental stimulation, and only games and training can provide this. Researchers have found that birds can solve problems on instinct, and learn from examples, just like children do. Whether they do this consciously or simply follow their instincts is a matter of constant study.

Parrots are considered the smartest birds. They can be taught to distinguish colors, shapes, objects and even people. The African gray parrot can be compared to a 3-4 year old child in its intellectual and emotional development. As birds continue to develop, their analytical thinking abilities increase.

Birds can be very creative. The term "tool user", which was previously applied only to humans, can now be applied to birds. There are observations of wild birds laying walnuts onto the roadway, and cars split them apart. Australian parrots living in captivity sometimes use pieces of wood to scratch themselves. Observe how your bird uses its toys, strings, and the like. She may well find a new use for them.

Some birds can understand and use human language. Previously, it was believed that parrots could only copy human speech. This is where the word "parrot" comes from. As it now turns out, this was a mistake. How would you react if, after you cleaned the cage, your parrot let out " good job"Alex, an African gray parrot trained by Irena Pepperberg, says just that. He has a vocabulary of up to 100 words, can name 50 different objects, can count to 6, recognizes 7 colors and 5 shapes, understands the difference between big and small, different and the same, up and down. The most amazing thing is that Alex puts together new meaningful phrases from the words he knows. Do you also want to teach your bird all this? Are there books with techniques, CDs, tapes for this?

Birds have exceptional memories. IN wildlife birds can hide thousands of seeds over hundreds of square kilometers and then find more than 90%. It is believed that part of their brain is designed specifically for this.

Birds can show emotions. According to scientists, birds have everything they need for this in their bodies. Birds have limbic system, the part of the brain responsible for emotion that only humans and mammals possess. Bird owners can tell you whether their pet is happy or sad, scared or content. They are currently studying whether birds are aware of their emotions and how they influence behavior.

Birds like it Mind games . When they frolic while taking a bath, it may or may not be dictated simply by instinct. How can we explain the fact that they deliberately drop pebbles into the water so that the water splashes? Tumbling? Do they climb a rope using their beak to help themselves? They do many things just to have fun. If they have toys that stimulate their intelligence, they will spend hours exploring them to satisfy their curiosity.

Research has proven that many owners know how smart their pet is, so don’t miss the opportunity to look into their world.