(08-13-2012, 04:14 AM)writer811 Wrote: Well, I said it can only express about three things. But it's been proven that these parrots can learn language, not just mimicry but actual understanding, in a laboratory setting. The most educated one on record was able to have simple conversations with the scientist handling it. I read the bird's last conversation before it died and I'd swear it was a small child if I didn't already know it was a bird.
I think you're talking about Alex the African Grey. Here's an article from Scientific American that was written by Irene Pepperberg, the scientist who worked with Alex:
Like her, I believe Alex did in fact understand at least some of what he was saying! She says the difference between a parrot simply mimicking and actually understanding what he or she is saying has to do with how the bird was trained.
