So, I am cleaning cages, and getting their food ready. Tweetie Pie (one of the parrots that lives with us) is standing on a perch right near to where I am. (We don’t call them “pets,” as — I’m sure like a lot of you dog, cat, and bird caretakers know — we turn into more “their personal servants” than “pet owners.”) I turn to Tweetie and ask, “What do you want from Santa for Christmas?” “Do you want a new learning video, a new toy, extra peanuts, pizza cheese, or maybe a lot of carrots, or tasty grapes, or apples?” “So, Tweetie, what do you want?”
The following is what Tweetie’s response was (which we did not teach her… and which she also had said around a week prior to this when I had asked her the very same question):
“Everything”
She learns things from watching others interact, not only by teaching her directly. I have (with Tweetie nearby observing) said things to the other birds like, “Wow! Your bowl is empty; good job! You ate everything!” (Dr. Irene Pepperberg, who does extensive research with parrots, says many of them have the mental understanding of a 5 year old and the capacity to verbalize of a 2 year old.)
Afterwards, as I keep cleaning, I said, “If you want all those things, you better be extra good, because, as you know, Santa sees everything, he is always watching everything you do at all times.” As I said this, one of the other parrots enthusiastically said, “Yeah! Yeah!,” and Tweetie Pie looked up scanning her eyes all around the ceiling (as if wondering how Santa could see everything at all times).
They really like Christmas oriented videos, like Polar Express, and I’ve been playing those a lot lately.
Happy Holidays! 🙂
Tweetie Pie (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Tweetie Pie (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog 
Wow, they are so smart! I loved this story. Thank you so much for sharing.
They are very smart! We don’t have kids… and we treat them like our children, which helps them learn a whole lot! Plenty of learning videos (like Sesame Street and Rock ‘n Learn videos) helps a lot too! 🙂
LOL. I love it. I have a Timneh Grey and he has learned many appropriate words and phrases. He says the usual hello and good bye. If Marc doesn’t wake up tohe calls out, “Maarc!” Then says, “I want want egg,” when Marc goes into the kitchen to make breakfast. When having conversations Dinka chimes in, “ah ha!” agreeably (sounds like me). When accidents happen, or we shout, he says, “Oh sh–!” I didn’t teach him that! I also did not teach him to call out, “Mummy,” when I leave the room. He defiantly uses language in a similar way to humans.
Awesome, Sherry! Tweetie says complete sentences (in context) that we never directly taught her. Like when we put on coats or jackets, she says, “Are you going to go bye-bye now?”
We once were friends with a woman (she has since died from old age) who had an African grey with a vocabulary well over a thousand words. She used to breed parrots (as I did).
Dinka says, “what do u you want to drink?” Then answers, “ginger ale.”
Just went to talk on “Beyond Words” a book by Carl Safina at NYC Audubon. It was about animal’s communication and emotions.
Interesting, Sherry! 🙂
Love this one! Colors are outstanding. Is the second one a painting or photo with special effects?
Thank you, Mary! It’s a photo with special effects. 🙂
cute and smart. I fell in love immediately with Tweetie Pie. Funny and intelligent bird. Best regards to Tweetie Pie, Mitza
Thanks so much, Mitza! I just recently today went past Tweetie’s cage to feed some tropical fish near her. A Rock ‘n Learn video was on about Sight Words. As I passed Tweetie’s cage, one of the animated characters in the video said, “Practice reading.” So as I passed Tweetie’s cage, I repeated what the video had just said and said to Tweetie, “Practice reading.” Tweetie, in the cutest voice, said, “I do!” 🙂
that’s so funny and shows that Tweetie is more intelligent than some of these blonde girls (sorry). I like this name Tweetie Pie. By the way, Frank Zappa called his bird “Bird Lancaster”. Funny. 🙂
Ha! … and Bird Lancaster… that’s a good one! 🙂
Beautiful Tweetie Pie, so smart, learn fast! 🙂
Thanks, Amy! Sometimes too fast! 🙂
What a beautiful and clever girl! Great photo, too!
🙂 Thanks! In the Jurassic Park movie… the park ranger said “Clever girl” just before one of the raptors outmaneuvered him and ate him! Birds are evolved from, and indeed are, a form of dinosaur. However, I don’t think Tweetie will attack me!
Just keep her well fed with her favourite treats and you should be fine! 😉
🙂
Love this picture, Tom the painting turned out great. I need to try and get a few pictures of our birds.Well I say get them everything. LOL.
Thank you, Sonya! 🙂
marvellous loved to know more about parrots!
Oh I am so glad I visited some of your older posts that I had missed. Great to see and hear about Tweetie Pie 🙂 She seems way more intelligent than a 5 year old! 🙂