Reading, writing and critical thinking 1 chapter 2 part viewing alex the parrot. Thus began one of the bestknown double acts in the field of animalbehaviour. Because she was going to study him, she decided to call him alexshort for avian learning experiment. All you need to know about taking care of african grey parrots. Alex is an incredibly talented african grey parrot, and as the subject of dr. Status survey and conservation plan 20002004, snyder, mcgowan, gilardi and grajal, 2000.
Pepperberg and alex, an african grey parrot who proved scientists and accepted wisdom wrong by demonstrating an astonishing ability to communicate and understand complex ideas. Pepperberg, completely changed the way scientists perceived parrot intelligence. Over the thirty years they had worked together, alex and irene had become famoustwo pioneers who opened an unprecedented. What would normally be a quiet, very private event was, in alex s case, headline news. One of the largest parrots in africa, the african grey parrot has pale grey plumage, with whitish edges to the feathers on the head and neck, which give a lacy or scalloped appearance. Alex the african grey my parrot and i books and arts.
Published october 9th 2012 by knopf books for young readers first published january 1st. A remarkable case of avian vocal learning concerned a talking african grey parrot called alex. Alex, the african grey parrot who was smarter than the average us president, has died at the relatively tender age of 31. Some of these sounds are ones that humans are not capable of copying. It was one of those books that had me constantly nudging my husband and saying.
This book is published by harvard university pressisbn 97806740005. The grey african parrots are high maintenance in general, and more when it comes to their food. No ordinary bird, written by stephanie spinner and illustrated by meilo so, is a nominee for the 1415 south carolina childrens book award. When alex died in september 2007, his last words to.
You can use it to record your hopes and dreams, express your gratitude, to keep a bucket list, as a daily diary, or to jot down your todo lists. Alex the african gray parrot could do more than speak and understand he could also count, identify colors and develop an emotional relationship. But when an african grey parrot learns to say hello it can sound exactly like the person he is mimicking. Because she was going to study him, she decided to call him alex. Nov 27, 2016 alex died suddenly in 2007, at the age of 31. Grey parrot studios llc was founded by arlene levinrowe for the express purpose of producing life with alex. Irene pepperberg was challenging much of the scientific orthodoxy in animal behavioural studies when she began testing alex, and had a lot of trou this was a superinteresting short read. On september 6, 2007, an african grey parrot named alex died premature. On september 6, 2007, an african grey parrot named alex died prematurely at. I recently read irene pepperbergs book about her life with alex the world famous african grey, who could identify colors, quantities, materials, shapes and use language in astonishing context. In 1977, graduate student irene pepperberg walked into a pet store and bought a yearold african grey parrot.
See more ideas about african grey parrot, african and parrot. Because she was going to study him, she decided to call him alex short for avian learning experiment. To follow it up, she bought a oneyearold african grey parrot at random from a pet shop. He also proved just how inspiring animals can be, as well as how helpful they are in. But alex was more than just a parrot, he was a colleague to animal cognition researcher irene pepperberg. When autoplay is enabled, a suggested video will automatically. Alex may 1976 6 september 2007 was a grey parrot and the subject of a thirtyyear. Irene pepperberg conducted with her famous african grey, alex. Alex may 1976 6 september 2007 was a grey parrot and the subject of a thirtyyear experiment by animal psychologist irene pepperberg, initially at the university of arizona and later at harvard university and brandeis university. Twenty years ago, irene pepperberg set out to discover whether largebrained, highly social parrots were capable of mastering complex cognitive concepts and the rudiments of referential speech. We help you understand how to care for your grey parrots. He also proved just how inspiring animals can be, as well as how helpful they are in allowing humans to better understand themselves. Pepperbergs groundbreaking research he became a superstar in the hearts of millions of animal lovers. Sep 10, 2007 but last week alex, an african grey parrot, died, apparently of natural causes, said dr.
Sep 27, 2016 neo the african grey talking up a storm best parrot talking video ever duration. Read the passage about irene, a scientist who studied an african grey parrot named alex. Life with alex movie get to know the most famous african. The african grey parrot or congo grey parrot psittacus erithacus is famous for its intelligence and ability to mimic human speech, making it one of the most popular of all avian pets. Alex the parrot is the only nonhuman to ask the existential. Irene pepperberg, the scientist at the university of arizona who owns him. African grey parrot books exclusive top three parrot books. Me is the remarkable true story of an extraordinary relationship between psychologist irene m. How a scientist and a parrot discovered a hidden world of animal intelligenceand formed a deep bond in the process irene pepperberg, 2008 harpercollins 240 pp. His last words to his owner, irene pepperberg, were you be good. Alex, the african grey parrot who was smarter than the average u. Grey parrot psittacus erithacus parrot encyclopedia. Best book for african greys parrot forum parrot owner. Stephen moss on alex, the african grey parrot us news the.
Alex african grey parrot gets his 1st writing lesson duration. Her investigation and the bird at its center a male grey parrot named alex have since become almost as well known as their primate equivalents and no less a subject of fierce debate in the field. Arlene worked as the lab manager at the pepperberg lab at brandeis university in waltham, ma where she worked with dr. Irene pepperberg, a comparative psychologist at brandeis university and harvard who studied and worked with.
An african grey parrot, alex had a brain the size of a shelled walnut, yet he could add. No ordinary bird is a true story of an extraordinary animal. Alex may 1976 6 september 2007 was a grey parrot and the subject of a thirty year. But this proves that there are many smart creatures out there. How a scientist and a parrot discovered a hidden world of animal intelligenceand formed a deep bond in the process irene maxine pepperberg. Aug 31, 2009 alex the african gray parrot could do more than speak and understand he could also count, identify colors and develop an emotional relationship. Stephen moss on alex, the african grey parrot us news. The most famous instance of this is the work that dr. This book tells the tale of irene pepperberg and her work with alex, a truly phenomenal african grey parrot. Stephanie spinner tells the story of alex, an african grey parrot. African gray parrots live an average life of sixty years, so alexs death was a surprise for everyone, particularly as he was in good health at the time. Pepperberg stated that it is a huge loss, but it wouldnt stop the research. The young irene pepperberg was not the only child to have been enthralled by the dr dolittle.
On september 6, 2007, an african grey parrot named alex died prematurely at age thirtyone. When alex was about one year old, pepperberg bought him at a pet shop. Dec 24, 2008 i recently read irene pepperbergs book about her life with alex the world famous african grey, who could identify colors, quantities, materials, shapes and use language in astonishing context. An african grey parrot, alex had a brain the size of a shelled walnut, yet he could add, sound out words, understand concepts like bigger, smaller, more, fewer, and none, and he disproved the widely accepted idea that birds possess no potential for language or anything remotely comparable to human intelligence. Cognitive and communicative abilities of grey parrots. At that time, most scientists thought that the bigger the brain, the smarter the creature. Irene pepperberg was challenging much of the scientific orthodoxy in animal behavioural studies when she began testing alex, and had a. Using alex and other african greys in research trials focusing on communication, she was able to show that not only can african grey parrots learn an incredible amount of human words, they can learn to use them in context to. The story was spreading around the world, eventually to australia. In late 2007, alex the grey parrot stunned the world when he died suddenly and unexpectedly.
The timneh parrot psittacus timneh once was identified as a subspecies of the grey parrot, but has since been elevated to a full species. Cites the alex foundation birdlife international internet bird collection a guide to parrots of the world, juniper and parr, 1998 macaulay library, ml media collection catalogue 1223, grey parrot psittacus erithacus,kaestner, peter, dr congo orientale, dec. Not only do bird keepers love this intelligent bird, its one of the most recognizable species to bird novices as well everyone knows the african grey parrot. But last week alex, an african grey parrot, died, apparently of natural causes, said dr. Alex, as adult readers may recall, was indeed no ordinary bird. What would normally be a quiet, very private event was, in alexs case, headline news.
On the contrary, she claimed that it would be a setback. The book picks up steam, thankfully, when she moves on to talk about alex, the african grey parrot the book is written about. A truly dispassionate observer might argue that most grey. The grey parrot psittacus erithacus, also known as the congo grey parrot, congo african grey parrot or african grey parrot, is an old world parrot in the family psittacidae. Pepperberg gives us various methods of training a grey parrot.
850 397 232 78 159 390 602 388 712 1317 1383 389 688 461 1215 1168 165 165 1064 1262 188 1049 479 1494 482 1387 1517 1033 885 792 253 1516 793 999 1510 674 130 1230 640 760 351 474 496