Talking bird

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Video of a caged orange-winged amazon saying "Hello" having been prompted by visitors.
Parrot in Musurgia Universalis (1650) saying Khaire ("hello" in Ancient Greek) Kircher-musurgia-bird-song, parrot.jpg
Parrot in Musurgia Universalis (1650) saying Χαῖρε ("hello" in Ancient Greek)

Talking birds are birds that can mimic the speech of humans. There is debate within the scientific community over whether some talking parrots also have some cognitive understanding of the language. Birds have varying degrees of talking ability: some, like the corvids, are able to mimic only a few words and phrases, while some budgerigars have been observed to have a vocabulary of almost 2,000 words. The common hill myna, a common pet, is well known for its talking ability and its relative, the common starling, is also adept at mimicry. [1] Wild cockatoos in Australia have been reported to have learned human speech by cultural transmission from ex-captive birds that have integrated into the flock. [2]

Contents

The earliest reference to a talking bird comes from Ctesias in the 5th century BC. The bird, which he called Bittacus, [3] may have been a plum-headed parakeet. [4]

Process

The young of some birds learn to communicate vocally by social learning, imitating their parents, as well as the dominant birds of their flock. Lacking vocal cords, birds are thought to make tones and sounds using throat muscles and membranes – the syrinx in particular. [5] There are likely to be limitations on the sounds that birds can mimic due to differences in anatomical structures, such as their lacking lips.

It has been suggested that mimicry amongst birds is almost ubiquitous and it is likely that eventually, all species will be shown to be able to have some ability to mimic extra-specific sounds (but not necessarily human speech). [6] Mimicking human speech is not limited to captive birds. Wild Australian magpies, lyrebirds and bowerbirds that interact with humans but remain free can still mimic human speech. [6]

Songbirds and parrots are the two groups of birds able to learn and mimic human speech. [5] [7] However, it has been found that the mynah bird, part of the starling family, can also be conditioned to learn and create human speech. [8] Pet birds can be taught to speak by their owners by mimicking their voice. If then introduced to wild birds, the wild birds may also mimic the new sounds. This phenomenon has been observed in public parks in Sydney, Australia, where wild parrots utter phrases such as "Hello darling!" and "What's happening?" [5]

Types

Waterfowl (order Anseriformes)

Ducks, geese, swans (family Anatidae)

Biziura lobata , a musk duck native to Australia mimics human speech. [9]

Parrots (order Psittaciformes)

Cockatoos (family Cacatuidae)

Australian galahs (Eolophus roseicapilla) can talk, although not as well as some other parrots. Male galahs are reportedly easier to teach than females. [10]

The long-billed corella (Cacatua tenuirostris) is described as being able to talk "very clearly". [11]

The yellow-crested cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea) is rated as a fair-to-good talker. [12] [13]

African and New World parrots (family Psittacidae)

The African grey parrots ( Psittacus ) are particularly noted for their advanced cognitive abilities and their ability to talk. There are two commonly kept species of which the Timneh parrot (Psittacus timneh) tends to learn to speak at a younger age than the Congo parrot (Psittacus erithacus). [14] Pet Congo greys may learn to speak within their first year, but many do not say their first word until 12–18 months old. [15] Timnehs are generally observed to start speaking earlier, some in their late first year. [16]

The monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus), sometimes known as the quaker parakeet, is also a skilled talker. [14]

Many species of the genus Amazona are talkers, including the yellow-headed parrot (Amazona oratrix), yellow-crowned parrot (Amazona ochrocephala), yellow-naped parrot (Amazona auropalliata), blue-fronted parrot (Amazona aestiva), white-fronted parrot (Amazona albifrons), lilac-crowned amazon (Amazona finschi), orange-winged parrot (Amazona amazonica), Panama amazon (Amazona ochrocephala panamensis) and mealy parrot (Amazona farinosa). [14] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] They tend to relate sounds to relationships more than grey parrots, thereby outperforming grey parrots in more social environments.

Macaws can also be considered to be good talkers.

Old World parrots (family Psittaculidae)

The Australian king parrot (Alisterus scapularis) can be trained to talk if it is hand-reared. [23]

The eclectus parrot (Eclectus) is a strong talker, although these abilities depend entirely on training from an early age. [14]

The slaty-headed parakeet (Psittacula himalayana) generally does not learn to talk. [24]

The blossom-headed parakeet (Psittacula roseata) is rare and therefore not often kept as a pet, however, they are good talkers. [25]

The Derbyan parakeet (Psittacula derbianais) is an excellent talker. The clarity of their speech has been compared to that of amazon parrots although they may not learn extensive vocabularies. [26]

The African rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri krameri), a subspecies of the rose-ringed parakeet, can also talk, but some may never learn if not trained at an early age. [27] The Indian rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri manillensis), another subspecies of the rose-ringed parakeet, is an accomplished talker and popular pet which can develop a large vocabulary and talk clearly in sentences. [14]

The budgerigar, or common parakeet (Melopsittacus undulatus), is a popular talking-bird species because of their potential for large vocabularies, ease of care and well-socialized demeanor. [28] Between 1954 and 1962, a budgerigar named Sparkie Williams held the record for having the largest vocabulary of a talking bird; at his death, he knew 531 words and 383 sentences. [3] In 1995, a budgerigar named Puck was credited by Guinness World Records as having the largest vocabulary of any bird, at 1,728 words. [29]

The black-winged lovebird (Agapornis taranta) can talk if trained at an early age; however, they only rarely develop into competent talkers. [30]

Passerines (order Passeriformes)

Lyrebirds (family Menuridae)

In Australia, lyrebirds are great mimics of many sounds, including the human voice. Lyrebirds have three syringeal muscles whereas most other songbirds have four. This could make the syrinx of the lyrebird more flexible. [6] [31] In a study comparing the sonograms of lyrebirds and Australian magpies during mimicking, the author stated that the mimicry of the lyrebird was "impressionistic" while that of the magpie was "realistic". [6]

Honeyeaters (family Meliphagidae)

The tūī is a bird of New Zealand that has been known to mimic human speech. [32]

Woodswallows, butcherbirds and allies (family Artamidae)

One hand-raised Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) developed the ability to mimic human speech, including words and phrases. This individual mimicked a large number of (non-human) sounds, but a third of all mimicked sounds were of human speech. [6] The author stated that mimicry by the magpie was far more accurate than that of the lyrebird. [6]

Crows, jays (family Corvidae)

Several members of the corvids or crow family, such as ravens, can mimic human speech. The best talking crows may be the ones found in captivity at zoos and wildlife centers. [33] [34]

Mockingbirds, thrashers (family Mimidae)

The northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos), as both the common and taxonomic names suggest, are mimickers of a great number of sounds. This includes human speech. [35]

Starlings, rhabdornises (family Sturnidae)

The common hill myna (Gracula religiosa) is renowned for its ability to mimic the human voice. It has been claimed that the common hill mynah is the best talking bird and the best mimic in the world. [36]

The common starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is an exceptional mimic, including human speech. [37] Its ability at mimicry is so great that strangers have looked in vain for the human they think they have just heard speak. [38]

Finches, euphonias (family Fringillidae)

A domestic canary (Serinus canaria forma domestica) named Pinchi, who lived in 1966 from 2–3 months of age with a resident of the city of Leningrad, learned to imitate the human speech of his owner-educator and weave it into his song. The bird began to repeat the tunes of its mistress's high voice "Pinchi, Briks – cute birds, weird little birds, these are these birds" after 4 months and in year and a half canary Pinchi completely formed his song from the words of human speech and the trills of birds. The singing of canary Pinchi, containing the words of human speech, was recorded on a tape recorder, and then published on a gramophone record in the record company Melodiya. In 1976, copies of this record were attached to the book by A. S. Malchevsky and co-authors "Birds in front of a microphone and a camera", and were also sold separately. [39] [40] [41] [42]

Function

Several theories have been proposed regarding the function of audible mimicry in general; however, these do not make a specific theory regarding why human speech is mimicked. Several of the theories will apply to only some species due to social structure, habitat and behavioural ecology.

Mistaken copying

It has been suggested that (general) mimicry of non-bird related sounds is simply a mistaken attempt to copy species-specific calls. [6]

Flock recognition

In the wild, flocks of parrots develop distinct local dialects. Research indicates they use these to distinguish familiar members of their flock from unfamiliar birds of other flocks. Birds respond more to vocalisations that are familiar to their own, and they ostracize individuals that vocalise in a different way. Birds raised in captivity might mimic humans, particularly their owners, to gain acceptance as a member of the family (flock). If they hear a word or phrase repeatedly, they might interpret that as a vocalisation distinct to their flock. They then attempt to make the vocalisation themselves to maintain their membership of that flock. If the parrot gets no response when it squawks a natural parrot vocalisation, but receives attention or food when it mimics human speech, it has an extra incentive to repeat human words and phrases. [43]

Territoriality

The territorial song of lyrebirds is relatively simple and substantially different from that of the sounds they mimic—including human speech.

Sexual selection for large repertoire

One proposed[ citation needed ] function for (general) mimicry is that mimics have evolved to have a wide repertoire of vocalisations to increase their reproductive success. The male lyrebird, for example, adorns his song with many different mimicked sounds, often the songs of other nearby birds, but can include car horns, chainsaws and barking dogs.

Anti-predation

General mimicry may help a bird prevent itself or its offspring from being preyed upon. For example, the Australian magpie mimics the call of the barking owl and the boobook owl, both predators of the magpie's young.

Auditory map

Some birds, such as the Australian magpie, mimic only those noises it hears whilst in its territory. It has been suggested that birds with complex social organisation may develop an auditory map of their territory, as well as visual, and that mimicking facilitates this process. [6]

Cognition controversy

There is controversy about whether parrots are capable of using language, or merely mimic what they hear. However, some scientific studies—for example those conducted over a 30-year period by Irene Pepperberg with a grey parrot named Alex and other parrots, covered in stories on network television on numerous occasions [44] —have suggested that these parrots are capable of using words meaningfully in linguistic tasks. [45]

Some in the scientific community are skeptical of Pepperberg's findings, pointing to Alex's communications as operant conditioning. [46] Critics point to the case of Clever Hans, a horse whose owner claimed could count, but who instead was actually understanding subtle cues from him. [47] In another case, Nim Chimpsky, a chimpanzee, was thought to be using language, but there is some debate over whether he simply imitated his teacher. [47] Dr. Herbert Terrace, who worked with Nim Chimpsky, says he thinks Alex performed by rote rather than using language; he calls Alex's responses "a complex discriminating performance", adding that in every situation, "there is an external stimulus that guides his response." [47] However, supporters of Alex mention that Alex was able to talk to and perform for anyone involved in the project as well as complete strangers who recorded findings unassisted and during first contact with the bird, making the arguments of rote learning and operant conditioning difficult to substantiate. [48]

Scientists in France and the Czech Republic have also had some success in teaching grey parrots to label items referentially using human language, albeit using a different teaching methodology to that of Pepperberg—which was found to be ineffective in the case of the particular birds within the study. [49]

Famous talking birds

Alex, a grey parrot, had a vocabulary of about 100 words, substantially fewer than world record holders, [50] but he is perhaps the best known talking bird due to the publicity surrounding his potential cognitive abilities. In learning to speak, Alex showed scientist Irene Pepperberg that he understood categorization like "same and different" and "bigger and smaller". He could identify objects by their shape ("Three-corner", "Four-corner", up to "Six-corner") and material: when shown a pom-pom or a wooden block, he could answer "Wool" or "Wood" correctly, approximately 80% of the time. Alex could identify the difference between yellow and green same-sized objects by saying "Color" or identify a larger one by naming its color. If asked what the difference was between two identical blue keys, Alex learned to reply, "None" (he pronounced it "Nuh"). [51] [52] [53] Alex died on September 6, 2007. [54]

"Prudle" held the Guinness World Record for many years as the bird with the largest vocabulary - a documented 800 words. [55]

"N'kisi", another grey parrot, is noted for his impressive English usage skills and other abilities. As of January 2004, he had a documented vocabulary of 950 words. N'kisi is believed to be one of the most advanced users of human language in the animal world. [56]

"Einstein" appeared on many television shows and became famous for his ability to recreate sounds as well as talking. Video clips show him making the sound of a laser beam generator and an evil-sounding laugh. He has been trained by Stephanie White. [57]

Grip was a raven kept as a pet by Charles Dickens. She knew several phrases, including "halloa, old girl", [58] and was the basis for an integral character in Dickens's novel Barnaby Rudge . [59] [60] On more than one occasion, Grip's untimely utterances affect the course of the narrative. Grip was the inspiration for Edgar Allan Poe's poem The Raven .

In fiction

Talking birds are used as a plot element in fiction, notably in many works by Gabriel García Márquez. [61]

Parrots

Happy Hooligan attempting to rescue a talking parrot in a 1909 comic strip Happy Hooligan! The Night was Dark and Stormy! (May 2, 1909) (cropped).jpg
Happy Hooligan attempting to rescue a talking parrot in a 1909 comic strip

Corvids

Mynahs

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyrebird</span> Genus of birds

A lyrebird is either of two species of ground-dwelling Australian birds that compose the genus Menura, and the family Menuridae. They are most notable for their impressive ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds from their environment, and the striking beauty of the male bird's huge tail when it is fanned out in courtship display. Lyrebirds have unique plumes of neutral-coloured tailfeathers and are among Australia's best-known native birds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Budgerigar</span> Small, long-tailed, seed-eating parakeet

The budgerigar, also known as the common parakeet, shell parakeet or budgie, is a small, long-tailed, seed-eating parrot. Naturally, the species is green and yellow with black, scalloped markings on the nape, back, and wings. Budgies are bred in captivity with colouring of blues, whites, yellows, greys, and even with small crests. Juveniles and chicks are monomorphic, while adults are told apart by their cere colouring, and their behaviour.

Irene Maxine Pepperberg is an American scientist noted for her studies in animal cognition, particularly in relation to parrots. She has been a professor, researcher and/or lecturer at multiple universities, and she is currently an Adjunct Research Professor at Boston University. Pepperberg also serves on the Advisory Council of METI. She is well known for her comparative studies into the cognitive fundamentals of language and communication, and she was one of the first to work on language learning in animals other than primate species, by extension to a bird species. Pepperberg is also active in wildlife conservation, especially in relation to parrots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose-ringed parakeet</span> Species of bird

The rose-ringed parakeet, also known as the ringneck parrot or the Kramer parrot, is a medium-sized parrot in the genus Psittacula, of the family Psittacidae. It has disjunct native ranges in Africa and the Indian Subcontinent, and is now introduced into many other parts of the world where feral populations have established themselves and are bred for the exotic pet trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plum-headed parakeet</span> Species of bird

The plum-headed parakeet is a species of parakeet in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent and was once thought to be conspecific with the blossom-headed parakeet before being elevated to a full species. Plum-headed parakeets are found in flocks, the males having a pinkish purple head and the females, a grey head. They fly swiftly with twists and turns accompanied by their distinctive calls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandrine parakeet</span> Species of bird

The Alexandrine parakeet, also known as the Alexandrine parrot, is a medium-sized parrot in the genus Psittacula of the family Psittaculidae, native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is named after Alexander the Great, who transported numerous birds from Punjab to various European and Mediterranean countries and regions, where they were prized by the royalty, nobility and warlords.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex (parrot)</span> Parrot used for experiments

Alex was a grey parrot and the subject of a thirty-year experiment by animal psychologist Irene Pepperberg, initially at the University of Arizona and later at Harvard University and Brandeis University. When Alex was about one year old, Pepperberg bought him at a pet shop. In her book "Alex & Me", Pepperberg describes her unique relationship with Alex and how Alex helped her understand animal minds. Alex was an acronym for avian language experiment, or avian learning experiment. He was called the "Einstein of parrots" and at two years old was correctly answering questions made for six-year-old humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Companion parrot</span> Type of pet

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-winged parakeet</span> Species of bird

The blue-winged parakeet, also known as the Malabar parakeet is a species of parakeet endemic to the Western Ghats of southern India. Found in small flocks, they fly rapidly in forest clearings while making screeching calls that differ from those of other parakeet species within their distribution range. Their long blue tails tipped in yellow and the dark wings with blue contrast with the dull grey of their head and body. Adult males and females can be easily told apart from the colour of their beak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Echo parakeet</span> Species of parrot endemic to Mauritius

The echo parakeet is a species of parrot endemic to the Mascarene Islands of Mauritius and formerly Réunion. It is the only living native parrot of the Mascarene Islands; all others have become extinct due to human activity. Two subspecies have been recognised, the extinct Réunion parakeet and the living echo parakeet, sometimes known as the Mauritius parakeet. The relationship between the two populations was historically unclear, but a 2015 DNA study determined them to be subspecies of the same species by comparing the DNA of echo parakeets with a single skin thought to be from a Réunion parakeet, but it has also been suggested they did not constitute different subspecies. As it was named first, the binomial name of the Réunion parakeet is used for the species; the Réunion subspecies thereby became P. eques eques, while the Mauritius subspecies became P. eques echo. Their closest relative was the extinct Newton's parakeet of Rodrigues, and the three are grouped among the subspecies of the rose-ringed parakeet of Asia and Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barred parakeet</span> Species of bird

The barred parakeet, also known as the lineolated parakeet or the Catherine parakeet, is a small parrot found disjunctly in highland forests from southern Mexico to Panama, in the Andes from western Venezuela to southern Peru and Bolivia, the Santa Marta Mountains in Colombia and the Venezuelan Coastal Range. Its plumage is mostly green with multiple black and dark green stripes or bars, and it has a pale-horn coloured beak. The dark stripes vary in prominence between its two subspecies. Several colour mutants are available in aviculture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superb lyrebird</span> Species of bird

The superb lyrebird is an Australian passerine songbird, one of two species from the family Menuridae, with the other being the much rarer Albert's lyrebird. It is one of the world's largest songbirds, and is renowned for its elaborate tail and courtship displays, and its excellent mimicry. The species is endemic to Australia and is found in forest in the southeast of the country. According to David Attenborough, the superb lyrebird displays one of the most sophisticated voice skills within the animal kingdom—"the most elaborate, the most complex, and the most beautiful".

N'kisi is a grey parrot thought to exhibit advanced English talking skills and other abilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feral parrot</span> Parrot in non-native environment

A feral parrot is a parrot that has adapted to life in an ecosystem to which it is not native. The birds are often descended from pets that have escaped or been deliberately released. Many species of parrots are highly social, and like to gather in large flocks. Not all feral parrots are able to adapt to life outside of captivity, although having a pre-existing nearby parrot colony can assist with the adaptation process.

A talking animal or speaking animal is any non-human animal that can produce sounds or gestures resembling those of a human language. Several species or groups of animals have developed forms of communication which superficially resemble verbal language, however, these usually are not considered a language because they lack one or more of the defining characteristics, e.g. grammar, syntax, recursion, and displacement. Researchers have been successful in teaching some animals to make gestures similar to sign language, although whether this should be considered a language has been disputed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parrot</span> Order of birds

Parrots (Psittaciformes), also known as psittacines, are birds with a strong curved beak, upright stance, and clawed feet. They are conformed by four families that contain roughly 410 species in 101 genera, found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. The four families are the Psittaculidae, Psittacidae, Cacatuoidea (cockatoos), and Strigopidae. One-third of all parrot species are threatened by extinction, with a higher aggregate extinction risk than any other comparable bird group. Parrots have a generally pantropical distribution with several species inhabiting temperate regions as well. The greatest diversity of parrots is in South America and Australasia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birds of Eden</span> Zoo in Western Cape, South Africa

Birds of Eden is the world's largest free flight aviary and bird sanctuary, located in Kurland village near Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape, South Africa. The mesh dome of the sanctuary was built over 2.3 hectares of indigenous forest, and is up to 55 metres (180 ft) above ground level. 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) of walkways, about 75% of which are elevated, let visitors see the birds at all levels of the aviary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mascarene grey parakeet</span> Extinct parrot from Mauritius and Réunion

The Mascarene grey parakeet, Mauritius grey parrot, or Thirioux's grey parrot, is an extinct species of parrot which was endemic to the Mascarene Islands of Mauritius and Réunion in the western Indian Ocean. It has been classified as a member of the tribe Psittaculini, along with other parrots from the Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey parrot</span> Species of bird

The grey parrot, also known as the Congo grey parrot, Congo African grey parrot or African grey parrot, is an Old World parrot in the family Psittacidae. The Timneh parrot (Psittacus timneh) once was identified as a subspecies of the grey parrot, but has since been elevated to a full species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apollo (parrot)</span> African grey parrot featured on YouTube

Apollo is an African grey parrot and the subject of the popular YouTube channel "Apollo and Frens" run by Victoria (Tori) Lacey and Dalton Mason. Apollo has been described as having the intelligence of a "human toddler" and can answer numerous complex questions in English.

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Further reading