Parrots are chosen as pets for their cheerful, mischievous, restless nature, ability to learn speech and tricks. By purchasing a parrot, you get not just a bright exotic bird, but a full-fledged family member who can socialize and communicate with you. However, the intellectual abilities of different types of parrots vary, so if you want to get a really smart pet, you will be interested to know which of these birds is considered the smartest.
The smartest parrots
Next, we consider 6 species of birds from the Psittacidae family, which really have extraordinary intellectual abilities and a talent for learning. They will be able not only to remember several dozen words, but also to analyze them, skillfully applying them in everyday life. By understanding what a particular breed is capable of, it will be easier for you to make the right choice.
Important! Representatives have the most outstanding communication skills and intelligence large breeds, so when choosing, you need to focus on them.
Jaco
The African gray parrot, or gray parrot, rightfully takes first place in the ranking. Jaco is recognized as the most talented and intelligent among parrots for his ability not only to remember and reproduce human speech, but also to associate words with the objects that they represent. 
They can even understand the concept of shape, serial number, color. It is believed that the most gifted representatives of the species can remember up to one and a half thousand words. Under natural conditions, Grays constantly copy the sounds around them - various screams, whistles, squeals and clicks that other species of animals make.
Did you know?A gray parrot named Alex (1976–2007) was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the smartest parrot. He learned about 150 words, 7 colors, 5 types of shapes. The researchers say the parrot understood what it was saying, and 80% of its responses in the study were logical.
In captivity, a bird will also obey instinct and repeat everything it hears: the sounds of an intercom, mobile phone calls, hum washing machine, creaking doors. The pet will also imitate the emotions of its owners: joy, irritability, etc.
Get ready for the fact that the bird will constantly create a background sound of varying volumes; it will often try to shout over the TV and interfere with your telephone conversation. Sometimes Gray Gray owners joke that it is more difficult to keep this bird silent than to talk. A well-trained Gray may even become a teacher for another species of parrot. 
You need to train your pet for a few minutes every day. Words to remember must correspond to the situation and be pronounced with emotion. The advantage of this bird is that even in the absence of special conversational training, the bird will still sooner or later begin to communicate with you.
Grays can be described as independent, willful, self-confident birds and even a little self-centered, as well as very social and jealous. They become strongly attached to family members and require a lot of attention, endless patience and strength from the owner.
It is very important to buy a bird at an early age (up to 4 months) or an adult, well-bred pet. If you are unlucky enough to buy a bird that was caught as an adult and imported illegally, it can be extremely difficult to approach it - it can become detached, withdrawn and even aggressive. Therefore, you need to buy these birds from nurseries. 
Cockatoo
Indefatigable merry fellows with an endless supply of energy, optimism, cheerfulness and artistry - this is how you can characterize the second parrot from our rating, the cockatoo. In addition to high intelligence, parrots have an excellent sense of rhythm, which is why they love to sing and dance.
They can learn a couple of dozen phrases and words, begin to speak very quickly, and are extremely sociable by nature. But this trait also has a downside - birds require human attention so much that they can be very intrusive. 
Speech training should be carried out daily, short lessons 10 minutes in the morning and evening. A couple of times a week (on weekends) you can work with the parrot for longer, up to half an hour. The bird has a strong innate curiosity and loves to explore. the world, in most cases tactile (beak, claws).
To prevent your cockatoo from getting bored, you need to provide it with a sufficient number of toys, puzzles, and a mirror - during your absence the bird will talk to its reflection. However, leaving a parrot alone for a long time is highly not recommended, since even a day without communication with the flock (with its owner) will be extremely stressful for the pet.
Important!It has been proven that trainingbetter goes with women and children, because high voices are perceived better by parrots than shorter ones.
Macaw
These parrots are the largest representatives of the family, have extraordinary beauty and equally outstanding intellectual abilities. 
The success of training will directly depend on the age of the bird and your attitude towards it: if you take a young pet, treat it with patience and care, and pay a lot of attention, it will begin to communicate quite easily and quickly.
But if cruelty or indifference is shown, the pet may respond with counter-aggression, and in some cases even become dangerous. The macaw's communication abilities are somewhat lower than those of the two previous species, but experts often compare its intelligence to that of cats and small dogs.
There are gifted representatives of the breed who can remember 50–100 words and several sentences, as well as learn funny tricks. Therefore, it is very important to observe the parrot before purchasing and study its character, habits and willingness to make contact.
Having once accepted its owner, the parrot shows the strongest affection for him, but shows distrust and hostility towards other family members. 
With regular training and an attentive, affectionate attitude, macaws can be taught very interesting things:
- eat with a spoon
- play dead
- play hide and seek and ball,
- rope climbing,
- roll a miniature cart,
- and even roller skate, created specifically for the feathered one!
Amazon
These parrots rank fourth in the ranking in terms of intelligence, but their onomatopoeic abilities are truly outstanding. In addition to imitating animal sounds, musical instruments, human words and songs, they can also be taught simple tricks.
Amazons are relatively well tamed, easily make contact, and show off their talents without hesitation even in front of big audience. Amazons can remember up to a hundred words. 
Training should be carried out 3-4 times daily, at the same time (preferably before feeding), the duration of one lesson is within 40 minutes. During the lesson, the room should be kept as quiet as possible. After completion, the parrot needs to be praised, given a treat and scratched on its head.
It is believed that male Amazons are more capable of onomatopoeia, although females can also be very capable learners. When training, prepare for the fact that the bird will have difficulty remembering the first words, but when the first ten words have already been learned, further training It will become much easier and more effective.
Important! Amazons are especially active in their conversational skills in the early morning and evening. When buying a pet, you need to be prepared to wake up to the sounds of a barking dog, violin or siren, which birds love to imitate.
Monk
The monk parrot (Quaker or Kalita) takes an honorable fifth place in the ranking of the most intelligent birds. Like his other relatives, he is curious, energetic, and smart. 
With constant training, patience, effort and positive reinforcement, he can learn to reproduce human speech, as well as perform tricks.
Monks adapt well to conditions of captivity and quickly become attached to their owner. They can easily learn a dozen words and phrases. However, before purchasing this species, you should definitely listen to its voice: for many, the calls of the monk parrot are very sharp, hoarse and loud, almost unbearable, but for others they are comparable to the gentle chirping of a bird.
The advantage of this species is the completely non-conflict, friendly and peaceful nature of these birds. They easily get used to all family members, quickly learn names, and get along well with other pets.
Kea
Separately, it is worth mentioning kea parrots, which, although not domestic, have very high intellectual abilities. This bird can easily be called unceremonious, overly curious and even arrogant. 
In the homeland of kea parrots, in New Zealand, they have earned a very bad reputation due to their excessive curiosity, the need to actively explore the world around them (including the contents of cars, houses, garbage cans and landfills), and also because of the enormous damage caused by parrots to livestock and agriculture. farm.
That's why birds for a long time They were shot, and as a result their numbers decreased catastrophically. In 1970, the extermination of kea was banned, and now the birds are listed in the International Red Book.
Did you know?Kea parrots are excellent predators. In exceptional cases, experienced and strong birds can attack sheep, as they love to feast on sheep fat. The bird bites into the back of the sheep's body, and if the animal takes flight, the parrot chases it until it is completely exhausted. After the death of a sheep, the whole flock flocks to feast on the fresh carcass.
But tourists get great pleasure from watching inventive birds, which is why they are even nicknamed “clowns of the mountains” ( this variety lives at an altitude of 1500 m). 
Budgerigar: smart or not
Many people are interested in the intellectual abilities of the budgie, a very popular feathered pet. The intelligence and abilities will vary among specific individuals, but in general, all representatives of a given species have a good memory.
Unlike its larger counterparts, the budgie behaves less aggressively, it is much calmer, friendly and affectionate. His speaking abilities and onomatopoeia are very well developed.
It was the bird of this breed named Puck that entered the Guinness Book of Records as the parrot with the largest vocabulary of 1,728 words, which corresponds to the full vocabulary of a 5-year-old child and far exceeds the average number of words used by a person in everyday speech.
It is also worth noting that budgies are among the five most talkative species of parrots. However, your pet is unlikely to communicate with you meaningfully - several dozen learned words and phrases will be pronounced, most likely, without logical justification. 
Speaking lessons are more successful with young males - teaching females to speak will be much more difficult, as well as adult non-speaking individuals. Thus, parrots are not just beautiful chirping birds, but smart, intellectually developed birds, whose intelligence is at times comparable even to the abilities of chimpanzees.
All this makes them full-fledged family members who will need quality communication and spending time together.
Bright coloring, the ability to copy human speech and interesting habits of parrots have long made these birds favorites of humans. Together with members of the monitor lizard family, parrots are the smartest birds on Earth. They are sociable, do not tolerate loneliness, and feel comfortable in the company of a person. IN currently There are about 300 species of parrots. The most interesting of them will be discussed in this article.
What kind of birds are these - parrots?
Of the 40 orders and 100 billion individuals of birds living on Earth, one has always stood out, whose representatives can be recognized instantly. And in fact, there is not a single person who does not recognize a parrot at first sight. So, what features allow us to classify the bird as a parrot?
First of all, the beak is special - massive, short, slightly similar to the beak of a predator. Parrots are very skilled at using it. It serves both for capturing and crushing food, and for climbing tree branches. Moreover it is very dangerous weapon, since he is unusually strong. Without straining, a large parrot can bite through a steel wire a couple of millimeters thick, injure a person, and even kill a small animal. But at the same time, parrots show tenderness to each other with their beaks, demonstrate affection for the owner, running through his hair with their beaks
The second sign is the tongue, short and fleshy. In many species, it has a depression on the hummock, which makes it convenient to deal with grains and seeds. In brush-tongued parrots, the tongue ends with a special claw from below, and on top has a brush of hard bristles for collecting nectar and juice of tropical fruits
Thirdly - legs. Parrots' legs are very strong, but rather short. There are only four fingers. The first and fourth are directed backwards, respectively, the second and third are directed forward. The claws are short, strongly curved, and quite sharp. Each paw has great independence of movement. In addition, the paws help to hold the obtained fruit or nut, and they are also used by the bird to bring food to its beak. The flexibility and flexibility of the fingers is amazing. A parrot can pick up a large walnut and a small grain of oats with its paw. Many species of parrots move awkwardly on the ground and are very clubbing. The only exception is the ground parrot, which runs quickly and agilely.
And finally, the luxuriously rich color scheme of the plumage. Throughout the avifauna globe It is unlikely that there is an order competing in the richness of the color of their plumage, with the possible exception of Galliformes (pheasants, peacocks and other birds).
Noble parrots belong to the subfamily of true parrots "Psittacinae". The species is characterized by a sharp difference in color between males and females, which at one time misled researchers: the birds were considered two different species - green loris and red loris. This error remained in the literature for quite a long time, until, during the collection of collection material during research in New Guinea, it was discovered that all the green birds caught were males, and the red ones were females. Later, differently colored chicks were discovered in nests found in nature, which made it possible to finally solve this riddle. Noble parrots are characterized by a strong, stocky body with a short square tail and rather long, rounded wings. The beak is large, with a very smooth and shiny upper beak, which gave rise to distinguishing it, along with some other species, into a special group of wax-billed parrots. The feathers are amazingly colored, thin, delicate, with a slight shine. The noble parrot forms 9 subspecies, differing in details of coloration (mainly in females) and size, which is caused by the presence of separate, often small, populations of birds on numerous isolated islands. The characteristics of different subspecies are often insignificant and distinguishable only by specialists, so when pairing up, it is better for amateurs to focus on the geographical origin of birds from the same region.
The main color of the male is grass-green, with a slight yellowish tint on the head. The sides of the body are red. The primary flight feathers are blue, the secondary feathers are blue with a green outer edge. The fold of the wing and the upper small wing coverts are blue. The underside of the wing is red. The tail is green with blue on the outer feathers, and matte black on the underside. The lower tail coverts are yellow-green. The mandible is yellow to coral-red with a lighter tip, the mandible is black. Legs dark gray. Eye color varies from black-brown to brownish-red. Body length in different subspecies is from 35 to 45 cm, wing length is from 24 to 27 cm, body weight is from 360 to 400 g.
The plumage of the female is predominantly red, with a carmine tint on the head and neck, and darker and brownish on the back and wings. The chest, belly, transverse stripe below the back of the head, and in some subspecies the ring around the eyes are violet-blue. The fold of the wing is violet-blue, the primaries and their coverts are blue with green outer edges. The middle and ends of the secondaries are blue, their outer edges are reddish, and their inner edges are black. The underside of the wing is blue. The tail is brownish-red, and in some subspecies it is yellowish-orange, lighter at the end. The undertail is red with yellow feather edges or yellow. Eyes from light yellow to whitish. The beak is black. Legs dark gray. The young are colored in the same way as the adults, already in nesting plumage, but their beak is grayish-brownish, dark yellow at the end. Natural deviations in color are also known: a yellow noble parrot was seen on the island of Halmahera.
The distribution area of the noble parrot covers the island of New Guinea and numerous surrounding islands: Vaigeo, Nome, Mios, Salavati, etc., the Chinese Islands, the Moluccas Islands (in particular the island of Halmahera, after which the parrot itself is sometimes called), the archipelagos of Louisiada and Palau, Solomon Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, Yorke Peninsula in Australia. The noble parrot lives in dense virgin forests with palm trees, casuarinas, fig trees (the fruits of the latter are the favorite food of many species of parrots) and dense undergrowth. They are usually seen alone or in pairs; they are rarely seen in flocks. But collective overnight stays in hollows in groups of up to 6-8 individuals were observed. It feeds on fruits, nuts, berries, a variety of seeds, tree buds, flowers, and nectar. In some places it causes serious damage, attacking corn fields and oil palm plantations. In nature, flying parrots often emit a high-pitched, piercing “crack-crack” cry, repeated 3-4 times. When feeding in the trees, birds talk with pleasant flute sounds “chuwi-chuvi”. It was noted that when mating, the female emitted a loud “chi-tsong”, “chi-yong”; when feeding the female during the courtship period, the male emitted a quiet “tok-tok” (in another interpretation, “gong-gong”). The male called the female from the hollow with the sounds of “kra-kra”. The breeding season does not coincide in time on different islands within the range; in New Guinea, the noble parrot nests from August; on the Yorke Peninsula in Australia - from October to January. It makes nests in hollows of tall trees in forest fields and along forest edges. The nests found and studied were located at a height of 14-22 m, the entrance holes of the snipe had a diameter of 25-30 cm, the depth of the snipe was 30-60 cm. The hollow was lined with wood dust. There are usually two eggs in a clutch and only the female incubates it. The male does not take part in incubation, but stays close to the nest and periodically feeds the female. It visits the hollow very rarely and immediately leaves it.
During the acclimatization period, it is better to keep birds at room temperature. Birds are generally very sensitive to cold, especially to drafts, and therefore it is better all year round keep them in a heated room. An outdoor enclosure can only be kept during the warmest weeks of summer. The room should be more or less large, as the female can be quite aggressive. In one room you can keep a couple, two males, but in no case two females. During this period, birds are very reluctant to descend to the bottom of the enclosure, so feeders should be located next to the perch. Food should be as varied as possible. At the beginning of acclimatization, soft food should be given; various fruits (grapes, cherries, apples, pears, etc.), sprouted sunflowers, soaked cookies, boiled rice. They willingly take corn of milky-waxy ripeness, carrots, lettuce, and chopped eggs. You need to get used to solid food gradually. In the future, the food can be diversified with boiled beans and lentils, green peas, sunflowers, peanuts, a small amount of hemp seeds, canary seeds, oatmeal, wheat and oats in dry and sprouted form, various nuts. From animal feed, you can give egg feed (a mixture of grated hard-boiled eggs with grated carrots, breadcrumbs and a few drops vegetable oil), a piece of chicken and boiled lean beef. The noble parrot is a typical forest dweller and does not tolerate overheating in the sun. Drinks quite a lot of water, especially if he eats a lot of sunflowers and other dry seeds. He willingly bathes, but does not recognize the bathing area at the bottom of the enclosure, preferring water from a spray bottle and wet leaves. Making pairs is a well-known difficulty and sometimes takes quite a long time. When selecting partners, you should pay attention to ensure that both birds are in the same condition. The beaks of young birds take on adult colors after 12 months in females and 9-12 months in males. Soon after hatching, the chicks must be separated from their parents, as at this time the birds begin re-laying and become aggressive towards the young.
Noble parrots are calm, rather silent, mutually tolerant birds that quickly get used to their owner. The ability for onomatopoeia is low: birds are able to learn only a few words or sounds. With proper maintenance and feeding, these parrots can live in captivity for decades, delighting the owner with their beauty and calm disposition.
Parrots (Ordo Psittaciformes), order of birds. Has 1 family. 316 species, mainly in the tropics. Length from 9.5 cm to 1 m. Females are smaller than males. The plumage is bright, there is no sexual dimorphism (except for the red-sided parrot from New Guinea). Feather decorations in the form of tufts are not uncommon. The toes are able to occupy a position of three against one or two against two. Thanks to this, parrots manipulate their fingers almost like hands. All parrots are characterized by a massive beak. Many people have a good memory and the ability to imitate. Large hemispheres Parrots have larger brains than other birds; they are even called primates among birds. Their natural language is the most developed among birds. They are monogamous, but outside the breeding season they live in flocks. Large parrots have 2-3 eggs in a clutch, small ones - 5-8. Incubation lasts 2-4 weeks. The chicks appear naked and blind and change their downy outfit 2 times before putting on the feather one. 27 species and 14 subspecies in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Many especially beautiful and funny parrots have become extinct due to their intensive capture.
The oldest center of origin of these birds, unlike any other, is apparently located in Australia, but parrots are widespread on all continents except Europe and, naturally, Antarctica. Most species nest in tree hollows, some in rock crevices, and there are also those that dig burrows. Most parrots live in nature in large flocks or groups; pairs unite only during the mating season.
People have kept parrots in captivity since ancient times and value them very much. The pioneers here were probably the ancient Indians, in whose opinion every noble person had to teach at least one parrot to speak. Europeans first became acquainted with parrots in India. The first were the soldiers of Alexander the Great. The birds quickly gained popularity in Greece and later in Rome. With the onset of the Middle Ages, information about tame parrots in Europe disappeared and reappeared during the Crusades (11-13 centuries). The amazing ability of parrots to imitate human speech impressed the Western Church, and parrots were declared to be closer to God than other animals. With the conquests of the Age of Discovery, new species of parrots appeared from the New World. These birds, unfortunately, became “in fashion”; their stuffed animals were used to decorate high hairstyles; lovebirds, as a symbol of fidelity, were certainly given to lovers, etc. Many species have disappeared forever. In Russia nowadays there is a real boom in the hobby for parrots. They are brought in euthanized, filling them with the most incredible and unsuitable shelters for birds. Many birds are dying. Therefore, before purchasing a bird, you should find out where it comes from; do not support smuggling.
Many species of parrots have long been domesticated, and keeping them is not particularly difficult. The cage is selected according to size for the parrot; enclosures are often built where you can keep different types together. When moving to a new cage, birds experience stress and often stop eating. It is necessary to let parrots fly around the house: this inquisitive bird needs not only to stretch its wings, but also to look around. The cages provide all kinds of perches, rings and swings. It is useful for cockatoos to exercise their paws with all kinds of implements. If breeding is planned, then pairs are given nesting houses in the form of nest boxes. Young shoots of willow, linden, apple, and maple should be in the cage all year and replaced as they are eaten. In addition to fresh water in the drinking bowl, you need to give honey water 1-2 times a week (1 part honey to 1 part boiled water; add a multivitamin tablet here). Alternating with honey water, give water with juice of black and red currants and cranberries. For mineral supplements, use crushed eggshells, chalk, shell rock, boiled for 5 minutes, charcoal, calcium gluconate and glycerophosphate tablets and even old plaster. In the warm season, a piece of meadow or forest turf is placed in the cage, sometimes - pieces of forest rot. Parrots love to swim, but the water should not be cold.
It is impossible to completely reproduce the natural diversity of food for parrots at home. It is especially difficult for birds brought into captivity as adults to get used to a change in diet. Having bought such a bird, you should offer it food again and again, achieving maximum variety. In large parrots, individuality is clearly manifested in their preferences, and what another bird eats, yours may not accept.
Grain feed is the basis of nutrition. There should be plenty of it. This is a mixture of different varieties of millet, oats, wheat, hemp (a little, as it makes you fat), canary seed, sunflower, and corn. Nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pine nuts) are added to the mixture. If there is no complete mixture, then you can give individual components, some of the grain must be unrefined, sprouted in spring and winter. When the grain ears in the fields reach the stage of milky-wax ripeness, they are given to the parrots. Corn needs to be boiled (but not from a can, only the cobs!). Parrots love fresh cottage cheese and enjoy eating white bread, especially one soaked in milk or tea. The egg is finely chopped, mixed with grated carrots and white breadcrumbs (1:1) and given about every other day (large and medium-sized parrots can be given just a chopped egg). You should not offer parrots meat, sausage, ham, butter, etc. In nature, parrots eat a lot of fruits and drink their sweet juice. In our conditions, sweet varieties of apples and pears and imported tropical fruits, thoroughly washed, are suitable for them. Suitable berries include ripe strawberries and strawberries, raspberries, black currants, fresh and dried rowan (aronia can also be given in small quantities), figs (can be soaked in milk). They give you slices of melon and watermelon. Parrots love pieces of carrots, pumpkins, and raw potatoes. Many parrots need flowers as food (marigolds, dandelions, rose hips, marigolds, etc.; this helps maintain the color of their plumage). Leaves of lettuce, dandelion, and cabbage are used as greens. Parrots' favorite candies should be given very sparingly, using them as rewards for training.
Many small parrots reproduce well in captivity, even when kept in cages. The main difficulty for most species is not feeding and creating special conditions, but the selection of pairs, since some species are very picky and will never start a family with an unattractive partner. Reproduction of large parrots is associated with significant difficulties.
All parrots, especially large ones, need the life-giving rays of the sun. In winter, the birds are irradiated with a quartz lamp, installing the lamp so that the light reflected from the walls and ceiling falls on the cage.
For parrots, especially medium and large ones that live alone, communication with humans is vital. Having fallen in love with a person, a parrot strives to “clean his feathers” and loves to be stroked and scratched, reminiscent of many cats in this regard. The main condition for a parrot to learn human speech is that it must be without a mate. Young birds naturally learn faster than adults. Among parrots there are smart and stupid, incapable individuals. If you want to teach a parrot, you need to pronounce the words many times, clearly. However, a parrot can remember what was said once. Many birds clearly not only repeat words, but also understand their meaning, call their owners, and warn of danger (for example, that a cat has arrived). Although parrots often get along well with cats, dogs, and rodents, you should not take risks. Many parrots are surprisingly vindictive. Often, having fallen in love with one of the family members, a parrot cannot stand other family members, and is even jealous of his wife or children (large parrots are guilty of this). Correcting the character flaws of this bird is not easy.
The recorded maximum lifespan in captivity is 60 years. Existing legends the 200- and even 300-year-old cockatoos and grays are just fiction.
What kind are there? parrot species? Parrots are divided into small (budgies, lovebirds, cockatiel nymphs, parakeets, rosellas), medium (necklace parrots, lorises, wedge-tailed parrots), large (macaws, grays, cockatoos, Amazon parrots or Amazons).
Amazon parrots are considered one of the best imitators of human speech and belong to the group “Talking Parrots”. They quickly get accustomed to a new environment and are very attached to people, but are less mobile than Grays, calmer, and prefer human company. Amazons are famous for their good appetite, easy-going, friendly character with a minimum psychological problems and can live up to 80 years. Their intelligence is a little lower than, say, Grays, but their ability to imitate speech is excellent. The talker bird is distinguished by its intelligence and intelligence. This is about Jaco. Amazon is in second place by a small margin. Please note that by law, live goods cannot be returned or replaced. Therefore, when choosing a feathered friend, you need, as they say, to keep your eyes open. The first indicator of a parrot's health is its plumage. Polished, sleek, feather-to-feather plumage is a sure sign of excellent health. If a bird is sick or stressed, it often begins to pluck its feathers. It will be quite difficult to wean a bird from this habit in the future. Of the large parrots, bird lovers most often find Amazon parrots, of which about 26 species are known. Their homeland is the tropical part of America. Most Amazon parrots are found in the forests of the Amazon River basin. They tolerate captivity easily. Like gray parrots, they are excellent indoor birds. They quickly adapt to a new environment, are unpretentious to food, become strongly attached to people, are meek, sweet and capable of learning. These are very capable birds, and it is not uncommon to find individuals uttering more than 80 words and phrases.
Alex(1976 - September 6, 2007) - an African gray parrot who gained fame due to the experiments of Dr. Irene Pepperberg. The parrot was named after the Avian Language EXperiment (later Avian Learning EXperiment) program.
The essence of the experiment
Jaco Alex, or African gray parrot, has been the subject of scientific discussion and research for thirty years. The animal experiment was conducted by psychologist, Ph.D. Irena Pepperberg (I. Pepperberg) at the University of Arizona, and then at Harvard and Brandeis universities. The parrot was purchased from a pet store at the age of about one year. The bird's name, Alex, became an abbreviation for the name of the training experiment with the animal. Alex's successor was Griffin the parrot.
Prior to Dr. Pepperberg's work, there was a widespread belief in the scientific community that birds were stupid and only capable of parodying or imitating sounds and human speech, however, the experiment with Alex the parrot demonstrated and proved that birds can analyze and reason logically. basic level using words creatively and short phrases human speech. The psychologist wrote that Alex was “the first swallow in the study of intelligence”, standing on the same level in experiments with dolphins and great apes. The researcher demonstrated to the scientific world that the intellectual development of the parrot Alex has reached the level of development of a five-year-old child, and this is not the limit. During the experiment, Pepperberg found out and reported that at the time of death the bird had the level of emotional development of a person at the age of a two-year-old baby.
Achievements
IN 1999 year dr. Pepperberg published Gray's achievements, which say that Alex could identify up to fifty different objects and identify up to six objects simultaneously, he could distinguish between seven colors and five shapes, and also be aware of the concepts of “more”, “less”, “same” ", "different", "for" and "under". The parrot's vocabulary was about 150 words, but what is most exceptional about the experiment and the parrot is that it understood what it was talking about. For example, when Alex was shown an object and asked about its shape, color or material, he gave the correct answers. If a parrot was asked about the difference between two objects, it answered whether they were the same or different (“Yes/No”), and what was the difference. Alex is capable of leading a simple mathematical calculation. When one day Gray got tired of the experiment, he declared: “Wanna go back” (I want to leave), wanting to return to his cage. If the researcher showed irritability and denial, Alex said: “I’m sorry.” When the parrot was offered a nut, he asked affirmatively: “I want a banana,” and, after waiting silently, he asked for bananas again. When he was given a bolt, instead of food, he threw it at the researcher. During the research work with the parrot, 80 percent of the answers were logically correct.
Experiments have shown that Alex can distinguish objects of the same color, but different in the composition of the materials from which they were made. Dr. Pepperberg taught the parrot to recognize and name written numbers.
In July 2005, Pepperberg reported that Alex understood the meaning of zero. In July 2006, she discovered that Alex also perceives optical illusions - similar to human perception.
While teaching her parrot to read, Dr. Peppenberg trained the bird to distinguish certain letters, which resulted in Alex identifying combination sounds when combining letters of the English alphabet, such as SH and OR.
Alex's death
Alex died on September 6, 2007 at the age of 31. Alex's death was unexpected because the average life expectancy of African gray parrots is about 50 years. The previous day he looked healthy, but in the morning he was found dead. According to a press release issued by Alex's foundation, "Alex was healthy at his last annual physical two weeks before his death. According to the veterinarian who performed the autopsy, there was no apparent cause of death." Losing Alex won't stop research, Pepperberg said, but it will be a big step back. There are two more birds in the laboratory, but their skills do not reach Alex's.
On October 4th, the Alex Foundation published a pathology report: “Alex died quickly. He had an abrupt, unexpected catastrophic outcome due to arteriosclerosis (blockage of blood vessels).” It was a fatal arrhythmia, a heart attack or stroke, that caused him to die quickly, without suffering. His death was impossible to predict. All his tests, including his cholesterol levels, had come back normal the week before. His death could not be related to his current diet or age. The veterinarian said that she has seen similar cases in young birds (under 10 years old) when proper nutrition. Most likely, the causes are genetic, or it is some kind of hard-to-detect inflammatory disease (impossible to detect in birds) related to heart disease in humans.
Last words What Alex told Pepperberg was: “You be good. I love you"(Be good. I love you.").
When planning to have a feathered friend at home, you need to think about who to choose from all the representatives of the bird world, because there are so many of them, and each is remarkable in some way. If there are children in the house, then most often the choice is made towards parrots. This is no coincidence, because these birds have very high intelligence and can learn human language, which no bird has ever done as well as a parrot. Representatives of these birds are very diverse in color, size and other characteristics, but each of them is unique in some way.
Since parrots are very smart birds, it will be interesting to determine which species is the smartest.
The best
Most smart parrot today, it's Pak. This parrot is the most intelligent of all those currently existing, because he did not just mechanically memorize words, he was also able to comprehend them, truly understand them. The vocabulary of this feathered friend is one thousand seven hundred and twenty-eight words. Puck didn’t just speak individual words or phrases, like most parrots, he connected them in the correct sequence and meaning, so that sentences of different meanings and volumes were obtained. Puck was a representative of budgerigars and lived in America. It was this parrot that was included in the Guinness Book of Records due to its intelligence and intelligence.
What other smartest breeds are there?
It has been scientifically proven that large parrots are the smartest.
The Amazon breed has more than twenty species, the most popular are: blue-fronted, Cuban and Venezuelan parrots. These representatives of birds have a very beautiful and bright appearance. Another advantage is their intelligence and learning ability. The Amazon breed has a unique ability to remember a large number of words; with this quality they are ahead of almost everyone else. In addition, these birds speak with very clear diction. The disadvantage can be considered poor transmission of timbre and intonation. These birds have a pleasant character, fit well into any family and are adaptable. They get along very well with children, so if you choose this species, you definitely can’t go wrong.
What parrots can compete with the Amazons? First of all, this is the Cockatoo. These birds have a very cheerful disposition and will always give their owner joy and fun. Their ability to speak appears quite early, they manage to remember quite a few words, speak them correctly and clearly, and even repeat people’s intonation. Another feature of this species is the ability to sing. Cockatoos can hum melodies and, in addition, they have a good sense of the rhythm of music. These parrots love their owners, always and everywhere with them at home. Such attention is very pleasant, although it can be too intrusive. The cockatoo is an original bird, it is very demanding of human attention, and cannot live without it, all its enthusiasm and positivity disappears if it is ignored for a long time, this can lead to lingering sadness and melancholy, and even illness. Cockatoos are undoubtedly the smartest parrots, but besides this, they have the lightest and most positive character, which distinguishes it from other birds.
The next parrot will be Aru; this species of birds is considered the most developed in terms of communication and conversation. This bird does not have a large set of words, there are about twenty of them, but it speaks them very clearly and correctly, but the main thing is that the speaking is meaningful. Representatives of the Macaw breed are able to understand a person and say what they think about it. These are not memorized phrases, not guessing, but conscious perception of information and a full answer. In addition to such excellent speech skills, Macaws also look wonderful, they are bright, colorful and simply very beautiful. These parrots are easy to keep, they behave quietly, do not fuss, and are quite careful. This parrot has no disadvantages, but its price is quite high, and not everyone can buy it.
The next smart parrot we will talk about is the Jaco, or gray parrot. Outwardly, this bird is not flashy, not at all noticeable, but it is the smartest of all parrots. Jaco's vocabulary can contain about a hundred phrases, small sentences and words. This parrot manages to clearly imitate a person’s intonation and timbre. This parrot also sings beautifully, he can remember a large arsenal of songs and skillfully sing and sing along with them. Despite all the advantages, Jaco also has some disadvantages, namely his character. This bird is touchy, sometimes vindictive and loud, it loudly declares that it is in bad mood. To make friends with this bird, it is important to choose the right key to the parrot’s character traits. This feathered friend is also in the Guinness Book of Records. The parrot's name was Alex, he knew all the colors, listing them without mistakes, counted them, and said what shape the object in front of him was. This unique parrot could even read, doing it syllable by syllable. The bird understood how letters and numbers were written. Alex's mental development was equivalent to that of a five-year-old child, and his emotional development was that of a two-year-old child. Such indicators are very significant, but scientists say that this is not the limit.
The next parrot whose intelligence level is high is the budgie. These birds have their own characteristics. Males love to talk, but females, on the contrary, are silent, although they understand everything. The pronunciation of human speech in budgerigars is not clear, it is avian, although these birds know quite a lot of words. The vocabulary of this type can reach up to one hundred and fifty words. Despite the fact that the pronunciation is not clear, their imitation of intonation is wonderful. A budgie can sing a melody, or even chirp like another bird, imitating it.
Budgie Another type of smart parrot is Corella. These birds have an original appearance. Their body is not too bright and not motley, unlike the head, which has bright spots, and on the bare part there is also a crest. This species loves to communicate. The parrot does not know too many words, but pronounces them more clearly. But even despite this, the bird sound is still very audible if there is chirping and overtones during speech. But these birds can sing and hum melodies. This type of parrot is one of those who do not understand what they are talking about, and if they understand, but do not answer what is needed, they answer with any set of words or phrases. Thus, it can be noted that Corella clearly exhibits mechanical memorization of words and phrases, but without their comprehension, and therefore they are clearly inferior in intelligence to the previously listed individuals of the avian world.
The next parrot worth talking about is Rosella. These birds can take root in any family, even if they often change owners. Birds are easy to keep and caring for them is not difficult. Rosella speaks little; they remember about ten words, no more. It is difficult for humans to imitate them, but they sing like birds simply amazingly. This parrot can even imitate the sounds of nature. The parrot remembers his and his owner's names; these are the words that most often sound from his beak. If there are already other birds or parrots of other species in the house, then it is better not to add Rosella to them, because she does not like such proximity. This parrot behaves aggressively with those it doesn't like. If these parrots live with representatives of their own species, then everything is quiet and calm for them. Pale-headed, yellow-cheeked, motley, black-headed, and yellow-bellied Rosella are considered popular.
Thus, we can summarize that large breeds of parrots are the smartest, each species is distinguished by some characteristic features that distinguish it from the main mass. When choosing a parrot, you should look at the goals and objectives for which the bird is being purchased; it is in view of these that you can choose the right parrot. Working with a feathered friend, you can expand the accepted framework and include your parrot in the Guinness Book as the smartest.
There is an opinion that birds do not understand anything, since they are not particularly smart, and are only able to imitate sounds and imitate voices. However, an experiment by doctor of science and psychologist Irena Pepperberg, conducted with an African gray parrot, proved that birds can reason in entry level, as well as use individual words and phrases according to their meaning.
The doctor bought the parrot, named Alex (in accordance with the first letters of the name of the bird's training program), from a regular pet store in 1977. The bird was not even a year old at that time.
For three decades, debates and discussions about Gray Alex as a subject of research have not subsided. The parrot learned to identify 7 colors (and his own too), 5 different ones geometric shapes, knew more than 100 words. He answered the questions: “What is smaller? More?". I understood what was the same, what was different, what was different.
Alex even distinguished objects that were the same in color, but different in the material from which they were made! During the experiment, the parrot learned a lot and could compete in development with dolphins and monkeys. Jaco, whose brain was no more walnut was on par in development with a five-year-old child. He begged for food, to go to the shower room, and when he was not in the mood, he asked to go back to the cage with the words: “I want to go back!”
There were cases that shocked even the researcher. For example, one day during class, Alex asked for a nut. Dr. Pepperberg ignored the request, then the bird asked again and again. Without waiting for the nut, Alex said in English: “I want O-R-E-X!” It sounded like: “Am I expressing myself unclearly? I’ll spell it out!”
The breed of birds to which Alex belonged lives up to 50 years, but Gray died on September 11, 2007. aged 31 years. Shortly before this, he was examined by a veterinarian, who reported that the parrot was in excellent health. What is the reason? sudden death Alexa? Perhaps due to excessive stress on the bird's brain.
Alex became the smartest parrot and the most talking bird in the world.
