@darmor321: They DO....but in their own language....it's us 'dumb' humans they have to talk 'human' to because we don't understand 'parrot'.....smile.....
I love Dr. Pepperberg teaching styles, but there must be something wrong with it, birds like that shouldnt have that many feathers plucked out...the birds must be stressed out. With all the attention they get, there is a problem with the feathers being plucked out. Its very sad
@baugust21b Some birds pluck from stress (like frrom having to live in a pet store) and never stop plucking even though the original stressor is long gone. It becomes a habit much like people who gnaw their fingernails or tug their hair. It's not necessarily a sign of an unhappy bird.
Is it just me or it looks like the parrot is in stress? Alex and Griffin both seems to be plucking, is it due to the amount of things being forced into their head?
This prove that Parrots are smarter then human cause they can mimic our voice and some even understand it! But human can mimic but dont understand what they are talking.
@GamersRedDot It can also prove that humans have to ability to give the "gift of Prometheus" speaking metaphorically. You are assuming that birds have a fully developed language of their own rather then being enlightened to vocabulary with human intervention.
@tkdkadir: Give him time and be gentle with him. Birds can be skittish and need peaceful predictable surroundings -- they LOVE the same routine every day!
This is clearly animal abuse, and I cannot believe animal planet would endorse it! It is obvious by looking at both birds that they are plucking, which shows there is an issue with the bird's habitat. Why is this issue not being dealt with prior to expanding on the birds understanding of the human language? Maybe if Alex had been more properly cared for, perhaps he wouldn't have died. Please, before it's too late, give Griffen to a family that will actually LOVE and CARE for him.
Poor birds....seems to me they are just experiments and forced to prove a pointless point. Einstein looked happy. Poor Griffin, he will end up like alex. I didn't even see a window in that dungeon. Another cruel animal experiment, performed for the benefit of human knowledge. Absolutely disgraceful!!!!!
My friends African grey lived to be 84 years old and mine is now 7. I think Alex would have lived longer if they gave him a better diet, bigger cage and more toys and stuf like that. I also think that they push the birds to hard. When my African grey does not want to do somthing i just put her ontop of her cage and give her some fruit and she learns much better that way. And if you have a real bond with your bird it wont need a harness to be outside.
Only when the bird connects more than just one object to the word told to him, and he can also connect a word in the same meaning to other objects resembling the same things, like in addition to the four in this video. When in every situation different figures of the number four stand for the same as four times clappin, if he can figure this out, he's really a smart birdy....Ravens are also very very smart, and it is said that they have the capability to talk to...
@megafarter543 I agree. I think she meant well, but the lab hours were too long, and too much was expected without enough fun. Too much stress and it showed. I hope Griffin is ok, has anyone heard anything recently about him????
my uncle brought his american grey home from fl and his name is elvis.. he is nice at times but he can bite out of nowhere! i really wish he would talk more. he mainly says... Hey, What, Elvis, whatever, hello there, and come here. lol i need to find away to get him more comfortable
P.S.: ALL parrots/birds make 'noises' -- that's their way of communicating just like a dog barks...of course, the bigger the bird, the louder the noises...and yes, parrots will crap everywhere all the time...they are beautiful, but messy, demanding and loud -- not a good choice for a 'pet'...
@Onesideofyams: They might not be your choice for a pet, but they are your mother's choice -- guess you have to respect that. As for the animals themselves, they are all God's creatures -- it's not their fault that humans made them into 'pets' to fulfill some of their own often suspect 'needs'...
@xxANDYxxKAT "And God blessed [the humans], and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."
According to Genesis 1:28 God said we can do whatever we want with everything on this planet. That includes domesticating birds and training them to repeat the phrase "Help, they turned me into a parrot!"
I have an African Grey and she hasn't really mastered the art of talking yet. She's around 18 months old and I've had her just over a year now. I talk to her all the time, but she only says hello, whistles and tries to imitate sounds rather than words. Some birds just don't seem to quite get how to speak, or maybe they just don't want to. My bird is certainly not stupid - she knows how to express herself very well without words.
That professor might know how to teach parrots but obviously she does not know how to handle them right! Just look at Alex's and Griffin's feathers. Alex didn't even have tail feathers anymore but some wounds! Griffin looks like he's about to follow Alex's doom. Poor birds!
@behboad he may have just been stressed. i read a few of Dr Pepperberg's books, and she said they moved around alot, probably stressing him pretty intensely. i dont think he was sick
Alex was stressed, he was plucking his feathers. Do 'study' birds get the chance to just hang out with other birds outside in an avery?
Some wild birds mimmick, but I haven't found anything about parrots mimmicking in the wild.
Interaction is also a show of intelligence. Either I trained my Sun Conure well or he trained me. He nips my ear if he's hungry, he nibbles at my mouth if he wants a drink of water, and he nips my hand if he wants to poo outside. Who trained who?
When it comes to Cockatoos, dying at 60 is young. These birds can live past 100 given the right food and environment. I've had Budgies that lived to almost 20, and Cockatiels that lived to 25!
My africen grey parrot is 7 and says random things, sometimes they dont make sense, mixing random words in a sentence, also my parrot bites a lot, so when that dr put her face so close to the parrot, I thought she was gonna get her lips bitten off.
@xMagicalDanny - Your Grey doesn't trust you. I don't know what happened for your bird to loose that trust, but you need to spend time with your bird, build trust, feed your bird treats and show your bird that you and your family and friends aren't going to hurt it. If you can't do that, please give your bird to someone who can. Join a bird forum. Upatsix.com isn't bad.
saying he is as smart as a 3 year old doesn't proove anything, and every problem shown there a 3 year old could solve 10 times faster without making any mistakes. I hate claims like these with no proof at all. I don't know if they think birds are smart or humans are dumb, but I am not the slightest bit convinced. Someone needs to make a documentary about toddler intelligence. Cmon what number is this, u dont think a 3 year old would know and understand instantly?
I have an african grey parrot. It is dumb. It is like with people: There are really smart birds, Like Griffin and Alex, and there are really dumb birds. My bird is wonderful, but she's three years old and can only say one thing. On the other hand, I have another bird (not an african grey,) who is very smart. In my family she knows everyone's names, and you can tell she knows who they represent. She can also say other things, like "Green bird!" and "Pretty bird!" When she wants attention.
@iriszilla: Your African Grey is not dumb -- she just doesn't 'talk' -- using human language is not an indication of being dumb or smart. Dogs don't use human language and are very smart! Enjoy her and accept her for what she is -- a beautiful bird created by God entrusted into your care to love until He calls her home!
@wildlifeguardian Don't get me wrong, I love my bird and I take good care of her, but I just must say that she just isn't the brightest bulb in the room. Besides the fact that she doesn't talk, we once put her in a tree in our backyard so she could sit with us, and she actually fell out of the tree. She wasn't hurt or anything and she got back, but it was just a 'seriously?' moment. I understand it's an incredibly smart species, and I love her, but I don't really believe that she's very smart.
@iriszilla: Re falling out of the tree: have you ever had her checked out by a bird vet to make sure all is well in that bird body? Or maybe she just got scared 'out there' in the big wide world and 'fainted' off the branch...
@wildlifeguardian yes, she's been checked by our vet and no problems there... bottom line, she has never been very bright, but we love her very much and take good care of her as well as our other parrot. I think part of accepting a species' brilliance is accepting their diversity.
@wildlifeguardian Birds have different personalities and just like humans they differ in intelligence. Some are more cuddly and some are more active and entertaining. Some are clever and solve puzzles others just like the shiny colors.. :P
... At first I was going to agree with the video poster about your African Grey simply not being a talker. We can't measure avian mental, emotional, and social intelligence to mammilian. However, after reading your comment about her falling out of the tree... well... she sounds like a very funny but "special" sweetheart hahaha. Adorable.
Seriously, have you ever set up a camera to see if she talks when nobody's around? Maybe she just doesn't like talking to people. I have a toddler niece like that. Her mom's always worrying that she doesn't talk but she talks lots to me when it's just us. My sister has a habit of giving her what she wants before she asks so she doesn't bother. Maybe there's some way to get your bird to ask for things-like food-instead of just giving it to her.
Seriously, have you ever set up a camera to see if she talks when nobody's around? Maybe she just doesn't like talking to people. I have a toddler niece like that. Her mom's always worrying that she doesn't talk but she talks lots to me when it's just us. My sister has a habit of giving her what she wants before she asks so she doesn't bother. Maybe there's some way to get your bird to ask for things-like food-instead of just giving it to her.
@iriszilla I agree with wildlifeguardian. Your parrot may have a neurological disorder and sb checked by a vet. Sometimes diet can affect them, he should not be falling out of a tree if that is what actually happened. He may also just be shy, or not as verbally communicative as some other Parrots, Greys can be quite subtle are You smart enough to pick up on it?
@wildlifeguardian I believe all those things, but at the same time it's kind of a "you'd understand if you met her" moment. I love her and accept her, but at the same time I acknowledge that she isn't brilliant. I love animals (I do volunteer work for a cat charity,) but I think part of accepting them as a brilliant species is accepting their diversity.
@wildlifeguardian I agree. You shouldt get a parrot just because they talk.. some birds dont want to talk.. and if you want them to talk you have to talk a lot with them, then they will pick up the words they LIKE. and the bird isnt dumb just because it doesnt talk.
You get into it what you put into it. If you teach your bird, then they would learn. Expecting them to "know" or "pick up" or even read your mind as to what you want is stupid. I have had parrots for 32 years. What they dont know is because I never taught them. Every bird (7) in my household is potty trained, talks, and is hand tame to strangers. My african grey can talk, because I taught her to.
@iriszilla what if its so smart, it has fooled you into thinking its dumb, just so it wont have to learn the stupid words you try and teach it, your getting owned by a bird and u dont even know it.
...Towards the end of the video, does anyone else hear the background music that would normally play whenever the character Katz was on the screen in Courage the Cowardly Dog?
What they should study is if the birds can use language for expression and not just comprehension
Get the bird used to asking for food by saying "gimme a grape," "gimme a cracker," "gimme a peanut." Then if it says "gimme a peanut," give it a grape, a cracker and a peanut and see which it eats. Or give it a cracker and see if it says "gimme a peanut" again.
If they really act like toddlers it should be easy to get them to do that, and it would prove they know what they're saying.
@kozmon0t While i'm not sure if it's been done empirically (although i wouldn't be surprised if it has), i've heard numerous accounts of what you described (e.g. as in the AG asking for one food, receiving another and rejecting it {chucking it away} until the correct food is given to it)
@kozmon0t Actually, Alex the parrot did frequently use the term "want" when asking for a specific treat. You even heard it in this video. "Wanna go back" is how Pepperburg has taught her birds to ask to be taken back to their cage. Look up a video of Alex on youtube. The one you want to see has a thumbnail picture of an African grey eating some corn.
Well, I think it's about time we discard this mentality that we're inherently special, brighter, and occupy a special place in nature. Our intelligence, culture, everything that makes us uniquely human, is a matter of degree, not kind.
@McTaggStar I agree completely, I'm so glad someone has this same view as me. I study psychology at school and most of my classmates didn't even realise that humans were animals. It made me so mad
@llamasrule4ever22: Absolutely. It's something that is difficult to come to grips with. We see ourselves as extra-animalia because we speak to each other, wear cloths, have cultural traditions, and we don't see other animals doing these things; ergo, we're not animals, but something more. But it just turns out we haven't looked close enough. If you're enjoying psychology, take an anthropology course. That's my major. Psych and anthro make good compliments.
@McTaggStar Agreed. African Greys are super smart. My family has one and his vocabulary can almost match mine, lol. He's amazing. And if he doesn't know what he's saying, he has some pretty spectacular coincidental timing.
@BeAsTm0aD Your mindset is flawed and promotes the notion that animals are mere ''objects'', there's a big difference between plants and animals and if you continue to fail to acknowledg this then perhaps you're deficient in intelligence, good luck!
I wonder if there is similarity between Alex and Griffin; they are both feather pluckers. Feather plucking is NOT a good sign and can lead to future mental and health issues. I'd be more concerned about that then what Griffin knows.
@sheenacamp Feather plucking is not a characterized personality trait as you describe, it can be among many things including but not limited to stress, anxiety, over worked, not being fed, having something a certian way for years and then change, alot of parrots hate change.
@bitteredgeband I never said it was a personality trait; I was merely wondering at why these 2 birds are both pluckers. I have birds and I know what causes the plucking as well as the potential future health issues. I just find it fascinating that both of these seemingly exceptionally intelligent birds both have the same potentially dangerous issue.
@sheenacamp it's probably like humans and bi-polar disorder. I have known and know of many extraordinarily talented people who have bi-polar and they do the human equivalent of tearing feathers out...ie overdosing on drugs, self medicating....etc. Thank God this bird had a life where he could express himself
@sheenacamp Feather plucking is not a characterized personality trait as you describe, it can be among many things including but not limited to stress, anxiety, over worked, not being fed, having something a certian way for years and then change, alot of parrots hate change.
i read the book! it was alex that was th bird that changed the way people see birds! griffon was another bird dr. pepperberg was training. read the book alex and me. you will see how birds changed the way people see animals!
I followed alex and griffen for quite sometime.. I was wondering when you started teaching cognitive functions? My african grey just turned 3 months and his name is ozzy..I am trying to teach him some shapes and he is doing really well but is this too early to start? I felt so sad when I heard about alex.. that is so hard to still register at this point because I still watch all his videos..
He dies from too many sunflower seeds. Anyone holding a conversation knows how smart parrots are. Irene has a bad attitude and proved nothing.African Greys ane NOT the smartest parrots.
@wildlifeguardian They didn't record that clip the night before he's passing. That clip is taken from a PBS Scientific American documentary with Alan Alda as the narrator. The clip aired in 1999.
I have an African Gray named Alex too, except she's a girl. She's not extremely intelltgent, but she's not stupid either. She's learned to "answer the phone" whenever she hears it ringing by saying: "Hello? Oh, hi Randy (which is my dad's name). Love you, bye." It's so cute :)
i have an african grey named guinnesse, he enjoys mixing difforent songs together... and yelling like neighbor. i do believe that alex knew he was going to die that night. thats why he asked if she was going to be in. if she had said no i do believe he would have held out a bit more. he wanted her to know.... i love both of my birds, they are so speecial....
beautiful birds, i own a african grey he's very smart sadly he's a so called plucker...he talks all the time, soon i want to try to get his used to a harness. If people knew the talents and brains these birds have, we wouldn't we allowed to keep them as bird.
Awesome. I once heard what sounded like a dog barking right outside my front door, and I take a look to see a cockatoo sitting on a wire out there, looking at me.
Those birds aren't native to where I live, so it was clearly someone's escaped pet. On reflection I should've tried talking to it.
lol, i have a parrot, her name is twinkle. when i should leave for school, i should say "bye bye, twinkle" now whenever we pick up the key and walk towards the door, she says bye bye... i think they know when to say each word, like in the morning, you will say good morning, they will learn that!!!
@VlogAnna It is a nail,,, its a extra grip nail,, as a screw would have a slotted head or a cross head, these are ridges not a thread, so the bird is actually more intelligent then you are at diy
they can live to 80 not 60
skullkid267 3 hours ago
he is smarter than some of my friends XP
spaez209 1 day ago
I want to see two parrots have a conversation
darmor321 2 days ago in playlist animal language
@darmor321: They DO....but in their own language....it's us 'dumb' humans they have to talk 'human' to because we don't understand 'parrot'.....smile.....
wildlifeguardian 2 days ago
Very interesting
SmithGamer 3 days ago
awww RIP
scerpalman 4 days ago
hey guys go on my channel to see my african grey parrot :)
KingAce438 1 week ago
Nice
parrotlover2012 1 week ago
I love Dr. Pepperberg teaching styles, but there must be something wrong with it, birds like that shouldnt have that many feathers plucked out...the birds must be stressed out. With all the attention they get, there is a problem with the feathers being plucked out. Its very sad
baugust21b 1 week ago 3
@baugust21b Some birds pluck from stress (like frrom having to live in a pet store) and never stop plucking even though the original stressor is long gone. It becomes a habit much like people who gnaw their fingernails or tug their hair. It's not necessarily a sign of an unhappy bird.
fluffypinkandmoist 3 days ago
@baugust21b I thought that too... Maybe he was just molting at the time? If Greys molt, I guess they do :/
TheDurationPlusFive 1 day ago
I would like to be a parrot to kiss that wonderful girl of the zoo...
PARCPROD 1 week ago
This has been flagged as spam show
hey guys its my african grey parrot :) watch?v=oFwytKk6Afc&feature=g-upl&context=G2967eafAUAAAAAAAAAA
KingAce438 1 week ago
awww "i love you"
makes me want an afrian grey. awesome birdies.
mkehandgrenades 1 week ago
my parrot talks to, and he does understand it. If he wants me to scrab his head, he say's it and he bows his head.
Also if he says kiss he comes and kisses me without me asking for it.
Rampage001 2 weeks ago
@Rampage001 When I ask mine "Where are the ichies, he bows his head and points with his claw!
lovesthecity3 1 week ago
@lovesthecity3 that's cool!!!
Rampage001 1 week ago
RIP Alex <3
jellybeen 3 weeks ago
Aww it's kind of sad that the research parrots can't be around other parrots, but at least they got a lot of love and attention.
Kamikazebutterfly 3 weeks ago
:) She really seems to love working with those animals. Some scientists just seem apathetic when it comes to them.
SuperMathsBeaver 3 weeks ago
Daaamn that is depressing. "I love you" *drops dead the next day*
loopofpoop 3 weeks ago
Is it just me or it looks like the parrot is in stress? Alex and Griffin both seems to be plucking, is it due to the amount of things being forced into their head?
srevinUreuqnoC 3 weeks ago
any thing living can learn anything.
crockman1 4 weeks ago
its immoral to keep a bird in captivity for human amusement
shroomingnewman 1 month ago
Griffon looks pretty freeked out at 6:36
Sodasprite6310 1 month ago
They can copy the calls of other birds
caw
and the calls of predetors
meow
Sodasprite6310 1 month ago
How did alex die?
awesome1999jr 1 month ago
That would be funny if the parrot said "don't patronize me"
JNathanK2011 1 month ago
This prove that Parrots are smarter then human cause they can mimic our voice and some even understand it! But human can mimic but dont understand what they are talking.
GamersRedDot 1 month ago
@GamersRedDot It can also prove that humans have to ability to give the "gift of Prometheus" speaking metaphorically. You are assuming that birds have a fully developed language of their own rather then being enlightened to vocabulary with human intervention.
Nemsault 1 month ago 2
Who is narrating this?
Drac39 1 month ago
@Drac39 sounds like William Shatner!
deadleafecho 1 month ago
@deadleafecho It does. I thought Edward James Olmos for a little bit
Drac39 1 month ago
((Alex)) RIP....
hbstarsman 2 months ago
Aw man I wish mines was as smart as this 1. I got it already 3 years now and he is scared of alot of things! :(
tkdkadir 2 months ago 4
@tkdkadir: Give him time and be gentle with him. Birds can be skittish and need peaceful predictable surroundings -- they LOVE the same routine every day!
wildlifeguardian 2 months ago 3
ya the plucking is bull shit they make them work too much so they pluck its sad
Lillyan69 2 months ago
@Lillyan69 Its called moulting you retard its a natural process all birds go through.
Nemsault 1 month ago
Is it just me or did the "you be good" sound sarcastic? Super sad though...
TheCasey73 2 months ago
"You be good. I love you"
Iscaldor 2 months ago
Einstein the parrot :)
zaneacademy 2 months ago
This is clearly animal abuse, and I cannot believe animal planet would endorse it! It is obvious by looking at both birds that they are plucking, which shows there is an issue with the bird's habitat. Why is this issue not being dealt with prior to expanding on the birds understanding of the human language? Maybe if Alex had been more properly cared for, perhaps he wouldn't have died. Please, before it's too late, give Griffen to a family that will actually LOVE and CARE for him.
MEAGANDISHART3698 2 months ago
@MEAGANDISHART3698 totally agree! Poor Alex.
whatsupkillme 2 months ago
@MEAGANDISHART3698 You're fucking retarded, don't bother replying.
sarmenplaf 1 month ago
Poor birds....seems to me they are just experiments and forced to prove a pointless point. Einstein looked happy. Poor Griffin, he will end up like alex. I didn't even see a window in that dungeon. Another cruel animal experiment, performed for the benefit of human knowledge. Absolutely disgraceful!!!!!
mellegmel 2 months ago
Comment removed
SJCrazySistersInc 3 weeks ago
this is amazing... i am just like, wow... we need to give these birds more credit! so incredible it brings tears to my eyes...
demimydoxie 3 months ago 3
My friends African grey lived to be 84 years old and mine is now 7. I think Alex would have lived longer if they gave him a better diet, bigger cage and more toys and stuf like that. I also think that they push the birds to hard. When my African grey does not want to do somthing i just put her ontop of her cage and give her some fruit and she learns much better that way. And if you have a real bond with your bird it wont need a harness to be outside.
watercatfish 3 months ago 2
This has been flagged as spam show
Intelligence? What is intelligence?
aggressivegeek 3 months ago
wow! this is AMAZING! i wish my parakeets could talk! :) (FYI: that is a beautiful bird!)
bellahorsie313 3 months ago 2
Only when the bird connects more than just one object to the word told to him, and he can also connect a word in the same meaning to other objects resembling the same things, like in addition to the four in this video. When in every situation different figures of the number four stand for the same as four times clappin, if he can figure this out, he's really a smart birdy....Ravens are also very very smart, and it is said that they have the capability to talk to...
77HadassaH77 3 months ago 6
@77HadassaH77: Yes, they do (ravens that is)!
BIrds are amazing creatures! :>)
wildlifeguardian 3 months ago 6
what kind of chain is that in 1.34 ??
ooxooriix 3 months ago
@ooxooriix: That's a parrot body harness, so grey birdie won't fly away (it's like a harness for small dogs, but specifically made for birds).
wildlifeguardian 3 months ago
hahah the little white bird at the start has a scottish accent.... it sounds like my grandmother LOL
TheNicoleBee 4 months ago
@TheNicoleBee its name is Alex
sideswipe123103 3 months ago
Meawwwwwww :D
vitalwords 4 months ago
Alex and Griffin both plucked their feathers, so this 'Dr.' Pepperberg is definitely doing something wrong.
megafarter543 4 months ago 3
@megafarter543 I agree. I think she meant well, but the lab hours were too long, and too much was expected without enough fun. Too much stress and it showed. I hope Griffin is ok, has anyone heard anything recently about him????
aviannightmare 4 months ago 4
my uncle brought his american grey home from fl and his name is elvis.. he is nice at times but he can bite out of nowhere! i really wish he would talk more. he mainly says... Hey, What, Elvis, whatever, hello there, and come here. lol i need to find away to get him more comfortable
AyeeAdrianUH408 4 months ago
Alex looked so depressed... :(
daggitenator 5 months ago
13 people dislike this video because the parrots smarter than they are
asdf2424 5 months ago
P.S.: ALL parrots/birds make 'noises' -- that's their way of communicating just like a dog barks...of course, the bigger the bird, the louder the noises...and yes, parrots will crap everywhere all the time...they are beautiful, but messy, demanding and loud -- not a good choice for a 'pet'...
wildlifeguardian 5 months ago
@Onesideofyams: They might not be your choice for a pet, but they are your mother's choice -- guess you have to respect that. As for the animals themselves, they are all God's creatures -- it's not their fault that humans made them into 'pets' to fulfill some of their own often suspect 'needs'...
wildlifeguardian 5 months ago 4
@wildlifeguardian You're absolutely right God didn't made them to be pets.We should let them do what they want!
xxANDYxxKAT 5 months ago
@xxANDYxxKAT "And God blessed [the humans], and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."
According to Genesis 1:28 God said we can do whatever we want with everything on this planet. That includes domesticating birds and training them to repeat the phrase "Help, they turned me into a parrot!"
Dogma was an awesome movie.
yavarbombos 5 months ago
@xxANDYxxKAT Lol, try reading the Bible some time.
JustSiouxMe 4 months ago
I have an African Grey and she hasn't really mastered the art of talking yet. She's around 18 months old and I've had her just over a year now. I talk to her all the time, but she only says hello, whistles and tries to imitate sounds rather than words. Some birds just don't seem to quite get how to speak, or maybe they just don't want to. My bird is certainly not stupid - she knows how to express herself very well without words.
jaywinchester 5 months ago 4
@jaywinchester She is so young to master a big vocabulary, as of yet!. I send love to your smarty pants parrot.
thraciensis 1 month ago
That professor might know how to teach parrots but obviously she does not know how to handle them right! Just look at Alex's and Griffin's feathers. Alex didn't even have tail feathers anymore but some wounds! Griffin looks like he's about to follow Alex's doom. Poor birds!
Cyron43 5 months ago 4
awww so cute <3
l0lygir1 5 months ago
smart
captinkiller34 5 months ago
Look at alex he is so sick . Look at his feathers
behboad 5 months ago
@behboad he may have just been stressed. i read a few of Dr Pepperberg's books, and she said they moved around alot, probably stressing him pretty intensely. i dont think he was sick
johnnyrouke 5 months ago
Alex was stressed, he was plucking his feathers. Do 'study' birds get the chance to just hang out with other birds outside in an avery?
Some wild birds mimmick, but I haven't found anything about parrots mimmicking in the wild.
Interaction is also a show of intelligence. Either I trained my Sun Conure well or he trained me. He nips my ear if he's hungry, he nibbles at my mouth if he wants a drink of water, and he nips my hand if he wants to poo outside. Who trained who?
verticalsmurf 5 months ago
When it comes to Cockatoos, dying at 60 is young. These birds can live past 100 given the right food and environment. I've had Budgies that lived to almost 20, and Cockatiels that lived to 25!
verticalsmurf 5 months ago
My africen grey parrot is 7 and says random things, sometimes they dont make sense, mixing random words in a sentence, also my parrot bites a lot, so when that dr put her face so close to the parrot, I thought she was gonna get her lips bitten off.
xMagicalDanny 5 months ago
@xMagicalDanny - Your Grey doesn't trust you. I don't know what happened for your bird to loose that trust, but you need to spend time with your bird, build trust, feed your bird treats and show your bird that you and your family and friends aren't going to hurt it. If you can't do that, please give your bird to someone who can. Join a bird forum. Upatsix.com isn't bad.
verticalsmurf 5 months ago 2
saying he is as smart as a 3 year old doesn't proove anything, and every problem shown there a 3 year old could solve 10 times faster without making any mistakes. I hate claims like these with no proof at all. I don't know if they think birds are smart or humans are dumb, but I am not the slightest bit convinced. Someone needs to make a documentary about toddler intelligence. Cmon what number is this, u dont think a 3 year old would know and understand instantly?
the bird is smart... for a bird.
desvio2000 5 months ago
I can tell my african grey everything..well she's my dads but I still call her mine.. she's so smart and has a good vocab...i'm so glad i have her.
EscaladeGurl 6 months ago
thumbs up if u cried or was about 2 when u saw this video i know i did :(
Dany1fist 6 months ago 2
so sad
twinkie3113 6 months ago
What's sad is that he said 'I Love You' the night before he died, it's almost like he knew he was going.....
Horseisle2010 6 months ago
It was sad to hear of of the passing of Dr. Pepperberg's 30 year long colleague Alex at the premature age of 31.
birdfangirl 6 months ago
R.i.p Alex♥
majkjems 6 months ago
alex looks so sweet with his scruffy feathers, sad he died :(
jordanlovesmusic84 6 months ago
I have an african grey parrot. It is dumb. It is like with people: There are really smart birds, Like Griffin and Alex, and there are really dumb birds. My bird is wonderful, but she's three years old and can only say one thing. On the other hand, I have another bird (not an african grey,) who is very smart. In my family she knows everyone's names, and you can tell she knows who they represent. She can also say other things, like "Green bird!" and "Pretty bird!" When she wants attention.
iriszilla 7 months ago
@iriszilla: Your African Grey is not dumb -- she just doesn't 'talk' -- using human language is not an indication of being dumb or smart. Dogs don't use human language and are very smart! Enjoy her and accept her for what she is -- a beautiful bird created by God entrusted into your care to love until He calls her home!
wildlifeguardian 7 months ago 23
@wildlifeguardian Don't get me wrong, I love my bird and I take good care of her, but I just must say that she just isn't the brightest bulb in the room. Besides the fact that she doesn't talk, we once put her in a tree in our backyard so she could sit with us, and she actually fell out of the tree. She wasn't hurt or anything and she got back, but it was just a 'seriously?' moment. I understand it's an incredibly smart species, and I love her, but I don't really believe that she's very smart.
iriszilla 7 months ago 6
@iriszilla: Re falling out of the tree: have you ever had her checked out by a bird vet to make sure all is well in that bird body? Or maybe she just got scared 'out there' in the big wide world and 'fainted' off the branch...
wildlifeguardian 7 months ago
@wildlifeguardian yes, she's been checked by our vet and no problems there... bottom line, she has never been very bright, but we love her very much and take good care of her as well as our other parrot. I think part of accepting a species' brilliance is accepting their diversity.
iriszilla 7 months ago
@wildlifeguardian Birds have different personalities and just like humans they differ in intelligence. Some are more cuddly and some are more active and entertaining. Some are clever and solve puzzles others just like the shiny colors.. :P
0HereGoesNothing 3 months ago 3
@iriszilla LMBO! all the more reason to love her even more!!! hehehehehe! silly funny girl
paschalli 6 months ago
@iriszilla
... At first I was going to agree with the video poster about your African Grey simply not being a talker. We can't measure avian mental, emotional, and social intelligence to mammilian. However, after reading your comment about her falling out of the tree... well... she sounds like a very funny but "special" sweetheart hahaha. Adorable.
valaurwen 5 months ago
@iriszilla She wouldn't be blonde by any chance?
Seriously, have you ever set up a camera to see if she talks when nobody's around? Maybe she just doesn't like talking to people. I have a toddler niece like that. Her mom's always worrying that she doesn't talk but she talks lots to me when it's just us. My sister has a habit of giving her what she wants before she asks so she doesn't bother. Maybe there's some way to get your bird to ask for things-like food-instead of just giving it to her.
viera1963 4 months ago
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@iriszilla She wouldn't be blonde by any chance?
Seriously, have you ever set up a camera to see if she talks when nobody's around? Maybe she just doesn't like talking to people. I have a toddler niece like that. Her mom's always worrying that she doesn't talk but she talks lots to me when it's just us. My sister has a habit of giving her what she wants before she asks so she doesn't bother. Maybe there's some way to get your bird to ask for things-like food-instead of just giving it to her.
viera1963 4 months ago
@iriszilla I agree with wildlifeguardian. Your parrot may have a neurological disorder and sb checked by a vet. Sometimes diet can affect them, he should not be falling out of a tree if that is what actually happened. He may also just be shy, or not as verbally communicative as some other Parrots, Greys can be quite subtle are You smart enough to pick up on it?
aviannightmare 4 months ago 5
@wildlifeguardian I believe all those things, but at the same time it's kind of a "you'd understand if you met her" moment. I love her and accept her, but at the same time I acknowledge that she isn't brilliant. I love animals (I do volunteer work for a cat charity,) but I think part of accepting them as a brilliant species is accepting their diversity.
iriszilla 7 months ago
@wildlifeguardian I agree. You shouldt get a parrot just because they talk.. some birds dont want to talk.. and if you want them to talk you have to talk a lot with them, then they will pick up the words they LIKE. and the bird isnt dumb just because it doesnt talk.
TakitoAmiko 6 months ago
You get into it what you put into it. If you teach your bird, then they would learn. Expecting them to "know" or "pick up" or even read your mind as to what you want is stupid. I have had parrots for 32 years. What they dont know is because I never taught them. Every bird (7) in my household is potty trained, talks, and is hand tame to strangers. My african grey can talk, because I taught her to.
teresalee32 6 months ago
@iriszilla She's only 3??? Many parrots don't start really getting their vocabulary until they are teenagers!
Kowakianmonkeylizard 6 months ago
@iriszilla Maybe your pet is too young, and will learn to speak with time?
aaronortiz 5 months ago
@iriszilla You should srsly make a video of your bird by the way.
valaurwen 5 months ago
@iriszilla what if its so smart, it has fooled you into thinking its dumb, just so it wont have to learn the stupid words you try and teach it, your getting owned by a bird and u dont even know it.
xxvladekxx 5 months ago 3
...Towards the end of the video, does anyone else hear the background music that would normally play whenever the character Katz was on the screen in Courage the Cowardly Dog?
progrockcoffee 7 months ago 3
What they should study is if the birds can use language for expression and not just comprehension
Get the bird used to asking for food by saying "gimme a grape," "gimme a cracker," "gimme a peanut." Then if it says "gimme a peanut," give it a grape, a cracker and a peanut and see which it eats. Or give it a cracker and see if it says "gimme a peanut" again.
If they really act like toddlers it should be easy to get them to do that, and it would prove they know what they're saying.
kozmon0t 7 months ago
@kozmon0t While i'm not sure if it's been done empirically (although i wouldn't be surprised if it has), i've heard numerous accounts of what you described (e.g. as in the AG asking for one food, receiving another and rejecting it {chucking it away} until the correct food is given to it)
deoFusion 7 months ago
@deoFusion It would be the equivalent of "Koko's kitten"
kozmon0t 7 months ago
Comment removed
deoFusion 7 months ago
@kozmon0t Actually, Alex the parrot did frequently use the term "want" when asking for a specific treat. You even heard it in this video. "Wanna go back" is how Pepperburg has taught her birds to ask to be taken back to their cage. Look up a video of Alex on youtube. The one you want to see has a thumbnail picture of an African grey eating some corn.
yoru4you 7 months ago
1:41 Ouch...
RedReMeX0 7 months ago
The way Alex said yellow is so cute.
free2drm 7 months ago
I love the parakeet saying: a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush
Cheeseman2271 7 months ago
As soon as Alex said "I love you". . . I broke. My heart just couldn't take it anymore.
GoldenChocobo 7 months ago
@GoldenChocobo Near the end of the video, I mean. That tore my heartstrings after what I just saw and knowing what became of him.
GoldenChocobo 7 months ago
where can i see the whole video ?
DJMikaelito 7 months ago
I have a grey zacko parrot they are so smart and funny never gets boring... =)
DJMikaelito 7 months ago
Bird Brain lol
SamosIMP 7 months ago
I also have a parrot and I love him too. It's the cutest animal in the world! It's my sweetie!
Tiffanyprague 7 months ago
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I also have a parrot and I love him too. It's the cutest animal in the world! It's my sweetie!
Tiffanyprague 7 months ago
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I also have a parrot and I love him too. It's the cutest animal in the world! It's my sweetie!
Tiffanyprague 7 months ago
Well, I think it's about time we discard this mentality that we're inherently special, brighter, and occupy a special place in nature. Our intelligence, culture, everything that makes us uniquely human, is a matter of degree, not kind.
McTaggStar 8 months ago 32
@McTaggStar I agree completely, I'm so glad someone has this same view as me. I study psychology at school and most of my classmates didn't even realise that humans were animals. It made me so mad
llamasrule4ever22 7 months ago
@llamasrule4ever22: Absolutely. It's something that is difficult to come to grips with. We see ourselves as extra-animalia because we speak to each other, wear cloths, have cultural traditions, and we don't see other animals doing these things; ergo, we're not animals, but something more. But it just turns out we haven't looked close enough. If you're enjoying psychology, take an anthropology course. That's my major. Psych and anthro make good compliments.
McTaggStar 7 months ago 2
@McTaggStar Agreed. African Greys are super smart. My family has one and his vocabulary can almost match mine, lol. He's amazing. And if he doesn't know what he's saying, he has some pretty spectacular coincidental timing.
tacosauce926 6 months ago
ALEX the genius parrot!
SuperKsunja 8 months ago
RIP ALEX
Ichliebemusikundybd 8 months ago
man it was so sad to see alex pass away i skipped that part it was so sad when he said i love you
miriammiri123 8 months ago
aww when the cutest type of parrot in the world said i love you in the beginning i was AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH I LOVE YOU TOO
miriammiri123 8 months ago
God I hope they bred Alex with another parrot.... animals are just like plants, if you have plants that look good you keep breading them.
BeAsTm0aD 8 months ago
@BeAsTm0aD Your mindset is flawed and promotes the notion that animals are mere ''objects'', there's a big difference between plants and animals and if you continue to fail to acknowledg this then perhaps you're deficient in intelligence, good luck!
Ichliebemusikundybd 8 months ago
I want to see Shatner talk to a bird...
andrewc513 8 months ago
1:01 .. YODA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AllanokayPedersen 8 months ago
Bird at 1:01 has a Scottish accent :-D
MrFiddle94 8 months ago
hahahahha a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. love the accent
ianhouck 8 months ago
such a cutie!
miriammiri123 8 months ago
how sad. "I love you...", and then..! D:
khaza1wolfgurl 8 months ago
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Hi, I’m a psych grad and I have created a lecture series on the Psychology of Animal Learning, do check out my channel if you are interested.
flybybutterflies 8 months ago
haha at 1:35 so funny!
ancientu2 9 months ago
I wonder if there is similarity between Alex and Griffin; they are both feather pluckers. Feather plucking is NOT a good sign and can lead to future mental and health issues. I'd be more concerned about that then what Griffin knows.
sheenacamp 9 months ago
@sheenacamp Feather plucking is not a characterized personality trait as you describe, it can be among many things including but not limited to stress, anxiety, over worked, not being fed, having something a certian way for years and then change, alot of parrots hate change.
bitteredgeband 8 months ago
@bitteredgeband I never said it was a personality trait; I was merely wondering at why these 2 birds are both pluckers. I have birds and I know what causes the plucking as well as the potential future health issues. I just find it fascinating that both of these seemingly exceptionally intelligent birds both have the same potentially dangerous issue.
sheenacamp 8 months ago
@sheenacamp it's probably like humans and bi-polar disorder. I have known and know of many extraordinarily talented people who have bi-polar and they do the human equivalent of tearing feathers out...ie overdosing on drugs, self medicating....etc. Thank God this bird had a life where he could express himself
MrYourekiddingme 8 months ago
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@sheenacamp Feather plucking is not a characterized personality trait as you describe, it can be among many things including but not limited to stress, anxiety, over worked, not being fed, having something a certian way for years and then change, alot of parrots hate change.
bitteredgeband 8 months ago
he could by posibile died because is to intelligent ?
vladarte 9 months ago
i read the book! it was alex that was th bird that changed the way people see birds! griffon was another bird dr. pepperberg was training. read the book alex and me. you will see how birds changed the way people see animals!
TripRollsFace420 9 months ago
My dad just brought one! His companion for his retirement years.
flamerabbit1987 9 months ago
@SentimentalRealism I kind of agree with you, but a lot of animals enjoy learning, i don't think this is slavery lol
QCMissAriane 9 months ago
I followed alex and griffen for quite sometime.. I was wondering when you started teaching cognitive functions? My african grey just turned 3 months and his name is ozzy..I am trying to teach him some shapes and he is doing really well but is this too early to start? I felt so sad when I heard about alex.. that is so hard to still register at this point because I still watch all his videos..
koolgirl1000 9 months ago
cool!! :) that is so awsome!!!! COOL! SO COOL DUDE!
GHJKL659 9 months ago
i think african greys really are smart.. its so sad alex had to pass away :/
dlmichalk12 9 months ago 60
@dlmichalk12 The sad thing is most greys are smarter then most idiots on youtube
*Facepalm*
Degitalxxxde3trgfXXX 5 months ago 3
@dlmichalk12 its a toss up between ravens and african greys over which is the smartest bird.
JustSiouxMe 4 months ago
@SentimentalRealism their feathers do that when they're molting, it happens in the wild too.
WithPie 9 months ago
@SentimentalRealism
you don't own a pet? never have?
mrbarnes86 9 months ago
@SentimentalRealism thats why the bird died prematurely around his 30s when he can live a longer life...the bird was depressed.
BOGZASV8MA 9 months ago
He dies from too many sunflower seeds. Anyone holding a conversation knows how smart parrots are. Irene has a bad attitude and proved nothing.African Greys ane NOT the smartest parrots.
bobinpanama
bobinpanama2007 9 months ago
@wildlifeguardian They didn't record that clip the night before he's passing. That clip is taken from a PBS Scientific American documentary with Alan Alda as the narrator. The clip aired in 1999.
PvtHudson6 10 months ago
@PvtHudson6
What is a dip? bath?
bobinpanama2007 9 months ago
That's so adorable and cute when Griffin couldn't get "8". Their personalities are so amazing and it would be so fascinating to explore
WildAlaskanBlossom 10 months ago
i MISS mY African Grey Parrot :'[ RIP Pepper
Charliescene93 10 months ago
William Shatner FTW!
micahnewman 10 months ago
AWW ALEX WAS SO CUTE
tkmania44 10 months ago
I have an African Gray named Alex too, except she's a girl. She's not extremely intelltgent, but she's not stupid either. She's learned to "answer the phone" whenever she hears it ringing by saying: "Hello? Oh, hi Randy (which is my dad's name). Love you, bye." It's so cute :)
blue3ollie 10 months ago
@Mario78718 Actually, he said "You be good. See you tomorrow. I love you."
blue3ollie 10 months ago
His last words were actually, "Be good. I love you."
She recorded it in her behaviorology book. That clip isn't the original.
MoonFiyr 10 months ago
i have an african grey named guinnesse, he enjoys mixing difforent songs together... and yelling like neighbor. i do believe that alex knew he was going to die that night. thats why he asked if she was going to be in. if she had said no i do believe he would have held out a bit more. he wanted her to know.... i love both of my birds, they are so speecial....
missmarthafawker 10 months ago
@kevluv93 I hope they do. I would make a good pet for them and could weed out troublesome human resistance to the feathered regime.
Useless2112 10 months ago
beautiful birds, i own a african grey he's very smart sadly he's a so called plucker...he talks all the time, soon i want to try to get his used to a harness. If people knew the talents and brains these birds have, we wouldn't we allowed to keep them as bird.
ATouchOfMagic88 11 months ago
Awesome. I once heard what sounded like a dog barking right outside my front door, and I take a look to see a cockatoo sitting on a wire out there, looking at me.
Those birds aren't native to where I live, so it was clearly someone's escaped pet. On reflection I should've tried talking to it.
Dirtfire 11 months ago
lol, i have a parrot, her name is twinkle. when i should leave for school, i should say "bye bye, twinkle" now whenever we pick up the key and walk towards the door, she says bye bye... i think they know when to say each word, like in the morning, you will say good morning, they will learn that!!!
1SEXCEYEZ1 11 months ago
@VlogAnna actually it was a nail, just what's called a "ringshank nail." Don't hate on Alex!
elconquistador33 1 year ago
You don't see many parrot shows on AnimalPlanet anymore, unfortunately they are all on stupid snakes, reptiles, crocodiles, spiders, etc. :(
CPSEmiliSkoolCaptain 1 year ago 4
@VlogAnna It is a nail,,, its a extra grip nail,, as a screw would have a slotted head or a cross head, these are ridges not a thread, so the bird is actually more intelligent then you are at diy
tonyshayne 1 year ago
All gods people pray to jesus christ to be safe during tribulation
bass109 1 year ago
i think Tweety is the smartest of all birds..
EvolutionIXRR 1 year ago