Pierce County Council members who’ve balked at giving parrots the same protections as dogs and cats ought to review the career of Alex, the brainy bird.
Alex – an African grey parrot – died unexpectedly in the night last week at the age of 31. His last words to his longtime trainer, animal psychologist Irene Pepperberg, were, “You be good. See you tomorrow. I love you.”
Years ago, those phrases would have been dismissed as mere mimicry, random “parroting” of the sounds humans make. But in this case, Alex may have meant – in his avian way – that he indeed was attached to Pepperberg and expected to see her the next day.
Pepperberg’s work with Alex has cast a whole new light on the intelligence of birds, learning and rudimentary language. She bought him 30 years ago at a Chicago pet shop to find out how much African grey parrots can be taught. In the decades since, she learned the answer: more than anyone had imagined.
Under carefully observed demonstrations, Alex displayed mastery of roughly 150 words – using them correctly to communicate with Pepperberg and other humans. He was able to distinguish multiple shapes and colors, as well as the concepts of “same” and different,” and “bigger” and “smaller.”
Pepperberg reported that, shown a tray of mixed-up red and blue balls and blocks, Alex could say how many blue blocks there were – distinguishing them from the red blocks and all the balls. After rubbing his beak on an object, he could correctly name what it was made of – “wool,” for example. When he tired of an experiment, he’d say, “Wanna go back” (to his cage). When he sensed that Pepperberg was losing patience with him, he’d say, “I’m sorry.”
When Alex asked for a treat – say, a grape – that’s exactly what he wanted; he’d reject anything else offered him until he got the grape. Said Pepperberg in a 2003 interview, “If he says that he wants a grape and you give him a banana, you are going to end up wearing the banana.”
When Pepperberg bought Alex, she insisted that he be picked out at random. There’s no reason to believe he is smarter than others of his species, she said.
Alex’s extraordinary intelligence should be kept in mind when the subject of regulating squalid “parrot mills” comes up – with the Pierce County Council or any other public body charged with ensuring the humane treatment of animals. These birds aren’t cats and dogs, but they deserve more protection than mosquitoes.
Alex, at least, would have been able to figure out that distinction.
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