Parrots are prolific vocal learners. But do they actually understand the words they say?
Do Talking Parrots Know What They’re Saying? New Research Suggests Many Do
Parrots are well-known for their mimicry of human speech, but do they really understand the words they say? According to researchers, the answer is more than a simple yes or no — it depends on the bird and how it’s trained.
In the wild, parrots use complex vocalizations to communicate with their flock, including “signature contact calls” that function like names. In human homes, however, parrots often pick up on human speech as a substitute for their natural communication. Some go far beyond mimicry.
Alex the African Gray Parrot, studied by researcher Irene Pepperberg, could identify objects by color, shape, and material, count to six, and understand abstract concepts like “same” or “different.” His ability to use words in context, such as saying “I’m sorry” after shredding paper, suggests more than rote repetition — he had grasped the function of language in social situations.
Pepperberg and fellow researcher Erin Colbert-White explain that many parrots can learn word associations with real-world objects, like asking for a “peanut” and rejecting anything else. Though their understanding of abstract language is limited, parrots often use context cues to apply phrases like “hello” or “I love you” appropriately — not because they grasp the full human meaning, but because they associate those words with positive attention and bonding.
Not all parrots speak, especially if they have other birds to interact with. But those who do often reflect a combination of intelligence, social bonding, and learned behavior. Ultimately, researchers argue that humans should give parrots more credit for their natural communication skills — instead of simply teaching them to mimic ours.
As Pepperberg put it, “We treat animals as less intelligent than we are in general, but we expect them to learn our systems. We’ve spent the last 50-plus years trying to crack their systems, without much success.”