December 04, 2009

African Gray Parrots are smarter than you think!

Dr. Irene Pepperberg, who worked with the African Gray Parrot, Alex (his You -Tube videos swept the internet) and demonstrated that parrots can do more than mimic speech, will be Susan's guest. Dr. Pepperberg will tell us more about Alex's understanding of language, we'll hear about Griffin, the parrot that she is continuing to work with, and learn more about the intelligence and characteristics of African Gray Parrots that will amaze you. We'll find out about the life of parrots in the wild that has profound meaning for those owning parrots as pets. Check out the You tube videos about Alex, the Talking Parrot. Then make sure you log in for this personal in- depth and highly enlightening conversation with Dr. Irene Pepperberg.

Episode Segments:

An Interview with Dr Irene Pepperberg Dr. Pepperberg shares some general information about the gray parrot. She then talks about Alex, the parrot who was the subject of her studies, some of the experiments they did with him, and the amazing abilities & personality he developed.
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Dr Irene Pepperberg Part Two Dr. Pepperberg tells some more amusing stories about the amazing Alex, and some of the spontaneous discoveries they made with him. She also explains the unique makeup of a parrot’s brain that makes some of these abilities possible.
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Dr. Irene Pepperberg Part Three For those parrot owners, and potential parrot owners out there, Dr. Pepperberg outlines what you can do to ensure your parrot has a long and healthy life. She also talks about the Alex Foundation, how you can get involved with it, and what she learned from her time with Alex.
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Links to Related Websites:

The Alex Foundation The goal of The Alex Foundation is to support research that will expand the base of knowledge establishing the cognitive and communicative abilities of parrots as intelligent beings.

Look While You Listen! Visit Wildaboutpets.net to view the photos Susan and Dr. Pepperberg are discussing

Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode

Dr. Irene Pepperberg Irene Pepperberg, Ph.D., FAAS, FAPS, FAPA, FABS is founder and president of The Alex Foundation. She is also Research Associate, Harvard University and Adjunct Associate Professor, Brandeis University. Irene is a scientist noted for her studies in animal cognition, particularly in relation to parrots. She is well known for her comparative studies into the cognitive fundamentals of language and communication, and was one of the first to try to extend work on language learning in animals other than humans (exemplified by the Washoe Project) to a bird species. She is also active in wildlife conservation, especially in relation to parrots. Click here to visit her website