Alex, the parrot has died

[tenaya]

This is very sad. He was one of the best examples that animals have abilities similar to humans.

"Dr Pepperberg's pioneering research resulted in Alex learning elements of English speech to identify 50 different objects, seven colours, five shapes, quantities up to and including six and a zero-like concept," said the foundation in a statement announcing his passing. "He used phrases such as 'I want X' and 'Wanna go Y', where X and Y were appropriate object and location labels. He acquired concepts of categories, bigger and smaller, same-different, and absence. Alex combined his labels to identify, request, refuse and categorise more than 100 different items, demonstrating a level and scope of cognitive abilities never expected in an avian species ... Her research with Alex shattered the generally held notion that parrots are only capable of mindless vocal mimicry."

Poor Alex.

Comments

[littleheaven70.livejournal.com]

Aw, poor alex. Was he the African Gray I've seen on telly?

I used to have a wonderful parakeet who, while not capable of intelligent speech, was nevertheless wonderfully intelligent. He used to run around behind my makeup mirror to find the birdy he could see in the glass but could never quite touch. The look on his face when he got there and there was no bird was just priceless. And he would sit on the counter and throw Mum's jewelry off the edge and wait for us to pick it up so he could do it all over again. All from a wee thing with a brain the size of a peanut.

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

Yep, that was probably Alex.

I've always wanted a bird but I love my cats. While they would love the bird, I couldn't subject a bird to the evil intentions of furry serial killers.

Your parakeet sounds very entertaining. I was reading another obit about Alex and they said he was learning about the numbers of 7 and 8 and to discern optical illusions. I wonder if a mirror was involved. *g*

[littleheaven70.livejournal.com]

I always wanted a big parrot, like a sulphur crested cockatoo or a macaw, but they need so much attention. You can't leave them alone and go to work every day, they go mad and pull all their feathers out.

I used to get my fix by visiting Gus, the Eclectus Parrot at the local pet shop. Apparently I was the only customer he never bit, though I used to get a little nervous when he's start stroking my face with his enormous beak *g*