Talking Research Parrott Dies

[X-Factor]

WALTHAM, Mass. — A gifted parrot that could count to six, identify colors and even express frustration with repetitive scientific trials has died after 30 years of helping researchers better understand the avian brain.
The death of Alex, an African Grey parrot, left scientists at Brandeis University feeling as if they'd lost a colleague.
"It's devastating to lose an individual you've worked with pretty much every day for 30 years," scientist Irene Pepperberg told The Boston Globe. "Someone was working with him 8 to 12 hours every day of his life."

Full Story: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,296413,00.html

This was pretty cool....

[fire_kat]

He was so pretty!What a story and what a bird!It is sad that he died but he did live a long life!
Thanks for posting this,Tom!

[Special_Ed]

Sad!
.
I'm an unbeliever in the 'talking' parrots. Oh they can make noise! And if you wait long enough (or just want them to badly enough) they'll make some noise that makes some kind of sense. Those researchers are serious folks and all that! ..but from what I've seen of Parrots of several kinds (there's a Congo Grey that watches me most of the day plus a dozen Amazons and a Macaw) they just want attention. They run through their repertoire sixteen hundred times forwards, backwards and all around until they get some response. In this fashion they are trained to make certain noises in certain situations (and their people are trained to make the right offers and responses). That's not the same as speaking.
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There's nothing recogniseable in even a very smart parrot's head except maybe the Looney-tunes theme music playing in a continuous loop!
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:laugh:

[angelboa]

very cool african grays are one of my fav birds

[ssjsmits]

I agree with Gus as well. My parents have 3 Macaws. They can say words, and some are actually very clear. But they have that "Looney-Tune" sound to them. They say Hello, bye bye, night night along with a few other simple words (even a swear words or two they caught on to from me saying over the last 15 years ). But all in all, it's jibberish noise and they do it for the attention. Usually works too!

[angelboa]

my moms bird can "talk" and uses some of his words at the apropreate times but most of his talking is mimicing and trying to get you to mimic him. it is sad that alex died but they learnd alot from him

[campbellexotics]

they were studying him at UofA in Tucson AZ for awhile.

[Special_Ed]

Talking parrot joke..
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A guy goes into a pet store and sees a beautiful parrot at a very low price.. "what's the deal with this bird"? he asks..
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The clerk advises him the bird is completely unmanageable, very smart and talkative, almost scary-smart.. but the most foul mouthed bird ever..
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The guy looks at the bird and decides that there can't be anything that bad about it. he buys it and takes it home. In no time he finds out that the bird is plain evil! Screaming obscenities, tearing up anything it can get to.. and it seems to know what it's saying! applying the B**** word to his female friends, calling him a jerk and worse..
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Entirely fed-up the guy grabs the bird and puts him in the refridgerator.. "you're not coming out until you agree to calm down and behave"!
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That evening after work he opens the fridge and asks the bird if he's ready to behave.. "you're the boss"! the bird replies.. "Do you have any questions about the rules"? the guy asks the bird..
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"Yeah", says the bird...
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"Whatever did those chickens do to tick you off"!
.

[ssjsmits]

Ha! Nice!

[angelboa]

Good One!!