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Parrots appear to name their young

Scientists believe it may be a historic find.

By Vetstreet Nov 15, 2012 6:16PM

A National Geographic team studying green-rumped parrotlets in Venezuela found some very rare behavior: The parents seem to name their fledglings.

Image: Green-rumped Parrotlet (Arco Images GmbH/Alamy)By listening to recordings of the birds’ chatter, explorer Karl Berg’s team found that the baby birds appeared to recognize and learn individual calls made specifically for them by the adults.

If the babies were learning the contact calls directly from their parents, then this would be the first example of a nonhuman species teaching acoustical communication.

— Watch it at National Geographic

Bing: Watch and listen to parrots talking.

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Image: Green-rumped Parrotlet (Arco Images GmbH/Alamy)

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33Comments
Nov 15, 2012 8:37PM
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This doesn't surprise me. We're learning that many species of parrots are amazingly smart when it comes to communication. Can't remember the birds name, but a very long-lived African Grey Parrot raised by researchers learned hundreds of words and phrases, and spoke back to his human handler with fully intentional, real vocal communication. The televised videos of the researchers interacting with this bird were absolutely jaw-dropping amazing. Was like watching a mom talk with her four-year-old child.
Nov 15, 2012 8:25PM
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Could be why "Polly" didn't want a cracker...name wasn't Polly!
Nov 15, 2012 8:45PM
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Amazing.  Simply amazing.  Animals are part of who we are, our identity is found in them as well.  This is why elderly or people with disabilities do better with contact with animals.  This is why pristine nature calms us.  Nonviolence toward nature is the way.  Violence to animals is self destructive.
Nov 15, 2012 9:59PM
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I have always wondered how individual birds in huge flocks could repeatedly and consistently find their mates.  (I can't find my own wife in a Target without a cell phone.)  This is a remarkable explanation for that behavior.  
Nov 15, 2012 10:02PM
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Birds are smarter then most people, so I'm not supprised.
Nov 15, 2012 10:16PM
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I think this applies to more animals than just parrots. Parrots however tend to be more vocal in a human way. But I think many animals share human traits like emotions, family structures, and other things. Personally, I don't think were as far removed from the animal kingdom as we lead ourselves to believe.
Nov 15, 2012 9:53PM
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The parrot's name was Alex. One weekend he went home with the researcher, spent an entire weekend scared to death at the predatory owls perched outside the window, and clearly let the researcher know he never wanted to go back to her home again.

Another test of intelligence proved aparrot of having the equivalence of a 3 year old. He could solve a 10 stage puzzle in under two minutes.

Nov 15, 2012 10:30PM
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I saw a documentary about crows once and they did the same thing.  Birds are so much more intelligent than we give them credit for.
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