Good info on Parrot speech

Dr.Oviparous · #1 (**permalink**) 12-04-2003, 03:08 PM

http://www.newscientist.com/lastword...e.jsp?id=lw869

An AWESOME site too! lots of cool stuff here.

So.... How about some opinions from non-scientists! Does your parrot "know" what he/she is saying when it talks? Or are they just repeating fimiliar sounds? I know 100% That shasta KNOWS what happens when she says "Trick or Treat!". She gets food. She only says this when she knows I have food to offer, that is how I know she understands what it means. I personally believe parrots CAN communicate ideas through speech. I'm not suggesting that everything that comes out of her mouth is a complete cohearant thought, lol. But she does communicate through words with some very limited ability. How about you other parrot owners?

JuliusSqueezer · #2 (**permalink**) 12-04-2003, 04:43 PM

I don't think they truely understand what they are saying...I think they just learn association....when they do this...they get this....They know they are mimicing us and other sounds...and some birds will respond to questions with learned answers or do tricks on command...but most birds pick up words and just toss them around at random.

A vet I used to know adopted a Minah from a Delta Pilot. He kept him in his office....If you said certain things, his responses were really funny. "Charlie can you talk?"...his response is "can you fly?"...if you answer...he laughs and says "I can...I fly Delta vrrrrrrrrrrrroooooooooooooom"

Many years ago a petshop I used to frequent had a store pet Blue and Gold Macaw named Leo. He learned a lot of commands and responses that were not just random or repeating.... like "Leo...be a chicken" "bok bok bok" "Be a rooster" ...he would crow like a rooster..."Leo be an eagle"....he would spread his wings out and turn his head sidways...he could also rollerskate and ride a bike over a tightwire...he was a guest once on the tonight show back in the carson days. neat bird....

but I think in order to call it communicating...the first basic thing would need to be some sort of alternating answer like maybe a "yes or no" type answer...to prove any real thought process/communication....otherwise it's just a learned...if I do this, he will give me a treat kinda thing. Keep in mind...they don't really need to communicate the fact that they want a treat...they ALWAYS want a treat and we exploit this.

toker · #3 (**permalink**) 12-04-2003, 04:56 PM

I don’t know, that is one sticky subject, first you have to define what communication is before you can limit it to specific thought processes. Second you must also attach things to it, if it’s a matter of just saying yes or no to any given question. Then in theory you have the ability 50% of the time to answer correctly to what you actually need.

We, in theory, do the same thing, we learn through life in order to influence things to our way based on responses to questions posed in life

To be able to define one thing, and have a response for it, it’s hard to say. If the bird would say Trick or Treat with out any provocation then yes I would have to say the bird understands the fact of asking a question. However, if you must have a treat in your hand, then I agree with JS on this one.

It’s more of a trick than a request for a treat.

You would have to question a lot of things though. We see something and make a response to it, are we trained or are we making a choice to ask/say any specific thing?

You could argue that the bird seeing the box makes a request for what is in the box. Is the bird then reading the box?

Sorry if I posed more questions than answers, but his subject is one I have given many hour of thought to. Could almost be likened to… Can a chimp really know sign-language?

Ravnos · #4 (**permalink**) 12-04-2003, 05:20 PM

My macaw will say "I'm hungry." when his bowl is empty. Whether it is just association or not, who knows. Of course, everything even humans do is trained response from the day we're born. We may be able to act 'on the fly' but if you were raised in a confined environment like birds are, your choices and mental process for making those choices would be limited as well. Of course, if parrots were found to be capable of making educated decisions - what would that do for the pet trade on them?

Rav

reptilemama · #5 (**permalink**) 12-04-2003, 05:37 PM

I remember seeing a show about an african grey named Alex who was part of an intelligence study. The researcher would ask him how many items were on a tray, and he got it right like 90% of the time. He could also tell her what color, what an object was (like a key, or a block) and if it was made of wood, metal, etc. He also asked, in the middle of a task, "I want to go back", meaning his cage. When the researcher said no, he said "I want to eat dinner." She said no, we're almost done, and he said"I'm sorry", almost like he felt bad for interrupting their session. Here's a web site with more information- http://www.mecca.org/~rporter/PARROTS/grey_al.html.

Ravnos · #6 (**permalink**) 12-04-2003, 05:42 PM

I saw that show on Discovery, it was pretty good. Its been an ongoing study with several greys for the last 10 years or so.

Rav

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