When parrots make sounds, are they simply copying what they hear, or do they actually understand the meaning of their words? (Image credit: Saurabh Goel/500px via Getty Images)
In the wild, parrots chirp, scream, whistle, and make a variety of sounds to communicate with other members of their flock. These social birds rely on their complex communication systems to find food and warn of potential threats, and research even suggests that parrots can use “contact signature signals” to address each other, similar to how humans call each other by name.
However, when parrots are around humans, they have no other parrots to learn the word “parrot” from. Instead, they use their specialized brains to process human speech. So when parrots talk, do they actually understand what they are saying, or are they just skilled mimics?
The answer depends on the individual parrot and its training, although research suggests that parrots have a remarkable ability to understand human speech and use words and phrases correctly.
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Sourse: www.livescience.com
