Added: 4 years ago
From: falconrye
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  • How do I get a parrot like this?

  • He was an amazing bird, and I think did a lot to help people recognize the cognitive abilities of animals. What I always wondered was this - was he under some kind of stress or did he really not like learning/practicing all those things? He plucked his feathers a lot, and that's usually a sign of an unhappy bird due to stress or lack of interaction. Obviously the second is not the case, so...

  • That wasn't water. Wtf?

  • I typed my name into google to see what the first thing was thy would come up and it was a wiki article about this parrot. I cried so hard when I found out he died. So sad.... And whats up with all his feathers just btw?

  • May he rest in peace...

  • That's a fabulous parrot. I tried to train mine for years and succeeding in only making it talk a few words, something like 'somebody knock on the door.' (My parrot couldn't say knocked - it said knock always).

  • I have the same parrot in his feathers arent messed up like that I feel bad for him.probaly they rape him so he could say stuff like we do.

  • What's wrong with this poor parrot?! There's something in his thigh's like two things. And his feather's look like they've been plucked off!

  • When Alex died in September 2007, his last words to Irene Pepperberg (woman in this video) were "You be good. I love you." No lie, Google it.

    :*(

  • I'm skeptical about this "test".

  • holy fuck

  • this is amazing and scary as hell

  • What he meant was"Can I go back to the store"

  • @Apol707 What? What the fuck do you mean, he hadn't lived in a store for nearly thirty years. What a dumbass.

  • PLANET OF THE PARROTS !

  • He didn't even make a remark about her very irritating tone. What a polite parrot.

  • Crows are smarter....

  • I know of alex and understand that he is very clever and a longstanding "trainee" but looking at this video it would appear he's been plucking his own feathers (an obvious sign of stress), together with continually asking to "go back" suggests he is not happy. I would be embarrassed to have my boy on any public video looking like that. In fact, I;'d bve embarrassed as a parrot lover if my boy ever looked like that either on video or not

  • anyone who thinks that parrot is unhappy or mistreated is an idiot. and clearly the water looked tinted because of the color of the bowl.

  • at least reward him with a treat, and god he wanted water not orange juice or waht ever that was! listen to your own bird more retard

  • I for one welcome our new parrot overloads...

  • hes losing his feathers, he saying he wants to go back to his home in Africa and he doesn't like white people

  • @EliteBusJr It's called molting. If you knew anything about birds, you'd know that. Maybe you should go on Netflix and watch the whole documentary on Alex.

  • @EliteBusJr He's molting idiot. He probably wasn't even from Africa in the beginning I'm sure he was bred in captivity. You're not winning any points with your unintelligent comments.

  • @EliteBusJr ohhhh i see what you did there , you clever son of a bitch .

  • That Grey looks unhappy or bored or something, his feathers are not there as a grey should have showing sings of depression

  • worked the poor guy too hard.

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  • I love how people are making ill informed assumptions on this video. Read "Alex and Me" and then make a more informed decision about Alex and Dr. Pepperberg. He had time to himself and with other birds. It's also hilarious when people say it's a load of crap and then feel bad for him when he says "wanna go back" - bit contradictive. He was usually put back in his cage when he said that. Alex had a life of luxury compared to most parrots who sit in the corner of a room for 15 hours a day, alone.

  • that bird doesn't seem happy/healthy..

  • @FlyinGuyGirl he was about 30 when they did this interview

  • she has to much time on her hands

  • This is kinda sad actually. I really hope that parrat has more of a life than just nameing stuff.

  • Anyone else notice that for the test with the blocks and cars she makes sure to get Alex to peck at a green car, green block, blue car and blue block before she asks him anything? Hmm...

  • So many people here thinking Alex is abused.

    Makes me feel like crying.

  • lol the bird wants to go back stop forcing education on him D;

  • I think he wants go back

  • lol he didnt seem in the mood lol he kept wanting to go bak lol

  • what's the point?

  • LET HIM GO BACK YOU BITCH!

  • thats adorable...

  • Humanity will fall once parrots become this smart.

    Now, they can generalize.

    Tomorrow, they'll learn Metalcrafting

    And then, they'll learn how to wage war on humanity.

  • poor bird what did you do to its wings

  • ''can i go back'' LOL

  • Oh now thats just cruel. He wanted water not piss. I wouldnt drink that either.

  • @TylerThrashPeace

    The colour may be a result of added vitamins

  • @TylerThrashPeace You Idiot, that's not piss, those are vitamins in his water, i give the same thing to my parakeet.

  • can i go back?

  • @YZFR1mart

    Actually he could name how many of a certain colour keys there were amongst many other similar situations! That's just the tip of the iceberg. Read the book Alex & Me if you want to have an informed opinion.

  • yea its suppose to be blocks, with a "s"

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  • his voice is adorale!!

    I love Alex:) and btw my name is Alex too

  • The thing is I believe all of this is setup.. trained, that the parrot just mimics voice, and repeats a learned line .. 

  • @Narraxus The parrot has learned the same way as a dog would learn the various items, he can recognise them and actively think through what is asked of him. It takes years of work to build up a parrot to do this but they can think things through, otherwise they wouldn't survive in the wild. It's not a setup.

  • @Eppeh Oh, I didn't know that. :) Thing is I rly want to believe that, but something keeps me skeptic. The way they mimic sounds from thier environment is rly stunning :) They're very intelligent birds

  • I think Alex is great and also admire the work put into him, here is a scientists response on Alex too so don't just judge my opinion..

    But is Alex thinking? "I would say minimally," Dr. Terrace responded. "In every situation, there is an external stimulus that guides his response." Thought, he said, involves the ability to process information that is not right in front of you.

  • To hell with anyone who still maintains he couldn't understand the questions and answer right. He was an avian genius. Sad that he died so young. Irene did a brilliant job with him.

  • ... Can i have some water? ..

    ...(>O.o)>C[_]...

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  • why are all his feathers falling out?

    normal?

  • @bahamabrunette Alex is just molting, common in all birds :)

  • @theinformationplanet This is true but in parrots it can also be a sign of stress. Though that is often because they are inactive. Parrots love to have things to do. So you are probably right...

  • @bahamabrunette hes 31 years old in this video , hes dead now :(

  • I miss Alex

  • 'Can I go back?' Lool I just think Alex acts like a child xD

  • I love Alex and know he passed in 2007. What is wrong with his feathers? Was he plucking? What happened to his flight feathers? He does not look good at all in this video. Was he able to fly and spend time with Irene other than working on word problems and going back to his cage? Parrots need more interaction than that? This concerns me.

  • @DrAnnMarie its parrot old age effects

  • I love Alexand I know he died in 2007; however, as a parrot owner I want to know what is wrong with his feathers. He does not look good and what happened to his flight feathers? Was he only allowed to work on problems and then go back to his cage? Was he allowed to fly? He looks awful. It looks like he was plucking his feathers--that suggests he was upset. Why wasn't this investigated?

  • Why is Alex having no wing what happened to him he looks messed up I have a grey talking parrot too but his okay

  • YZFR you must be blind, deaf, and dumb not to recognize the intelligence of these bird. Did you not watch the video? I too have a Congo, and he most certainly does realize what he is doing and saying. When he sees a dog outside he barks at it, when he wants my son, he calls to him. Alex is a shining example of their reasoning skills, and your response to the video is evidence of your lack of them. Thank you for showing us all how stupid you are.

  • @Ag00db0y1 ohh we have a youtube agressor :) 1st off, deaf and dumb? what kind of retard comment is that? and even if i was, would you make fun of that? and as for stupid, well i guess you should know someone before making such a pathetic statement. a Parrot.. is a mimicing bird, in other words is repeats what it hears. door bell, kettle boiling, dog barking etc etc. i really think you need to edjcate yourself to the level of your parrot, then come back to talk with me.. OK :)

  • @YZFR1mart I disagree, the video itself (among much more data and research regarding Alex) support the possibility that he spoke with actual understanding rather than repetition. Unless you repeated the same procedures with your own bird under the same conditions and variables and achieved different results then your own bird is irrelevant as a comparison. I'll be going with what Pepperberg recorded and research instead, along with any further peer research. You can return to feeding trolls now

  • @BravoP085 feeding trolls? your wife you mean? i make a comment on youtube about a parrot and i never used sarcastic words or anything, yet fucktards like you always have to have a cheap pop. get a life knob head. yes i have an african grey and i'm an animal lover... but it dosnt mean i have to think like you about their intellect does it? they can MIMMIC words/sounds and thats it. live with it.

  • @YZFR1mart Dawww someones being a youtube aggressor, and is sensitive too. Sorry to upset you (live with it), but then I wasn't the one who posted assertions without evidence on a video involving the science of parrots. Oh wait, I guess since you own a parrot you're the expert and you know ultimately that all some parrots can ever do is mimic? No actually I bet that's why you're the one posting public tantrums on youtube, and not the one having documentaries made about their research.

  • @BravoP085 lol :) nevermind.. you believe what you want.

  • @YZFR1mart you're wrong though, and you haven't understood the nature of the experiments and how they rule out simple mimcry as a possibility. if you care to know, there's a far more in-depth exploration in vid: 'World Science Festival 2009: Avian Einsteins, Part 3 of 11'. that is, if you aren't already locked into simply defending your position above all else.

  • @YZFR1mart Don't worry, you don't have to hide your lack of a worthy rebuttal with superficial web slang, emoticons and the standard "believe whatever you want." The only person accepting ideas without evidence (belief) is you.

  • @BravoP085 Your another person that sees something on TV or here and takes it as true. Go buy a parrot and do these tests on it year in year out, you will see that just because they can mimic human words it dosnt mean they understand what it truely means. so lets say the parrot knows 4 blue blocks.. do you think if you shown him 4 spoons he would know that answer too? NO ofcourse he wouldnt. so get back in your cage you retarded ape.

  • I have an african grey 11 year old now and love it to bits, although mine also says lots and asks for certain foods and asks "i want to come out" etc.. when you keep one of these birds for a long time you will realise that the words they use are triggered by what you do or say.. repitition is the key to these birds.. They are clever but don't think for one minute that they can do maths or request food or water, like this one asked for water.. to the bird it's just a word it's learned.

  • i want water go back lololol

  • O MY GOD, THATS SO FUCKING HOT, HE IS SO CUTE AND INTELLIGENT

  • let him go back, stop forcing

  • @121mendez He's Dead.

  • This reminds me of the monkey with the intelligence hat in futurama.. He looks like he's about to off himself. Feathers all plucked out from contemplating the meaning of life..

  • We had it wrong its not going to be "Planet of the apes" Its "Planet of the Birds"

  • @andrew1zy Watch Alfred Hitchcocks film 'birds' :P

  • Damn it woman, the parrot wants to go back! Send him back!

  • When birds are missing feathers is because they are sick or they pluck them off due to stress.... Even if you say she is well taken care of... I believe she is stressed and plucking her feathers... What I see is not normal moulting... You're stressing her pushing her to do all those tricks!

  • When he says 'go back', where is he asking to do back to?

  • @cartmanofsp his cage? idk.

  • @cartmanofsp Back in time. He is from the past brought here to the present. Pretty interesting stuff.

  • @milesgti Hardy har har.

  • Wow. Made a comment a month ago, which I thought was rather benign and I keep getting these really nasty replies from strangers. I don't know what compels someone to take time out of their day simply to be an asshole to someone they've never met. Anyway, Alex was one smart parrot!

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  • I read a book on Alex in Barnes and Noble and I fell in love with it. I wish I bought it. It's sad that he's gone. :(

    1:26 - 1:34 "OH GOD WHAT DO I DO?!"

  • He sounds like my grandmother use to at family parties..."i wanna go back"

  • is this bird aware that it will die one day though? that's my question

  • @cober555

    This bird is dead.

  • wow cool

  • so..can I get some water??

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  • i miss alex....

  • Ok this is sad Alex is feather plucking!!!!!!!!!)':

  • He's being hypnotized by the cheese....

  • @Cheezygrl1 wow your dumb its not cheese its a piece of wool

  • @Cheezygrl1 it does kinda look like cheese though, you gotta admit!

  • smart parrot

  • oh man i love parrets awwww

  • that so sad awww

  • aww i want one awww but we cant have pets in our house

  • awww poor thing "can i go back"

  • @twpv71093 I think he wants back in the cage, where all his toys are.

  • LMAO...."Can I go back? .....Can I have some water" That scares me the most. xD

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  • zo ziellig hij vraag steeds of ie terug mag volgens mij vind ie dr niks aan

  • i find it strange hearing another animal speak english :O so cool

    i dont feel so bad for the bird, hes not being abused like some animals are. im sure she didnt let him go back because they were filming

  • they've had their chances to rule the world. they chose to live simple.

  • I hope you all know that Alex died 9 days before this was uploaded...

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  • @lindsayturtle21 Well Alex is dead, so... Not sure if he's having good care.

  • @lindsayturtle21 Hes not molting, hes self-mutilating because he's literally being OVER stimulated. He has too much mental stimulation which is making him stressed (like we get stressed when we have a lot of work to do, alex considers this his job like all his maintenance activities) and therefore he is plucking out his feathers. He was well cared for but at night he was put into a cage with a few perches and a drinks bowl and left alone all night.

  • @AWgingey and where do u get your info.....you obviously smarter then the veterenarian he works with every day

  • @darthjinxxx She knew he was over-stressed there is such a thing as "for the greater good". She was proving that African greys needed more mental stimulation than people assume! I study behaviour in animals as it happens, its my degree. My information is from a number of behaviour students and respectable lecturers, not to mention reputable sources on African Parrot research.

  • @lindsayturtle21 I'm sure he had his primaries cut, so he can't fly. I'm sure he'd prefer to fly than to be able to speak.

  • @wolfy9005 Alex was bought in a normal pet store and had already had his wings cut.

  • @saori90x That's pretty sad. The one thing a bird has that is unique to it, and a human decides to cut it wings then teach it to talk....

  • @wolfy9005 I know. But i just wanted to point out that its not researchers fault that he cant fly. At least he had a nicer life than other birds you see in pet stores.

  • @lindsayturtle21 thanks Captain Obvious. All birds molt at different times throughout the year and yes... he is OBVIOUSLY well taken care of.

  • @BassFIow umm actually your wrong. African greys such as Alex will pluck feathers for many reasons. Boredom, stress are the most common however they also pluck during a state of "puberty" the bird will go through. Also they will pull out feathers if another bird is in the same area constantly, to show male dominance or as a sign to the female. Also, 90% of those feathers will grow back just so you don't freak out about them :D Also I'm pretty sure he's malting :)

  • @Doomcry70 technically African parrots will pluck themselves to due stress or boredom or if there is another bird in the cage to show a sign on dominance. Not due to lack of affection. But yes he does deserve love an affection :D

  • @AussieRangaBabe they pluck from being left alone, boredom, dry feathers, poor diet, habbit, and sad to say Alex will be missed for he has passed away!

  • Learning words associated with objects and saying those words when the object is presented is completely different from being able to use language. He can't produce original sentences, which is what defines language use.

  • My name's Alex... 0.0

  • My name's Alex... 0.0

  • @sace19 As one of the top comments says, go read Alex & Me. The work Alex and Irene did together has made huge strides in people actually respecting birds, and animals in general, as being intelligent and not just "stupid" animals like a lot of people seem to think. He was not mistreated and Irene has nothing but respect and love for birds, it shows in her writing. PETA is thataway ->

  • poor one

    i have exactly the same one but he don't talk that much, but he is not unhappy like alex is

    why does people have to do this to animals

    don't you hear how much alex is asking "can i go back?"

  • poor one

    i have exactly the same one but he don't talk that much, but he is not unhappy like alex is

  • Awesome bird do a good job training him

  • she looks like amy winehouse

  • Lol xD can i have some water? .... I 'm just wondering.. when he asks something does he actually mean it?

  • After every answer... 'Go back?" :P:P:P

  • That is f**king amazing...

  • Clearly bothered and uncomfortable.

    The missing feathers are a dead giveaway for a stressed bird.

    I thought it was just the neck, common. But on the second shot he's missing dozens of feathers... Sad.

  • @BassFIow Most birds in the parrot family, especially males, will lose or pluck feathers after a clutch of eggs hatch. They can look pretty scary. We noticed this with our cockatiels after the chicks hatched. The female even plucked the males head bald. Weaning the chicks after several months reduced the stress and his feathers grew back. Moving to a new home may bother them enough to stress out and lose feathers. They grow back eventually.

  • @Robfre96 NEVERMIND THAN

  • @BassFIow Yeah that's why he's losing feathers.

  • @EddieTheJC dude it's a video about a bird calm down

  • He's been feather plucking D:

  • Dude h

  • dont get me wrong , he can say "can i go back" and " i want some water" on his own ,tahts amazing , but i think he should not get a normal bird life , becaus this is not what he wants .

  • Looks like I don't want to be here. Poor human. Who gives a shit if I can think, what good does that do me? I'm forced to learn shit for hours each day when all I want to be is a bird,

    Poor Alex? Poor me.

  • @filip93s no his feathers r falling of.

  • imagine how weird that must be from the parrot's perspective

  • You know what Alex's last words to his owner Miss Pepperberg was before he died? "You be good. I love you."

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