What happened to Alex the parrot?
But last week Alex, an African Grey parrot, died, apparently of natural causes, said Dr. Irene Pepperberg, a comparative psychologist at Brandeis University and Harvard who studied and worked with the parrot for most of its life and published reports of his progress in scientific journals. The parrot was 31.
What did Alex the parrot do?
Known as one of the most famous African Grey parrots in history, Alex pioneered new avenues in avian intelligence. He possessed more than 100 vocal labels for different objects, actions, and colors and could identify certain objects by their particular material.
What questions did Alex the parrot?
What color?
One of Alex’s most impressive moments was when he asked an existential question about his own appearance. He had been presented with a mirror, and—after observing himself for a moment—he asked, “What color?” He then learned the word “gray”—the color of his feathers—after having it taught to him six times.
What kind of African grey was Alex?
Alex (May 1976 – 6 September 2007) 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.
Is an African grey the smartest bird?
Kept as cherished companions for centuries, it’s no secret that the African Gray parrot is regarded as one of the most intelligent bird species on the planet. In fact, testing concludes that African Grays have intellects on par with human children!
Is the KEA the smartest bird?
Smarter than the Average Monkey The New Zealand Kea, the world’s only alpine parrot is known as the ‘Clown of the Alps’ to South Islanders; and has recently been heralded as the world’s smartest bird (its intelligence rivals a monkey’s) says the Institute of Cognitive Biology in Vienna.
How old was Alex the parrot when he died?
Alex died unexpectedly on September 6, 2007, at the age of 31—much shorter than the average expected lifespan of a parrot in captivity. The last thing he was known to say was a few parting words during his nightly goodbyes exchanged with Dr. Pepperberg.
Do you know of Alex the African gray parrot?
Have you ever heard of Alex the African gray parrot? This revolutionary bird was the colleague and test subject of Dr. Irene Pepperberg for 30 years during her research into animal psychology—particularly that of birds.
Can you help support the Alex Foundation?
Her work depends entirely on private donations, and supporters like you are extremely important to the continuation of this research. The goal of The Alex Foundation is to support research that will expand the base of knowledge establishing the cognitive and communicative abilities of parrots as intelligent beings.
How many words does Alex the parrot know?
Alex the Parrot’s Accomplishments Alex was taught to recognize a variety of different colors, objects, materials, and actions, and he possessed a vocabulary of over 100 words to identify them with. He knew at least 50 individual objects and could count quantities of up to six.