The Wonders Behind the Parrot’s Ability to Talk
In order to learn about the mystery surrounding the parrot’s ability to talk, Irene Pepperberg did a study with two African Grey Parrots that were named Alex and N’kisi and discovered the birds’ high learning aptitude.
Pepperberg’s Study
Through Irene Pepperberg’s study, the amazement with parrots only increased. Alex, the first African Grey Parrot in the study was coached to be able to associate objects with corresponding descriptions, was taught how to count and answer some intricate questions like how many red squares can it find in an illustration. The bird successfully finished the task with 80 percent precision.
The other bird in the study, N’kisi, with proper training, was able to keep in its memory of about a thousand words in its vocabulary and was even able to use them in their correct tenses.
Where Is The Sound Coming From?
Without having vocal chords, parrots exude sounds by forcing out breath transversely through its mouth opening of the bifurcated trachea. By changing the shape of the said trachea, the depth and the sounds the birds are able to produce change. This is like a whistling ability for humans, but through this, parrots are able to make sounds, even imitate the kind of noises that people make.
The Noise
Being an owner of a parrot, you should also be ready for the kind of noise it can sometime bring about because it’s not pleasurable all the time.
The noise also depends on the type of the birds that you own. Quaker Parakeets and the Conure type can create an ear-piercing sound that many people find intolerable. But not minding the noise, the said birds are intelligent and can be easily taught how to talk.
The likes of the Macaws, Amazons, the Cockatoos and, yes, the African Greys can easily imitate sounds, even the ones that its owners didn’t intend for the birds to learn. That is why, as an accountable owner, it is also your responsibility that these birds don’t irate your neighbors, which the birds might do without intending to do so.
There are more species to choose from. But really, the birds’ noise will also vary depending on their owners’ attitude. If a bird owner always shouts and seems stressed out, expect their birds to act the same, stressed and noisy.
The parrot’s ability to talk is just one of its traits that make it entertaining and fun to have. But the entertainment would only happen if the bird is in the hands of the rightful owner.
Tags: Birds and Bird Care, parrot owners, pet parrot, training your parrot