How a Parrot Learns its Name in the Wild

Biologist Karl Berg asks the question, "How do parrots learn their names?" Are they genetically encoded or are the learned from their parents? In this video, Producer Marc Dantzker delves into Karl's work and explains how this simple question is shedding light on one of nature's most complex communication systems.

• Category

  Education

[TheKimberly1975]

Fascinating! Now the next question is: who assigns the names? The parents or the chicks themselves? I imagine you'd have to work backwards from the point of "name" ID and see who "said" it first; the parents or the chicks? I'd be interested to know the answer!

[Bhav341]

my niece ate chicken nuggets as a toddler - but when she was 4, the first time her parents put a whole roasted chicken on the table, she realized just what a chicken was - and was horrified - cried and cried about how the chicken should be off flying around with his friends, not dead on their table. Of course, she got over it, and is now a good little meat eater - but it goes to show that human compassion can be stamped out of us by repeated exposure to what is "normal" (meat eating)

[umar hathab]

what to say.. no words....... mashallah allah's creation

[DogFoxHybrid]

Why can't I hold all these fluffies?

[xXAISPXx]

It has to be the parent for the choices you gave for two reasons: the chicks haven't fully developed their communication (but they can still communicate like a baby mumbling) and the chicks depend on mimicry.

[La Furst]

That depends on your definition of cruel. Do you understand that birds in the wild spend approx. 60% of their time finding food, and 40% trying not to BE food? My 'caged' parrots sleep in their cages, but have lots of out time, eat better (and healthier) than we do, have more toys than our friends' human children, and have their own backyard aviary to play/sun in. They PREFER to be in the house with their humans. They are fully flighted. None have ever tried to escape. Cruel? They say no.

[Faye Wirth]

Please do not encourage caging parrots. Its cruel.

[justarusty1]

Chuck, thank you so much. My husband has been threatening to harm her if she doesn't stop. I told him he was reinforcing her behavior. I'll try this!

I love her and have had her for 19 years.

[Chuck Farley]

try not reinforcing negative behavior. When your parrot exhibits negative behaviors do not respond by scolding or otherwise providing attention to the bird. What works best for screeching is to not say anything and just cover the cage completely with a sheet. Leave sheet in place only for 5 minutes or soon after the bird stops screeching. Your parrot will soon learn that screeching results in the cage being covered. It is important not to leave the cage covered longer than 5 mins or lesson lost.

[Techition]

Sadly youtube's character limit on comments makes me have to cut some things short in order to fit my replies which can make them seem more aggressive than I intend. I'm not trying to rip into you, believe if I was my comments would be a lot more vulgar. I do try to make it clear but sadly some just don't listen, I have friends who are vegans but I have run across extremists, do you know any way to get those to take the hint without me having to get aggressive?