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Birds are some of the smartest and most talkative animals in the world. Their babbling, chatty and awkward facial expressions have inspired a variety of stories, both humorous and dark, across all human cultures. True mimicry is rare. However, this is mostly limited to parrots and only a few songbirds. This makes parrots ideal test subjects for studying the development of speech in birds that can speak.
Scientists have found that parrots can recognize abstract patterns in a way that most songbirds and other birds cannot. Both parrots and songbirds may have a similar basic song system in their brains, but then parrots developed deeper vocal learning abilities (of course, there are some exceptions; some songbirds, such as starlings and magpies, can also mimic speech) …
There are many theories explaining why birds developed vocal expressions and speech. Perhaps this has something to do with the recognition of flocks in complex avian communities. The ability to develop the local dialect helps birds to distinguish friends from strangers. Another possibility is that some birds can trick predators by mimicking the sounds of more dangerous animals.
However, like any person, birds are only as good as their practice (or training) is. To master the art of vocalizing, they must work with a curator almost daily, starting with simple words and repeating them consistently and often. It also helps when the bird can associate its speech with an action or object that it likes.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that some species are more natural than others. Some birds can only mimic a few words, while others can convey entire sentences. This list will include the 10 most talented talking birds in the entire animal kingdom. Not all of these birds are good pets, but most are.
African gray
Native to equatorial Africa (a region that stretches between the Ivory Coast in the west and Kenya in the east), the gray parrot, as it is formally called, is considered one of the most talking birds in the entire world. Thanks to their very pleasant and pleasant voices, they can accumulate a vocabulary of over a hundred words (and in some cases, perhaps over a thousand), sometimes even combining existing words to describe a new object. Some studies have compared their cognitive abilities, in at least some respects, with the mind of a four- or six-year-old child.
While many parrots have all sorts of vibrant colors, this species is covered in gray feathers in various shades, combined with white edges on the head and body, and red feathers on the tail. They are some of the most popular birds in the exotic animal trade, but the IUCN currently believes they are endangered in the wild due to poaching and habitat loss.
Budgerigar
This seed-eating Australian native to Australia is also known as the common parrot, carapace parrot or simply budgerigar, a member of the parrot family. Budgerigar is covered with yellow, blue, green and white feathers with black markings on the back, nape and wings. Judging by sheer verbal skill, this talking bird probably ranks first in the bird class.
A budgie named Pak once set a world record for a large bird vocabulary – about 1,728 words, but even the average species can learn hundreds of words and speak them consistently and clearly. There is no shame in mistaking their facial expressions for the speech of a real person. They are also very sociable animals and love to practice words with their master. This skill made them quite famous. One of these birds appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
Amazon parrot
The Amazon parrot, found throughout most of South and Central America, is a group of birds of 30 different species, all covered with green or red feathers. Most Amazon parrots are quite fluent in speech. The key to their vocalization could be their very social nature. These are schooling birds that gather in large flocks for feeding, spending the night and nesting.
Facts show that these parrots have long seduced people with their vocal abilities. Mummified parrots were discovered several centuries before the arrival of Europeans. Although poaching is now illegal in many countries, they are still sold and used as pets. They are so popular that many birds escaped captivity and started wild flocks around the world.
Parrot with pink rings
These medium-sized birds, also known as the ringed parrot, with light green plumage, orange beak and a ring of roses around their neck, are very common throughout India and parts of Africa. While other birds are very sensitive to urbanization and deforestation, the pink-ringed parrot seems to have adapted pretty well to living around humans and has learned to imitate human speech. In terms of their verbal skills, they are expected to be very good at memorizing long phrases. One story claims that these birds hung around the gardens and learned to imitate the daily prayers of Indian religious leaders. It is believed that they can learn up to several hundred words at a time.
Quaker parrot
Also known as the monk parrot, this small, bright green bird with a grayish chest is native to Argentina and neighboring countries in South America. While they are not the most capable speakers, they are highly outgoing, intelligent, and quick to absorb human vocabulary, making them popular with novices or inexperienced bird owners. Since they can sometimes go into the wild and become agricultural pests, many states and countries have banned the sale and possession of this species. Depending on where you live, ownership may be out of the question.
Eclectus Parrot
Native to Australia and New Guinea, this species is one of the most interesting and radical cases of sexual dimorphism in the entire avian world. Males have bright green plumage with an admixture of red and orange, while females have bright red plumage with s
om
e blue feathers. Sometimes they are mistaken for different types. Although they are quite relaxed, calm and not too noisy, they screech and whistle in the wild to communicate with each other. In captivity, they can learn a fairly extensive vocabulary, perhaps over a hundred words.
Hill Mine
Most people have probably never heard of Main Hill, much less know about their amazing ability to imitate human speech. This group of black songbirds, a member of the starling family, is native to southern Asia (although later also introduced to Florida). In the wild, they make various screams and whistles to communicate with each other. Young birds seem to recognize warning calls from older birds by imitating their sounds. In captivity, the common mountain myna can mimic speech and other sounds with enough clarity to match the tone of a human voice. Some people claim that they can even rival African grays in their speech.
Cockatoo
The cockatoo family, common throughout the Asia-Pacific region, is represented by about 44 species, each of which, to one degree or another, has vocal mimicry. They can be distinguished by their rather large size, protruding ridges and curved beaks. Their plumage is usually quite simple: white, gray and black, sometimes with an emphasis on red and yellow, are common colors. Cockatoos are not as prized as other talking birds, at least for their vocal abilities. Their vocabulary is limited to about 20-30 words, and their voice is considered loud and harsh. However, they can still bewitch and captivate people with their facial expressions. They are also very curious and sociable birds.
Macaw
This large group of colorful, vibrant and beautiful New World parrots includes 19 different species of macaw. They can often be distinguished by their huge hooked beaks, exceptionally long tail feathers, and relatively bare facial patches. Their loud sounds are an integral part of their personality. The blue and yellow macaw is especially famous for its vocal ability – it can learn about 20 words, but they can all mimic speech to varying degrees. However, their speech usually sounds a little rough and unclear.
Ravens (and other Corvids)
Perpetuated in the famous poem by Edgar Allen Poe, crows (along with close relatives of crows, rooks and magpies) can mimic many sounds, including human speech. They made good use of this ability by pretending to be a different species. Zoo employee Gerald Durrell once saw a magpie entertaining herself by constantly tricking a group of chickens into coming out screaming for feeding. Thanks to their large brains compared to their body size, their cognitive and problem-solving abilities are also unmatched in the avian world. Corvids are one of the few animals on the planet that regularly use tools to get food.
Next: 7 birds that eat ticks
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