Editing Psittacus (section)

===Intelligence===
{{Further|Talking bird}}

{{Blockquote|Birds appear to offer, in their behavior, neurophysiology, and neuroanatomy a striking case of parallel evolution of consciousness. Evidence of near human-like levels of consciousness has been most dramatically observed in African grey parrots.|[[The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness]]<ref name=CDC>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131109230457/http://fcmconference.org/img/CambridgeDeclarationOnConsciousness.pdf The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness (Archive)] 7 July 2012. Written by Philip Low and edited by Jaak Panksepp, Diana Reiss, David Edelman, Bruno Van Swinderen, Philip Low and Christof Koch. University of Cambridge.</ref>}}

Unlike other parrots, wild greys have been documented imitating the calls of several other species.{{Citation needed|date=March 2014}}

[[Irene Pepperberg]]'s research with captive greys, most notably with a bird named [[Alex (parrot)|Alex]], has scientifically demonstrated that they possess the ability to associate simple human words with meanings, and to intelligently apply the abstract concepts of shape, colour, number, zero-sense, etc. According to Pepperberg and other ornithologists, they perform many cognitive tasks at the level of dolphins, chimpanzees, and even human [[toddlers]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7414846.stm |work=BBC News | title=Stray Japan parrot talks way home | date=22 May 2008 | access-date=23 April 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100402002927/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7414846.stm| archive-date= 2 April 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> As well as labeling objects, Alex could verbally express what his wants were, suggesting that grey parrots know the difference between features and feelings.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Kaufman|first=Allison |display-authors=etal |title=Higher-order semantic structures in an African Grey parrot's vocalizations: evidence from the hyperspace analog to language (HAL) model|journal=Animal Cognition|date=September 2013|volume=16|issue=5|pages=789–801/10.1007/s10071–013–0613–3|doi=10.1007/s10071-013-0613-3|pmid=23417559|s2cid=11359605 }}</ref> In general, it has been shown that grey parrots are able to learn relatively quickly, though they are limited to simple and non-abstract mediums of thinking.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Sukova|first=K|title=Abstract concept formation in African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) on the basis of a low number of cues|journal=Behavioural Processes|date=June 2013|volume=96|pages=36–41|doi=10.1016/j.beproc.2013.02.008|pmid=23485821|s2cid=8941010|display-authors=etal}}</ref> They have been shown to be able to make cognitive inferences, but, like apes, have inter-individual differences in intelligence. For example, in one experiment involving food hidden under cups, it was shown that greys can identify where the food is, usually if shown its original location at first.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Mikolasch|first=Sandra|title=African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) use inference by exclusion to find hidden food|journal=Biology Letters|date=Dec 2011|volume=7|issue=6|pages=875–877|doi=10.1098/rsbl.2011.0500|pmid=21697165|display-authors=etal|pmc=3210682}}</ref>

Pet greys may learn to speak within their first year, but many don't say their first word until 12–18 months old.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bono|first=Lisa|title=African Grey Parrots: Myths & Facts|url=http://www.birdchannel.com/sponsors/species-nutrition-information-center/african-grey-myths-truths.aspx|publisher=birdchannel.com|access-date=2014-03-17}}</ref> Timnehs are generally observed to start speaking earlier, some in their late first year.<ref>{{cite book|last=Deter|first=Dianalee|title=The African Grey Parrot Handbook|url=https://archive.org/details/africangreyparro00matt|url-access=registration|year=2000|publisher=Barron's|location=Hauppauge, New York|isbn=978-0-7641-4140-9}}</ref> Both subspecies seem to have the same ability and tendency to produce human speech, but vocal ability and proclivity may range widely among individual birds. Grey parrots tend to use more specific calls for different species coming their way which can be known as stimulus specificity, since there is a stimulus vocalization the birds have.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Giret|first=Nicolas |display-authors=etal |title=Context-related vocalizations in African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus)|journal=Acta Ethologica|date=Apr 2012|volume=15|issue=1|pages=39–46|doi=10.1007/s10211-011-0106-9|s2cid=18208971 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251311800|access-date=26 October 2015}}</ref>

A study published in 2011, led by Dalila Bovet of [[Paris West University Nanterre La Défense]], demonstrated grey parrots were able to coordinate and collaborate with each other to an extent. They were able to solve problems set by scientists—for example, two birds could pull strings at the same time to obtain food. In another example, one bird stood on a perch to release a food-laden tray, while the other pulled the tray out from the test apparatus. Both would then feed. The birds in question were observed waiting for their partners to perform the necessary actions so their behaviour could be synchronized. The parrots appeared to express individual preferences as to which of the other test birds they would work with.<ref name=gill>{{cite web |last=Gill |first=Victoria |title=Parrots choose to work together |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/12913981 |publisher=BBC Nature News |access-date=19 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520092257/http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/12913981| archive-date=20 May 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In an experiment about local enhancement in grey parrots, food was visibly hidden under two separate cups. The experimenter then lifted the first cup and either removed what was under it or put it back. This was then done again in several different combinations, the cups were lifted in a different order and the food was removed or put back in a different order. Instead of remembering which cup had the food, the birds would show preference to the one that was touched last.
<ref>{{cite journal|last=Mikolasch|first=Sandra|author2=Kotrschal, Schloegl|title=The Influence of Local Enhancement on Choice Performances in African Grey Parrots (Psittacus erithacus) and Jackdaws (Corvus monedula)|journal=Journal of Comparative Psychology|date=November 2012|volume=126|issue=4|pages=399–406|doi=10.1037/a0028209|pmid=22866773}}</ref>

Another series of experiments further tested grey parrots' cognitive abilities. In general, most animals cannot associate sounds with objects, such as food, placed into a cup. While originally only the great apes and young human children were known to make this association with ease, it was found that grey parrots, under most conditions, can also associate sounds with the presence of an object. For the most part, grey parrots performed more successfully if the cup was shaken horizontally before it is given the choice of selecting which contained food; however, further experimentation indicated that it is not a requirement and proved that grey parrots have very high cognitive abilities.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Schloegl|first=Christian|title=Grey parrots use inferential reasoning based on acoustic cues alone|journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B|volume=279|issue=1745|pages=4135–4142|doi=10.1098/rspb.2012.1292|date=22 October 2012|display-authors=etal|pmid=22874753|pmc=3441070}}</ref>