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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Study: Parrots Name Each Other |
| 2005-07-15 |
| In addition to the parrot who understands the concept of zero... Includes dirty talk, bird-style. Humans invented the names Big Bird and Tweety Bird, but new evidence suggests at least one species of parrot creates its own names for friends and family members. Since vocal labeling indicates that the namer must first be able to imagine the individual or object in its mind, the discovery likely means bird thoughts and communication are far more complex and closer to human levels than previously realized. The namers in this case are spectacled parrotlets, Forpus conspicillatus, which are small bright green or blue South American parrots. "We have shown that they use specific calls that only refer to the individual in question," said Ralf Wanker, lead author of the study. "To my knowledge it is the first time that labeling or naming is described for animals in this way." He added that other studies suggest bottlenose dolphins and another bird, budgerigars, match their calls to others, similar to how humans often copy the tone or volume of the person they are speaking with, as for baby talk. Wanker and his team housed two groups of the birds in a simulated natural environment. The researchers noted social ranks within identified bird families. They then made audio recordings of 17 individuals from five different families. The recordings captured birds vocalizing with other specific birds. Computer analysis of the sounds revealed that initial contact calls were unique for each parrotlet and indicative of the individual's social standing. For example, when one bird, Eddi, communicated with his mate, Renee, he used a specific call. Eddi also used specific, yet similar, calls when addressing each of his offspring, Uvo and Ustinov. The researchers also found that when the sounds were played back to the birds, the parrotlets paid greater attention when their apparent name was called out, similar to how a human might turn around if someone in the room called out his or her name. The findings are published in this month's Animal Behavior. Wanker, a Hamburg University ornithologist, told Discovery News that no one can yet fully decipher the birdcalls or determine what the parrotlets are pondering, but the findings provide some clues. "I think they have a mental representation of at least their family members because they use only one call type for one specific individual," he explained. "They do not use this call type for other individuals, thus they must be able to make a mental connection between the individual and the certain call." |
| Posted by:anonymous5089 |
| #12 You mean he lets you live with him? That's pretty cool - and gosh-darned generous for a cat, lol! |
| Posted by: .com 2005-07-15 16:47 |
| #11 .com : Sounds like Martin Whiteshoes who has "residence" at my place. Neither lizard, sparrow, mouse or rat keeps that cat from his daily catch... (But he prefers raw beef...) |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-07-15 16:44 |
| #10 I used to count the number of different calls the Mocks around our house would make... too long ago to remember the record number. I DO remember them strafing this cat we had when he walked throught the yard. Eventually the cat decided to get smart and laid on his back - very still. The Mocks went apeshit, and started their strafing runs. The cat would try to grab 'em as they zoomed him. Great sport, I guess. Then, one day, he succeeded in intercepting one. I found the pile of feathers. No more strafing runs at the cat, lol! Nobody can say Mocks are stupid, just loud and gutsy. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-07-15 15:19 |
| #9 Not have in the own sense, have in they live in the backyard sense.... |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-07-15 15:11 |
| #8 .com we used to have several Mocking boids that used to immitate a local asthma victim. (really) I think they have an affinity for that throat sound. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-07-15 15:10 |
| #7 I had a mynah bird when I was a kid - funniest thing I can recall from my childhood. He picked up on the little stuff - the stuff that really bugs people. For example, my mother had this phoney baloney little throat clearing sound she would make just before she said something she thought "important" - usually a scolding or something pretentious. The bird picked up on it and would torture her with the sound regularly - and we kids could not help but laugh, which really pissed her off, heh. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-07-15 14:25 |
| #6 Oh Lord, Ralph Wanker? Could be worse. He could have been Richard or Peter... |
| Posted by: Pappy 2005-07-15 14:18 |
| #5 They say Ward Churchill parrot is going to testify. He's still alive you know. And yes PD that was cheap indeed, ha! LOL! ROFLMAO! Don't you know he had a hell of a time in the school yard? With names like that it's fight or die. (trust me on this one) |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-07-15 13:34 |
| #4 What about Churchill's cursing parrot. What was his real name for the wartime Prime Minister? |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-07-15 13:23 |
| #3 Oh Lord, Ralph Wanker? Lol, sorry, it's just too much, lol! |
| Posted by: .com 2005-07-15 12:50 |
| #2 "I'm Wraaaaa and this is my wife, Rooaaaak." |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-07-15 12:47 |
| #1 So, now you've heard about the birds, and now everybody knows that the birds can use words. Pa pa pa oo ma ma mao . . . |
| Posted by: Mike 2005-07-15 12:08 |