Your Bird is
Smarter Than You Think
Simple
Ways to Encourage Good Behavior.
Three
Steps to a Healthier Bird.
How
to Promote Health & Longevity in Your Bird..
Is
Your Bird Ill?
Your
Bird is Smarter Than You Think
In
addition to the basics your bird needs - food, water, shelter, sleep,
and social interaction - she also requires intellectual stimulation,
the kind that can only be derived from play and training. Researchers
are finding that birds can solve problems by insight, and even learn by
example, as do human children. How much conscious thought is taking
place, versus instinctive behavior, is the subject of ongoing study.
Parrots
are considered to be the smartest of birds. They can be taught to
distinguish colors, shapes, objects, and even people. The African Grey
Parrot is now believed to have the intelligence and emotional make-up
of a 3 to 4 year old child.
Birds'
capacity for analytical thinking appears to be on the rise:
Birds
can be very resourceful - "Tool user," once a term used exclusively to
define and distinguish mankind, is now applied to birds as well. Wild
birds have been observed to lay walnuts in the roadway so passing cars
will crack them open. Captive cockatoos will clip small sticks of wood,
and then use them to scratch various parts of their body. Keep an eye
on how your bird uses her toys, ropes, chew sticks, and the like. The
items just might be put to new uses.
Some birds
can understand…and use…human language - At one
time parrots where thought only to mimic speech. Hence, the term
"parroting" was coined. Now, it appears this was in error. How would
you react if, after you clean your bird's cage, she commented, "Looks
good!"
Alex, an African Grey Parrot being studied by Irene
Pepperberg, did just that. Reportedly, Alex has developed a 100-word
vocabulary and can identify 50 |
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different objects, recognize quantities
up to six, distinguish seven colors and five shapes, and understand the
difference between big and small, same and different, and over and
under. Amazingly, Alex puts words together in new and meaningful
phrases.
Birds may have exceptional memory - Wild birds can collect and bury
thousands of seeds across hundreds of square miles, then retrieve over
90%. It is thought that these species have developed a specialized
portion of their brain to accomplish the task. In captivity, Alex, the
African Grey, can tell you that corn is yellow, even if there is no
corn in view. Though Alex's memory is exceptional, his ability suggests
you should make every effort to optimize your bird's potential.
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Birds may
display emotions - According to scientists, birds have the right
equipment for emotion. They have a limbic system, a specialized portion
of the brain necessary for true emotional behavior, found only in other
higher vertebrates - humans and mammals. .
Bird owners have long
felt they can tell whether their pets are happy or sad, fearful or
content. Now research is underway to determine whether birds are aware
of their emotions, and the impact this awareness |
may have on their individual behavior.
Birds take enjoyment in intelligent play - Frolicking in a bird bath
may, or may not, be simple instinct. But what about dropping marbles
into a water bowl to study the splash? Turning somersaults? Or climbing
a rope with their beak? Clearly, birds do many things just for the fun
of it. Provided the right interactive toy, they will invest hours in
play to satisfy their curiosity, and possibly earn intellectual reward.
Research
is proving what most bird owners already know…their bird is
a smart companion. Don't miss an opportunity to open new doors for your
pet.