Escaped Pet Birds Teach Wild Birds English – We have all heard birds chattering away it garbled English and may even have owned a talking bird ourselves. However if I was walking through a forest and had an expletive shouted at me on repeat the likelihood is that I would be pretty darn freaked out. It seems that the possibility of that happening is on the rise as it’s being reported that wild birds are being taught English words and phrases by once pets that have either escaped or been released and then joined wild flocks.
Escaped Pet Birds Teach Wild Birds English
Citizen’s in Australia have thought they are going crazy hearing wild birds talking away in the trees but the Australian Museum’s Search and Discover desk has encountered many instances of it happening, especially in cockatoos but also with other wild birds.
The desk says that there is no reason why these escaped pets are not passing on learned language to wild flocks and maybe even then onto offspring. It may even be possible to see evolution of language through the generations, which is something that really interests me.
Birds are increasingly becoming known to be far more intelligent than we ever considered with African Greys learning language up to the level of a two year old human and displaying complex thought when doing tasks. A parrot has even known to crack an appropriate (made up) joke and crows were recently found out to have schools where they teach their chicks how to use tools, something that previously was thought to only be a mammal trait.
Aparently the most popular saying for these wild birds is “Hello Cockie” and of course a list of expletives, for some reason birds are extremely good at swearing, maybe it makes them feel good!
Escaped Pet Birds Teach Wild Birds English – I’m definitely going to try and keep up on this story and any more information I can find. Our impact on the environment is sometimes terrible but in the case of birds they often adapt to our intrusive ways very well. I expect that one day after all this observing they will take over and show us how we really should be running this world, ha ha!
Related: Animals Who Saved Lives
I’d love to hear about any information you have on this story or any further comments you want to make.
Thanks for reading.
Thanks to this article for the info: http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/Parrots-and-other-wild-birds-able-to-talk.htm
Hello I watched a david suzuki show on Crows, and the new things they have learned on them, that they live in family, and need each other, how they recognize faces of people.
It was soo interesting to me..
Now reading this too! They are too cool and amazing I love animals, and often talk to them and I know they just can’t speak back to us the way we are used to.
We are all special in this world thats for SURE!
I totally agree Lisa, I talk to animals like humans, I think people think I am mad!
I love this story! It doesn’t surprise me that this could occur. I live with a green wing macaw and an african grey. Buddy the african imitates the macaw perfectly, in his voice. Fortunately mine don’t curse, yet, but that is not surprising either. No doubt when these birds started this habit they were met with a reinforcing response, neg or pos, it was still most reinforcing.
Isn’t it awesome Lisa! They must be some pretty awesome pals to have around
. If I wasn’t always traveling I would consider an African grey as a pet. The only problem is the parrot trade (how they get to the pet stores) is pretty severe so it’s important to verify the origen of any purchased pet birds.