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“Insightful” string-pulling in Grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) is affected by vocal competence

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Abstract

Four Grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) were tested on their ability to obtain an item suspended from a string such that mutiple, repeated, coordinated beak–foot actions were required for success (e.g., Heinrich 1995). Those birds with little training in referential English requests (e.g. “I want X”) succeeded, whereas birds who could request the suspended item failed to obtain the object but engaged in repeated requesting.

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Acknowledgements

Research was supported by donors to The Alex Foundation, most notably the American Foundation, the Pearl Family Foundation, the Eleanor Lloyd Dees Foundation, South Bay Bird Society, Susan and Michael Harmon, and the Rainbow Feathers Bird Club. I thank Terry Clyne of Apalachee River Aviary for donating Griffin, Madonna LaPell of VIP Aviaries for donating Kyaaro, and Kim Gaudette for handraising Arthur. The research described in this paper complies with the animal care laws of the United States.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MIT School of Architecture and Planning, Bldg 7–231, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA

    Irene M. Pepperberg

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  1. Irene M. Pepperberg
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Correspondence to Irene M. Pepperberg.

Supplementary video material

S1 Video of one of Arthur’s sessions.

AVI (2.6 MB)

S2 Video of one of Alex’s sessions.

AVI (3 MB)

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Pepperberg, I.M. “Insightful” string-pulling in Grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) is affected by vocal competence. Anim Cogn 7, 263–266 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-004-0218-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-004-0218-y

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