More Than Mimicry

I know that, especially outside of the parrot community, there is always debate about parrots talking. Are they actually communicating, or just repeating things they've heard?

I have am incident from the other day, that I think shows that not only do they understand at least some of what they say, but also understand human emotions extremely well.

We have had a rough month, full of stress and unanswered questions. It got to me the other day, and I broke down. Tiki was napping. As soon as I stated crying, he started talking. Only one phrase. "You're okay". He kept saying it over and over. When I got myself back together, he stopped talking, and went back to his nap.

After that, there is no way anyone could convince me he was merely mimicking. He knew what he was saying.

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Totally believe they know the emotion behind their communications and quickly learn the human sounds that represent those emotions. Case in point, very similar to your own. We recently had a death in the family (human) and my husband and I have been very sad and anguished. One such day when I was crying, my Grey said, in our loved one's voice no less, "It's going to all work out," which is something he used to say all the time to me. This was by no means the first time my Grey communicated his sentiments using appropriate human words. Parrots are amazing. . .

I'd like to believe they understand to some degree, maybe around the same amount as a toddler or younger child.

I know it's not a parrot, but ravens have the intelligence of about an 8 year old child. They can combine tools, have hierarchy in a flock, feel stress, visit aging parents, mourn loss of flock mates, recognize faces, and are generally a lot more than people give them credit for. They have language that they can call to another member and understand situations. If one is killed by a hunter in a field, the entire flock will learn and be taught not to enter that field. They learn and they teach. I believe that they learn human words in captivity instead of these other forms of communication, because we cant really understand them. As so many threads have stated - they do have body language as well.

I've seen numbers of videos and threads of all types of birds using words in context. A conure picking up a piece of papaya and asking what it is, a bird going to the vet and stating he didn't understand what was happening, bird comforting someone sad, and talking about things they were doing. They also talk to themselves (Ie looking in a mirror and saying "Pretty bird".) It goes beyond mimicry and I fully believe that.

In some cases perhaps a bird says a particular phrase because they know it gains more attention than other phrases, or perhaps it's easier to say.
BUT- I wholeheartedly believe what little they can say, they understand how to use because we often use it in context as it stands.

Walk up to a bird cage and say hello. Your bird will likely greet you back. It may start yelling "Step Up" because it wants to come out - it understands that "Step up" means "I go with the human or at least out of my cage, and I want to do that. Maybe I will get a treat."
It may seem simple, but that alone shows how smart they really are. Its no different than a toddler pulling at the straps of a car seat and saying "Out".

Its not much to say a bird couldn't understand our body language as much as we do theirs. Slouched shoulders and tears mean they need to be be with us, clenched fists mean they need to be played with, and smiles mean all is well.

Long post is long.

I do believe they can associate and reason more than we give them credit for. Same reason we get big "HIIIII's" from the Zon terror when we come home or she says cracker anytime she's hungry or sees something we have that she wants. [emoji4]

Oowl, my deepest condolences to you and your family for your loss.

Yes, I fully believe that birds are capable of contextual talking and communication, as well as understanding emotions. Jolly often speaks in context, saying "Out" when he wants me to let him out of his cage, or "Gimme a kiss," followed by a kissing sound when he wants a kiss. (He's taken to saying it in a strangely creepy whisper, sometimes. Freaks my wife out! Lol!)

But my best example of deeper level emotional communication was with my first parrot, my cockatiel Suzie. Whenever something would happen to unsettle him or make him nervous, I always used that clicking sound you do with your tongue to let him know that everything was okay. He came to make the correct association with this and would calm down instantly upon hearing it. No matter what was going on around us, once he heard that sound he was all good.

Well, one day he took flight in a panic (rare event for him, as he was never prone to the panicked flights that plague other 'tiels), flew into a wall and fell behind the entertainment center in my then living room. As you might imagine, I was frantic! Not only because of the impact, but also because I couldn't get to him right away. (That entertainment center was HEAVY!) Eventually I managed to slide it away from the wall and reach him. All his feathers were in disarray, including his crest which seemed to be going every which way. I was looking him over, so afraid that he'd damaged himself, when he cocked his head toward me and made that tongue clicking sound to let me know everything was okay.

My jaw about hit the ground!

He kept doing it, looking at me intently the whole time, until I calmed down. (I don't have a crest, so I don't know what emotional barometer he was using for my stress level. But he was able to tell.) Once I was cool again, he stopped making the sound and proceeded to preen his disheveled plumage.

Who can doubt the intelligence of a parrot?

Some of these posts make me want to cry! Parrots are capable of so much empathy, it amazes me. It's not just one kind of intelligence. They know the words meaning, the context, but also read our feelings and want to make us feel better.

One time when I thought I was going to lose Beau from illness, and he was too tired and weak to do much at all, I held him and began convulsing and crying. He hopped on my hand and danced for me until I calmed down and could smile again. Then he kept saying, "up" (which for him means snuggle), and curled in my hands again to sleep. I still feel so incredibly honored that with all he was going through, that he wasted that strength to communicate with me, and wanted me to feel better too.

They are magical creatures.

I've had several birds that spoke entire sentences in context.

Alex certainly did.

They generally have to be taught. If you use language appropriately, and in context, they generally pick it up in context.

Why is it such a hard thing for people to accept? That animals have high IQ's and are capable of complex emotional responses?!

"It's just a bird... !"

Whatever.

I love all the comments above, love them. And I agree.

My Rbird is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, though, and sometimes he shows me his limitations in a comical way. When he is about to bite, he almost always yells "OWWW!" first. If you're quick, you can avoid the beak! Then he really gets mad. But he hasn't figured a way out of his fix in all these years.

That's my boy!

This is a great thread.

THe sound they make is mimicry, but they are quite aware of context specific times to make those noises. My bird makes a completely different set of sounds when she is trying to attract me (she'll say "BEAK" and "COME HERE" and make tapping sounds) than if she's trying to attract my wife (who she will say "GIVE ME A KISS" or make kissing noises). She knows to say GOOD BYE when people are leaving (even if they don't say good bye to her) and she makes zipping noises if you're packing a bag or putting on a coat or even pulling up your pants (whether or not the pants have a zipper).

Parrots are full of surprises and Plum has often made us laugh with his use of language.

When I have come downstairs looking a little off he has called out "what's up with you?" which certainly works a treat LOL. Also whilst out of his sight hunting for shoes to go out in the hall cupboard he has been known to call through to us "see you later" which makes it so much easier to go with his blessing. These special feathered creatures in my eyes are little presents from God.

PS the zuutt noise of zippers is a favourite also LOL

More on the more than mimicry vein, my Grey said this morning, when I was turning on the TV for them (I leave it on so they can watch animal planet, unless it's about predators that day), "Hey! I want to watch Star Trek!" LOL He really likes all the laser and warp drive noises, beeps and whistles, and "high drama," but no one actually SAYS that here. My Grey is a sci-fi fan and knows how to express that. ;-)

Both my youngins communicate with me... they BOTH know what they are saying to me .. its no surprise really. Bird talk to one another in the wild but they speak "bird" but are just as capable to speak our language if we take the time to teach them right.

Ron and Mum...
YESSSS!
The sound of zippers is a fave of Rbird's. I swear he can hear a zipper three floors away and behind closed doors, and he STILL makes the sound at about 90 decibels... his zipper sound is kind of a vvvvvzzzzzzzwhittttt!

I am so loving all these comments!

Zippers - that is why Scotts wear kilts. Sheep can hear a zipper a mile away.

Related this short story in another post but it proves they know what they are saying. Booger my lil SC was injured getting X-rays at by a vet tech... One of Boogers habits was he would NEVER poop anywhere other than in or off side of his cage. He understands "go nite nite" means its cage time and obliges when asked. What got me tho was when he was out during the daytime on my shoulder... looked me right in the eye and said "nite nite". Somethin told me to put him on his cage.... and I did.. and bingo... he had to poop. Now its a regular thing. When hes out and has to go he says "nite nite.. nite nite"...we oblige him and 100% of the time hes not fooling. That is just one small instance.. I have seen many more but this example makes the point.

Notdumasilook said:

Related this short story in another post but it proves they know what they are saying. Booger my lil SC was injured getting X-rays at by a vet tech... One of Boogers habits was he would NEVER poop anywhere other than in or off side of his cage. He understands "go nite nite" means its cage time and obliges when asked. What got me tho was when he was out during the daytime on my shoulder... looked me right in the eye and said "nite nite". Somethin told me to put him on his cage.... and I did.. and bingo... he had to poop. Now its a regular thing. When hes out and has to go he says "nite nite.. nite nite"...we oblige him and 100% of the time hes not fooling. That is just one small instance.. I have seen many more but this example makes the point.

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They are not daft these birds and in a similar vein Plum says "go bubbyes" with several different meanings - wanna poop, more food, drink, go back to my cage or it is really bedtime LOL. I don't very often get it wrong thank goodness.

I think my role in life is to make people feel even better about their birds. Ages ago, I got the Rbird to say "boo-boo" when he needed to poop, just using basic praise conditioning. He said boo-boo, and I would hold him over a paper. He was potty-trained for about an hour, but then started saying BOO-BOO over and over, just to make me hold him out. No amount of praise or scolding (I even tried sunflower seeds, briefly, to reward truthful calls of boo-boo) was apparently better than the merriment of getting moved back and forth for no reason. I gave up. He USUALLY holds it well enough that if I put him over a paper every 15 or so minutes, he'll boo-boo, but that's all I get.

HAHA... methinks your birdie is trainin you instead of the other way around )..