"How do parrots speak so clearly and mimic so well?"

Parrots do not have vocal cords, so sound is accomplished by expelling air across the mouth of the bifurcated trachea. Different sounds are produced by changing the depth and shape of trachea. So, talking parrots are really whistling in different variations. Congo African Grey Parrots (CAG) are well known for their ability to "talk", which may be caused by more control, or stronger trachea. But that does not mean that a Cockatiel (Cockatiels are not well known for their talking ability), could have a greater vocabulary than an African Grey Parrot.

This ability has made them prized as pets from ancient time to now. In the Masnavi, a writing by Rumi of Persia, AD 1250, the author talks about an ancient method for training parrots to speak.

 

"Parrots are taught to speak without understanding the words. The method is to place a mirror between the parrot and the trainer. The trainer, hidden by the mirror, utters the words, and the parrot, seeing his own reflection in the mirror, fancies another parrot is speaking, and imitates all that is said by the trainer behind the mirror."

 

Studies with captive birds have given us insight into which birds are the most intelligent. While parrots have the distinction of being able to mimic human speech, studies with the African Grey Parrot have shown that some are able to associate words with their meanings and form simple sentences.  Along with crows, ravens, and jays (family Corvidae), parrots are considered the most intelligent of birds. The brain-to body size ratio of psittacines and corvines is actually comparable to that of higher primates.  One argument against the supposed intelligent capabilities of bird species is that birds have a relatively small cerebral cortex, which is the part of the brain considered to be the main area of intelligence in other animals. However, it seems that birds use a different part of their brain, the medio-rostral neostriatum/hyperstriatum ventrale, as the seat of their intelligence. Not surprisingly, research has shown that these species tend to have the largest hyperstriata, and Dr. Harvey J. Karten, a neuroscientist at UCSD who has studied the physiology of birds, discovered that the lower part of avian brains are functionally similar to ours. Not only have parrots demonstrated intelligence through scientific testing of their language using ability, but some species of parrot such as the Kea are also highly skilled at using tools and solving puzzles.

 

 

How are parrots able to speak?
How do parrots speak? Are their larynxes, tongues or brains different to other birds? I am amazed at how little literature there is on this.

-- Lucy Middleton, New Scientist

INSTEAD OF A LARYNX with vocal chords, birds have a syrinx, a distended portion of the trachea. In the wall of the syrinx are two thin, oval membranes that vibrate and produce the bird’s vocalizations. Syrinxes differ slightly anatomically across bird families, involving the attachment of various muscles. Genetic differences also influence birds’ vocalizations.

Parrots and some members of the crow family are the perfect combination of anatomy and neurology to learn human speech. Their syrinxes are capable of making the sounds and, unlike some birds, they are not hard wired genetically to speak only one "language." Much in the same way English speakers can learn to speak French or Russian and vice versa, parrots and crows can learn to speak human words. However, for success it takes a willing, motivated student and a patient teacher.

ParrotChronicles.com
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Regarding intelligence of Parrots, yes, they are smart animals. Close to Dolphins.

http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2000-03/953160100.Gb.r.html

Re: How much intelligence do parrots really have?

Date: Wed Mar 15 12:34:21 2000
Posted By: Erin Cram, Grad student, Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of CA, Berkeley
Area of science: General Biology
ID: 947810820.Gb
Message:

In order to characterize intelligence in any species of animal it is useful to
first define intelligence. Traditionally, an animals ability to communicate with
others animals both within and outside of its own species is considered a
hallmark of intelligence.

There are many different species of parrots, and probably due to their uncanny
ability to mimic our voices by repeating endless strings of "Polly want a
cracker!" much research has been done to investigate just how much parrots really
understand.

It is my understanding that the larger parrot species tend to be more
intelligent. Of these, the African Grey parrot is regarded to be the most
intelligent of the parrot species. A researcher named Irene Pepperberg, taught
her African Grey to recognize by sight over 35 objects. But what is so amazing
about this is that Alex can actually categorize new objects. For instance, when
he is shown objects like two apples versus an apple and an orange, he can
communicate to researchers whether the objects are the same or different. He is
capable of distinguishing shapes, colors, various shades of the same color, and
responds to commands to perform certain tasks. The researchers showed that once
Alex was taught a new word or task, that he was capable of using this information
in a new way by applying it to a situation where he was not taught the correct
response or action. This is the underlying significance of communication and
hence intelligence. This is pretty cool!

Alex, and parrots trained to have a large vocabulary, have the ability to convey
meaningful information to people. A lot of findings suggest that parrots are
among the more intelligent animal species; right up there with dolphins.
Understanding the extent of parrot intelligence requires that people find a way
to bridge the communication gap. Either we learn to speak parrot or, like we are
doing, we teach parrots to speak our language. Just like a child, the larger
vocabulary a parrot has the better able he or she is to communicate with us.

If you want to read more about Alex here is the web site
http://www.mecca.org/~rporter/PARROTS/grey_al.html

The social contact for any creature like that of man is very important. The birds of the world are very sociable and need contact from thier own kind. They talk with each other, play, argue, fight, much like the human race!

 

When the parrot has no feathered family around you become his family, he will do anything, everything to fit into your life he wants to socialize with his new family. Naturally the parrot can’t come out and say a word, but they are very smart and resourceful, they watch, listen, learn you are the subject his own personal social contact goal!

 

The parrot will at first get your attention by screaming at you maybe even singing while doing some acrobatic movement to catch your attention. He is making a point of saying in his way HERE I AM, I WANT TO HAVE WORDS WITH YOU!

 

Because Parrots are social creatures they need your interaction in their lives, if you were to ignore it, yell at, cover his cage any negative action toward the parrot is basically it’s death sentence! They are smart enough to learn and smart enough to know they are not really wanted, if the last happens they will show signs of... enough in this direction!

 

The parrot is smart and willing to fit into the new family he will listen intently to all you have to say especially the words you say with excitement thus in most cases bad words one must be careful what is said in their presence!

 

As the parrots new friend you  must be persitant, patient, playful, interested and interesting everytime talking with excitement to it. In the morning start with good morning...it’s name...! The same way with good night! There are lots of books out there that can help you communicate and have fun with your parrot!

 

If you were to at the same time everyday say it’s dinner time, let’s go to the kitchen by the time you finish the first sentence your parrot will say the second sentence. He will look forward to this everyday once learned because this is what his family does! All the while you went and he jumped to your arm or shoulder or if you let him fly around he will fly to your shoulder to join your walk to the kitchen.

 

I HAVE HEARD OF SOME PARROTS HAVING 400 WORD VOCABULARIES,FOR THIS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED THEY ARE REALLY LOVED, THEY ARE ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY, THEY HAVE A SOCIAL CONNECTION THAT IS VERY STRONG!  THIS IS THEIR MOTIVATION!!!!!!!!!!

 

They learn to form words by listening, and are able to form the words in their throat they may not exactly know what is said but they know what the actions are! For instance:

 

Mornings- Coming from the bedroom say good morning...his name...and open the curtains letting in the sun

Goodnight- say good night...it’s name...then turn the lights off

Dinner time-say it’s dinner time...it’s name...let’s go to the kitchen

Play- let’s have fun..it’s name..and have fun

 

They will learn to act or react before you do!!

 

They will know you are home before the family does, they will hear the car before it hits the drive way!!

 

Always keep him/her active, once he's/she's learned a word, sound, phrase, go on to somthing new he's/she's waiting to learn and willing to be a part of your social life, keep challenging him he loves the attention you give him/her. They only want to make you happy and be an active member of this odd featherless flock!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe these will help learn more!

The parrot acts or reacts to many forms of signals and signs, they are very smart and learn as long as one teaches them! Enjoy the film!!

Dr Pepperberg’s "Alex" is not the only parrot who reasons and thinks, though he is the most studied and published case.  I have several stories about my parrot  that prove to me that she thinks, but they are not video taped, witnessed, etc, so in most people’s minds, are not real proof. My African Grey is 13 yrs old. When she started learning words, she just repeated them, probably because she knew I would respond positively.  Later, as she knew more words she would combine them into short phrases that were appropriate to the situation.  She has a sense of humor. When I come home, she  often says," eek!  there’s a mamma" which is something no one ever taught her, but she knew all the words from different times and has recombined them herself. I won’t bore you with the many other stories!
  Don’t believe those web sites that say parrots only mimic words.  Instead read some recently published (later than 1990) books about parrots.  Also, the magazine by Sally Blanchard, " the Companion Parrot Quarterly" is very good;  a little spendy, but worth it if you are serious about owning a parrot.  (It used to be called, "The Pet Bird Report")
  I don't know how parrots speak so clearly. They don't have a voice box but learn to control the air passing over the throat muscles somehow.  They have  very acute hearing, and seem to know what sounds need to be made for each word. But they practice the word (mumble it) and keep trying it out until they get it right. Of course, then they get a really positive reaction from the flock (family or owner), so are encouraged to do it again.


http://www.123compute.net/dreaming/knocking/alex.html

I have known, trained, and been associated with lots of birds, most of them psittacines (parrots and their kin.)  Mimicry is a huge part of bird communication in the wild, and is one of the more important ways that parrots learn to communicate and coexist with other similar species.  They have very sharp minds and quickly form associations between sounds and actions.

Most of the large vocal apparatus we humans have is dedicated to producing low frequencies, and that's something parrots cannot do.  Luckily, most of the information (the intelligibility) of human speech is in the mid-to-high frequencies, and birds have great equipment for generating and modulating those frequencies.  Speech ability varies by species.  Budgerigars and cockatiels can manage only a few squeaky words (generally), while African Greys can mimic not only words, but individual voices and speech mannerisms of their favorite people.

Irene Pepperberg broke a lot of new ground in her work with her famous African Grey parrot "Alex," who passed away recently; when I heard he was gone it broke my heart.  Alex proved that parrots aren't only mimics; they understand the concepts of language and can communicate very effectively.  Alex could count, distinguish colors and shapes, detect differences and similarities between objects, and even express feelings, emotions, and thoughts.  It's been said that most birds have approximately the mentality of a 4-6 year old human child.

My own beloved Phoenix, a Nanday conure who passed away in 2005, had exceptional verbal skills.  One afternoon he was "rolling," something birds do daily, rattling off nearly their entire vocabularies in a kind of cathartic practice.  I came into the room because I thought I'd heard him say a new word.  The exchange went something like this.

Phoenix: "Mumble mumble Phoenix good bird mumble cracker mumble mumble mumble bird mumble..."
Scott: "What did you say, Phoenix?"
Phoenix: (ignoring me) "mumble cage mumble shower mumble mumble cracker mumble bird talk...."
Scott: "What was that word, Phoenix?"
Phoenix: (loudly) "HUSH!  HUSH!  Phoenix talk to Phoenix! HUSH!!!"

I think the reason that birds make such wonderful companions is that they're so willing to learn our language, seeing that we're incapable of really learning theirs.  They accommodate us, and they become part of our lives through their intelligence, their eagerness to be part of the "flock," and their cheerfulness and humor.  It takes some time to learn to understand them, but anyone who's spent much time around a well-socialized bird can have no doubt of their obvious intelligence.