Parrots 'as intelligent' as young children

By Kirsten Veness for The World Today

An American scientist says the results of a 29-year study suggest parrots could be as intelligent as five-year-old humans.

Brandeis University Professor Irene Pepperberg says her study of Alex, an african grey parrot, shows parrots have an impressive intelligence.

"They're about the same intelligence as a five-year-old child but their communication skills, at least as far as we've looked at in the lab, are only about that of a two-year-old," she said.

"So no long, complicated sentences but the ability to answer the questions that we ask."

Alex can identify 100 objects, most of them food and toys from around his home.

He can add up and identify seven colours.

"If you put language in quotes, yes, they use English speech," Professor Pepperberg said.

"So if I ask Alex � how many keys; he'll tell me 'two'.

"If I ask him what colour, he'll say 'green and if I ask what shape, he'll say 'three-quarter'."

Do you know what this means?

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