For those who might remember me from USMILNET, Mrs. E and I have two parrots.
This is Papagena, a female Solomon Islands eclectus:
And this is Phoebe, a Congo African grey:
They're pretty sharp critters, but they pale in comparison to Alex, of whom you've probably heard.
Alex, also a Congo African grey, died in September, 2007. He was an amazing parrot because he, along with Dr. Pepperberg, shattered many of the myths that parrots practice only mimicry and are not able to cognitively discern what they're saying.
As everybody knows, birds and especially parrots, are the only species that can emulate human speech. For that reason, Dr. Pepperberg bought Alex, a one-year-old, in 1977 for the purpose of her research.
Dr. Pepperberg has a doctorate in chemistry, but her passion took her toward an odd mixture of animal psychology/behavioral sciences. This caused her quite a few problems in that she struggled to find her way in academia. It also caused a failed marriage for her.
Anyway, this particular book was released just last month. If you have an interest in Alex and his abilities, and would like to know more about him and Dr. Pepperberg, I highly recommend it.
I picked up a copy at Barnes and Noble, which is selling it at 20% off.
Here are a few links of interest:
Brandeis UniversityThe EconomistThe Edge
