What is Alex the African gray parrot?
Have you ever heard of Alex the African gray parrot? This revolutionary bird was the colleague and test subject of Dr. Irene Pepperberg for 30 years during her research into animal psychology—particularly that of birds. Before she began her studies with Alex, birds weren’t considered to be intelligent animals (on account of their walnut-sized brains). In fact, the term “bird brain” was often used as an insult for stupidity. However, Dr. Pepperberg’s studies completely changed the field as she demonstrated the capabilities of the African gray parrot through various exercises in cognition.
Why is Alex so bored?
Because the experiments required a large amount of repetition for statistical purposes, Alex would often get bored with the activities. It was then that his cheeky personality would shine through the most. He would frequently try to create variations to the exercises by responding intentionally with incorrect answers or by responding to Dr. Pepperberg’s questions with ones of his own. His ability to understand and pose his own questions was a groundbreaking occurrence in itself, as he was the first (and only) non-human to ever ask a question.
How did Alex train his bird?
She began training him using a method she dubbed the model/rival technique. For this training, Alex would observe two of his trainers interacting. One of them would be the model for the desired behavior, which would also make them the bird’s rival for the other trainer’s attention and the reward. The two trainers would also switch positions often so that Alex could understand that it was an interactive process. In this manner, they were able to facilitate two-way communication with him.
How many objects did the parrot know?
He knew at least 50 individual objects and could count quantities of up to six. The parrot was even reported to have an understanding of the concept of zero. Possessing a distinct understanding of the words he used, he could also identify objects despite them being different from ones he had been shown before.
When did Pepperberg buy Alex?
Pepperberg purchased Alex (an acronym for “avian learning experiment”) from a pet store in Chicago in June 1977, when he was about 12–13 months old. She had a store employee pick him out for her so that there could be no speculation as to whether she had picked a bird based on some demonstrated special ability.
What color did Alex learn?
One of Alex’s most impressive moments was when he asked an existential question about his own appearance. He had been presented with a mirror, and—after observing himself for a moment—he asked, “What color?” He then learned the word “gray”—the color of his feathers—after having it taught to him six times.
What did Pepperberg learn about birds?
Thanks to the research Pepperberg completed with Alex, ornithologists have learned that bird brains are more complex than they originally thought. Consequently, this discovery has led to researchers looking at the capabilities of other types of birds as well.
How old is Alex the parrot?
Alex, a 31-year-old African gray parrot, knew more than 100 words and could count and recognize colors and shapes.
How many words did Alex learn?
But by using novel methods of teaching, Dr. Pepperberg prompted Alex to learn about 150 words, which he could put into categories, and to count small numbers, as well as colors and shapes. “The work revolutionized the way we think of bird brains,” said Diana Reiss, a psychologist at Hunter College who works with dolphins and elephants. “That used to be a pejorative, but now we look at those brains — at least Alex’s — with some awe.”
Parrot Alex Speech
Over time, Alex started to produce words with a similar meaning as Pronunciation from the words she knew. For example, after learning the word “gray”, she produced the words “grape”, “Chain” and “Cane” (respectively, meaning gray, grape, vineyard and stick). This situation is called “map making technique”. It consists of three parts;
Parrot Cage Large
The parrotis a bird species that has a curved beak, a large and fleshy tongue, colorful and bright feathers, lives in warm places and c...
Parrot Perch
The parrot is a very intelligent and social bird, and they can get very bored if we put them in a cage. We can say that parrots, which ...
How Many Years Does a Parrot Live?
Parrots are one of the winged bird species with 279 different species, among which the palm of a human being grows up to 1 meter. There...
He Came To The Exam With His Parrot For Luck
Lema Yali, who was quarantined due to her mother who was treated for coronavirus in the Çaldıran district of Van, took the Higher Educa...
Smuggling Gray Parrots in Cameroon
2 people short time before them long ago; About 5,000 "Parrots" were arrested by accident in the National Park in Cameroon. This arrest...
Oldest Parrot Fossil in Denmark
Oldest Parrot Fossil Found in Denmark. A parrot fossil, determined by scientists to be 55 million years old, was found in northwest De...
