How smart are African gray parrots?
African gray parrots have been popular pets for more than 4,000 years - ancient Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans held the domestic African gray and King Henry VIII. These birds are extremely social, loving and intelligent animals. They are able to learn hundreds of human words and sounds that can be used in their correct contexts. Some scientists say these parrots have intelligence service equivalent to the intelligence of a six -year -old child.
One of the most famous African gray parrots was a bird named Alex, owned by animal psychology Irene Pepperberg. From 1977 to the death of a bird in 2007, Dr. Pepperberg dealt with Alex into intensive language activities to measure his innate news, first worked at the University of Arizona and then at Brandeis University. The parrot learned more than 100 words and was able to answer simple questions, ie "What color does this toy have?" A non -profit organization called Alexnadation helped to finance work Dr. Pepperberg with Alex and two other African Grays, Arthur and Griffin.
The parrot called n'kisi is also famous among the African Grays for its language skills. The owner of N'Kisi, Aimee Morgan, taught him more than 950 words he was able to use in complete sentences. He is also known to have come up with his own imaginative phrases, such as a "remedy for a nice odor" that describes the aromatherapy oils of its owner.
Because Alex and N'Kisi have undergone extensive training with their owners, these are exceptional cases. However, many pets of African gray parrots are able to recite numerous words and phrases and even imitate sounds like laughter or ringing phone. Because the birds are so intelligent, they tend to be sometimes neurotic and can engage in self -destructive activities like tugging feathers. They tend to connect very strongly with one person and may be or aggressive bikesthe other others.
People who are considering buying or adopting African gray should make sure they will have enough time to spend with a bird and that they are not limited to the cage all day. When the parrot is in a cage, the owner should assure that there is a range of toys to make the bird busy. African gray parrots are very intelligent and can be a great addition to any home but people who plan to bring one home