Talking Parrot
February 6, 2005 6:50 AM Subscribe
The Amazing Einstein This African Grey Parrot was a show stopper on animal Planet's Pet Stars. Lots of other great videos there too
They are such remarkable animals - not only parrots but birds in general. My grandparents had a budgie that you could have a very limited conversation with. I would love to have a parrot but I worry that it would outlive me. Factoring a parrot into my will is not something I want to try and do.
posted by pookzilla at 7:52 AM on February 6, 2005
posted by pookzilla at 7:52 AM on February 6, 2005
i want to take them both home, they are so cute! that parrot definitely was amazing.
posted by freudianslipper at 8:20 AM on February 6, 2005
posted by freudianslipper at 8:20 AM on February 6, 2005
I recall a silly and terrific terrific Seed article about an African Grey - was it Alex? it was a parrot that did not trust women - and the conclusion contained therein was that, as awesome as its accomplishments were, people don't need to be tapped on the nose for years to learn the word "pen."
At any rate, parrots are great. The only bird I would consider keeping.
posted by Sticherbeast at 8:35 AM on February 6, 2005
At any rate, parrots are great. The only bird I would consider keeping.
posted by Sticherbeast at 8:35 AM on February 6, 2005
The talking and mimicking parrot is fun, but I think the tool-making crow (.mov file) is more fascinating.
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 8:39 AM on February 6, 2005
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 8:39 AM on February 6, 2005
Holy CRAP!! And that CROW!!!! I've always liked crows, pretty cool birds to have around (not as pets, I mean just in general). kingfisher..... I think they are both fascinating in their own ways. The crow is definitely very cool.
posted by Eekacat at 9:29 AM on February 6, 2005
posted by Eekacat at 9:29 AM on February 6, 2005
Pet Star is kind of a guilty pleasure for me. Some of the things those animals can do are amazing.
posted by SisterHavana at 9:56 AM on February 6, 2005
posted by SisterHavana at 9:56 AM on February 6, 2005
Crows are very smart...when I was a kid, there was a tame one named "Pepper" that would hang around the schoolyard, flying from shoulder to shoulder ...looking for handouts at lunchtime.
posted by lobstah at 10:21 AM on February 6, 2005
posted by lobstah at 10:21 AM on February 6, 2005
More animals should learn how to imitate spaceships with lasers. It would save them from extinction.
posted by Harry at 12:32 PM on February 6, 2005
posted by Harry at 12:32 PM on February 6, 2005
Crows can learn to mimic human voices. When I was in college, there was a crow that would speak over the Hardee's drive-through intercom and attempt to place an order. It was pretty spooky.
posted by rajbot at 12:51 PM on February 6, 2005
posted by rajbot at 12:51 PM on February 6, 2005
the lyre bird made me fall off the couch when it mimmicked perfectly any and every sound in its environment to attract a mate. other birds, chainsaws, car alarms, and camera shutters.
posted by GleepGlop at 2:08 PM on February 6, 2005
posted by GleepGlop at 2:08 PM on February 6, 2005
Birds are really amazing to me, too, and I especially love parrots. They are beautiful and alien the way cats are, but at the same time smart and personable the way dogs are* - just very cool creatures. The fact that they seem to have a rather complex brain despite its size is also really interesting on a neurological level. It makes me wonder if we don't misjudge dinosaurs a bit, given that we now think they were more like enormous birds than godzillas...
*not that there aren't smart cats and beautiful dogs too, just stereotyping a bit, don't mind me
posted by mdn at 3:48 PM on February 6, 2005
*not that there aren't smart cats and beautiful dogs too, just stereotyping a bit, don't mind me
posted by mdn at 3:48 PM on February 6, 2005
San Francisco is home to two flocks of feral parrots. Listening to a large flock of parrots chatter and scream is amazing. You can hear them near the Ferry building.
A documentary about the parrots called The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill is coming out next week (see also the book). You can get a hint of how loud the wild parrots are by watching the trailer for the movie.
posted by rajbot at 6:46 PM on February 6, 2005
A documentary about the parrots called The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill is coming out next week (see also the book). You can get a hint of how loud the wild parrots are by watching the trailer for the movie.
posted by rajbot at 6:46 PM on February 6, 2005
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posted by Drastic at 7:45 AM on February 6, 2005