Of all the creatures inhabiting our planet, the ability to produce human language seems to be uniquely shared between us and birds. Among the avian species known for mimicking human speech – including mynah birds, crows, and ravens – parrots stand out as the true virtuosos. They aren’t just mimicking sounds; parrots have been known to deliver TED talks, converse in multiple languages, and even front heavy metal bands. This begs the fascinating question: Why Can Parrots Talk, especially when our closest primate relatives cannot?
The answer lies in the fact that parrots are vocal learners. This means they learn to produce sounds by listening to and imitating them. While some other bird species also possess this ability to a certain extent, parrots are exceptionally skilled at it.
According to Erich Jarvis, a neuroscientist at Duke University and an expert in vocal learning, the secret behind parrot’s talking prowess lies in their unique brain structure. Jarvis’s research, published in PLoS One, reveals that vocal learning birds have a dedicated brain region called the ‘song system.’ However, parrots possess a distinctive feature: their song system has two layers – an inner ‘core,’ which is common to all vocal learning birds, and an outer ‘shell,’ which is found exclusively in parrots. This recently discovered ‘shell’ is believed to be the key component that empowers parrots to become such exceptional mimics, although the precise mechanisms are still under investigation.
But why do parrots choose to imitate human speech? The driving force behind this behavior is surprisingly relatable: peer pressure. Parrots have a natural inclination to fit in and bond with their social group, whether it’s a flock of other parrots or a human family.
In their natural habitat, parrots utilize their vocal abilities to exchange vital information and strengthen their bonds within the flock, explains Irene Pepperberg, a research associate and lecturer at Harvard, renowned for her work on the intelligence of Alex, an African Grey Parrot. “A solitary parrot in the wild is extremely vulnerable,” Pepperberg points out. “It becomes challenging to simultaneously forage for food and remain vigilant for predators.” Living in a flock allows parrots to share responsibilities and enhance their collective survival.
Parrots are remarkably adaptable in their vocalizations, even capable of learning and adopting different dialects. Research conducted by Tim Wright, a parrot vocalization expert at New Mexico State University, has shown that Yellow-naped Amazon Parrots in Costa Rica exhibit regional dialects. When parrots move between regions, the newcomers often learn and integrate the local vocal nuances.
Therefore, when a parrot is brought into a human household, it instinctively seeks to integrate itself into this new social environment, treating humans as its flock members, as Pepperberg describes.
Pet parrots find themselves in an ideal environment for language acquisition, surrounded by constant human speech, motivated to connect, and possessing the cognitive capacity to learn. In contrast, wild parrots lack the consistent close proximity to human speech necessary for imitation. While there have been rare instances of wild parrots overheard uttering human phrases, likely learned from escaped pets, this is not typical behavior. “In the wild, parrots prioritize learning from other parrots,” Wright states. It’s only in a captive environment, where humans become their primary source of social interaction, that they begin to focus their attention on mimicking us.
This raises another intriguing question: do parrots actually understand what they are saying?
According to Wright, parrots may associate words with certain contexts, but their understanding of complex meanings is limited. “However, they are remarkably attuned to the context in which we use words, which often misleads people into thinking they understand more than they do.” For example, when a parrot greets its owner with “Hello, how are you?” upon their arrival, it is likely mimicking a common greeting without genuine concern for the owner’s well-being. Instead, the phrase might simply signify “Oh, someone has entered the room.” Parrots are also drawn to sounds and phrases associated with excitement or commotion, which might explain their knack for learning profanity.
However, with structured training, parrots can develop a deeper understanding of language, as demonstrated by Pepperberg’s groundbreaking work with Alex. Pepperberg acquired Alex in 1977 and implemented rigorous training methods. Alex observed researchers identifying and exchanging objects he found appealing. By watching and listening to these interactions, Alex learned to associate specific labels with objects. Researchers even introduced intentional errors to emphasize that only the correct label would result in the desired object. Only when Alex displayed strong interest in the objects was he actively included in the training, receiving the object as a reward for correct identification.
“Parrots who talk do understand what they are saying if they are taught appropriately,” Pepperberg asserts. A parrot trained to identify its favorite foods, for instance, genuinely understands what it’s asking for when it names those foods. The case of Waldo, the 21-year-old African Grey Parrot frontman of the band Hatebeak, further illustrates this point. Drummer Blake Harrison recounted to Vice, “We got him dehydrated banana chips, and he pieced it together and called them ‘banana crackers’ on his own. It’s a little creepy but also brilliant.”
By the end of his life, Alex had acquired a vocabulary of around 100 words and could identify 50 objects, seven colors, six shapes, and quantities up to eight. He could even describe the number of purple popsicle sticks on a tray of mixed objects, asking “How many purple wood?”. Alex also grasped concepts like “same” and “different,” “bigger” and “smaller.” What distinguished Alex was not the size of his vocabulary, but his ability to learn and apply concepts. For instance, after tasting cake on his birthday, he coined the term “yummy bread” for it. He also created his own word for ‘apple’ – ‘bannery,’ because, as Pepperberg speculates, “it probably tasted a bit like a banana and looked like a big cherry.”
While such cognitive abilities are impressive, it’s worth noting that many animals, even those without vocal learning capabilities, utilize sounds for communication, particularly regarding essential aspects of survival like food. Perhaps we find parrots particularly fascinating because their ability to mimic human speech creates an illusion of understanding, making them seem uniquely relatable and endearing.
