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African grey parrot

The Story of Dr. Pepperberg & Alex the African Grey Turned Into A Play!

In her latest blog, Dr. Irene Pepperberg reflects on the upcoming play “Beyond Words,” which dramatizes her remarkable 30-year research relationship with Alex, the infamous African grey parrot who took the world of animal behavior research by storm. Dr. Pepperberg shares how, despite collaborating on early drafts, witnessing such intimate bonds fictionalized before audiences holds surreal emotional weight. As actors emulate private breakthrough moments in her and Alex’s time working together, she talks about feelings of profound vulnerability, yet revels in Alex’s captivating global recognition through art’s lens.

Query on an Alexandrine

Hi I have recently purchased an Alexandrine and told he was 16years old, when I picked him up she said he had a few issues 1- he doesn’t like men 2-he doesn’t like hands 3-he makes a noise when he’s stressed. On arriving home and having him for a week now not only does he […]

Confused about Alexandrine’s Gender

Hi, Quick Update – My Alexandrine has had his foot fully recovered and is doing pretty good now. And I’m confused if he is a male or not. He does those eye pins along with wing spreads like the male parrots on the internet do. I’ve had him for more than a year now and […]

Alexandrine Foot Problem – 2

Hi, I literally have no idea how this foot problem started. I want to show him to an avian vet but there’s none in my area. All I can do right now is apply a mixture of mustard oil and turmeric on his foot for treatment, until I find someone who excels in this field.

Alexandrine Foot Problem

Hi, From the past month, my bird’s left foot (it’s also the foot he grabs food with) has been having some problems. He has no problems with gripping or closing his foot, but when he tries to open it fully, he can’t do it. All in all, his foot is not flat, like his right […]

Alexandrine Hormonal Behaviour – 3

Hi, I have started taking action since the past 3-4 days. As I’m 13, it’s not easy for me to get a new bowl just cause he’s showing some weird behaviour. So all I’m doing is feed him through the bowl as usual and take it away as soon as he’s done eating. Also, he […]

Alexandrine Hormonal Behaviour – 2

Hi, My Alexandrine is doing that same staredown thing but this time with a steel bowl. He’s been doing this for about a month and I have decided to ask you guys about it. The way he does it has started to look like those Indian Ringnecks on YouTube.

Hormonal Behaviour in Alexandrine

Hi, Recently my Alexandrine has been showing some weird behaviour. Mostly he is standing on top of his cage. Whenever my family members approach him, he first goes close to them and then slowly walks to the other end of the cage, far away (he also has started doing this with me). He also steps […]

African grey parrot

Inside Dr. Pepperberg’s Lab: Alex’s Number Concepts—Part IV

In her last installment of “Alex’s Number Series,” Dr. Irene Pepperberg reveals Alex’s numerical abilities that have yet to be demonstrated by any other nonhuman—quite a feat! Read on to find out how Alex the African grey parrot was the first, and so far the only, nonhuman to show that he inferred the cardinal values of new numbers from their ordinal values. In layman’s terms, Alex understood that numbers in order (i.e. “One, two, three…) meant that a number was one more than the preceding number and one less than the number after it.

Alexandrine Update!

Hi, A lot of things have changed and I have decided to maybe give an update! My house was renovated 2 months ago and my bird has fully recovered, it had grown its wings fully and could fly to the ceiling easily and once almost collided with the ceiling fan so i had do get […]

Ringneck and Alexandrine

Had Female Alexandrine 4yrs but rescued male Ringneck 2yrs ago. He is very tame she is not as much but has come on in leaps and bounds by watching him. She tolerates him but is very jealous and dominant. Must separate them when not at home. They are free flying.

African grey parrot

Inside Dr. Pepperberg’s Lab: Alex’s Numerical Abilities — Part II

In her latest blog, Dr. Irene Pepperberg takes us back to when Alex, her African grey protégé, and his numerical abilities: The challenge this time required that Alex comprehend the auditorially presented symbolic numeral label (e.g. “6”) and use its meaning to direct a search for the exact amount specified by that label (e.g. six things); that is, know exactly what a set of “X” individual items is, even when intermixed with other items representing different numerical sets, and he couldn’t just make approximations like label a set of five objects as “six” or “four.” Read on to see why, compared to young children on a similar task, Alex was more successful, and how this study led to an unexpected additional finding.

Bad News about my Alexandrine

Hi, Some days ago, the wall of my neighbouring building fell on my house, creating huge craters and fallen roofs in my house, even in the room where my sister, my mother, me and sadly my parrot were. We quickly escaped the house. I tried to grab my parrot to keep him with me but […]

Black dropping in Alexandrine parakeet

My bird suddenly started to have black poop. And vomited too. And within 9 hours she died. Her poop was perfectly fine the day before her death. And since we keep her in a clean room without any clutter it is impossible for her to ingest any foreign body. But she did lose a lot […]

Dr Pepperberg nose to beak with African grey named Griffin

Inside Dr. Pepperberg’s Lab: Alex’s Numerical Abilities — Part I

In her latest blog, Dr. Irene Pepperberg talks about how African grey Alex didn’t learn his numbers in the traditional sense, especially when compared to young children. Alex’s number studies were unique in many ways, which also allowed him to outperform some of the other nonhumans on certain tasks. Learn why Dr. Pepperberg started training Alex on the numbers “three” and “four,” first as well as which number posed the biggest phonetic challenge, and more in this Part 1 of a two-part series.

Alexandrine Parrot Update

Hi, My pet parrot has significantly bonded with me and my family now. He has learnt how to talk too. He likes sitting on my shoulder and whenever I eat something he just comes to the table to ask for some food. He still is scared of new people but its completely fine.

African grey parrot Alex

Inside Dr. Pepperberg’s Lab: Alex’s Communication Skills

In her latest Lafeber blog, Dr. Irene Pepperberg shares Alex the African grey’s impressive grasp of words and his eagerness to expand his vocabulary. Learn more about Alex’s passion for learning, how his time in the lab differed from that of greys Griffin and Athena, and how he was very particular about his grapes!

Alexandrine Parrot trying to touch my finger with its beak

Hi, It’s been 3-4 days since I’ve got my Alexandrine Parrot. He lets me pet his beak but sometimes gets a bit angry, he doesn’t let me touch his head. He also accepts seeds from my hands, he eats the food I eat. When I bring my finger close to him, he opens his beak […]

Alexander Parrot

My parrot is female and she doesn’t have male and then also she had laid eggs and now she is not sitting on her egg

Alexandrian Parakeets mating but not laying eggs

Hi! I hope this message finds you well. I have ten pairs of Alexandrine parakeets. Each pair has its own cage (4*2*2 feet) with rectangular wooden nesting boxes (11*24 inches). I have kept them in separate place where we only visit to serve food, water or cleaning purposes. Out of ten two pairs have laid […]

Alexandrine

I have a hen alexandrine and have acquired 2 male Alexandrines . Can I put both males in the very large aviary with her or will there be competition for the hen ?

Dr Pepperberg nose to beak with African grey named Griffin

Special Webinar With Dr. Pepperberg Aims To Raise Funds For The Alex Foundation

Help raise funds for The Alex Foundation, and get an up-close look inside Dr. Irene Pepperberg’s research lab this Sunday, August 23! This special webinar will take us inside the lab and give viewers the chance to ask Dr. Pepperberg questions, as well as see the two wonderful birds currently residing in the lab! Admission into the webinar can be purchased by making a $25 donation to The Alex Foundation.

Alexandrine parakeet

Alexandrine Parakeet

Loyal, playful and talkative are words used to describe the Alexandrine parakeet, which can also learn tricks and is inclined to show off its acrobat skills.

Dr. Pepperburg

Life After Alex

Five years after Alex’s passing, he is still sorely missed; by me and, I believe, by Griffin and Arthur, the other African grey parrots in my lab. Days still exist, particularly when I return after a long absence, during which I walk into the laboratory, glance at the cage in the far corner of the room, and expect to be greeted by Alex’s familiar, imperious “Come here!”

Jennifer Cuhna and cockatoo Ellie

Ellie the Cockatoo Reads & Writes

Can parrots learn to read and write? Ask Jennifer Cunha, and that answer is a “Yes.” Her 11-year-old Goffin’s cockatoo Ellie continues to astonish by demonstrating literacy equal to a young child. Ellie uses a touchpad and her beak as a “pencil” to communicate by drawing letters. Learn how Cuhna, a property lawyer by trade, became passionate about understanding parrot cognition, how it helped her bond with Ellie, and how it inspired her to launch her “Parrot Kindergarten” online course to help pet bird stewards strengthen their bond with their birds.

African grey parrot named Athena

Inside Dr. Pepperberg’s Lab: Athena’s Shock Over Her First Egg!

When Athena the African grey parrot laid her very first egg, it took everyone by surprise – including Athena herself! As her caretaker and renowned animal cognition scientist Dr. Irene Pepperberg shares, Athena reacted with apparent shock. Athena’s curious response to suddenly producing her inaugural egg after seeming oblivious beforehand reveals the cognitive complexity of parrots.

Painkillers or anti-inflammatories

My friend has a 7 year old male alexandrine who has been shredding his tail over the last 8 months. An x-ray showed a deformity at the base of his spine probably from birth and possibly exacerbated by escaping for 3 days. His wings are clipped. He was put on a dose of anti-inflammatories which […]

African greys, grey parrots

Inside Dr. Pepperberg’s Lab: Understanding & Using Human Speech

In her latest blog[, Dr. Irene Pepperberg talks about a less scientific category but nonetheless worthwhile one when it comes to wrapping our minds around parrot intelligence. The “by chance category,” is filled primarily with anecdotes as opposed to behavior that can be scientifically reproduced.

African grey parrot, grey

Inside Dr. Pepperberg’s Lab: Comparing Contrafreeloading in Kea & Grey Parrots

In her latest blog, Dr. Irene Pepperberg tells us about a study in which African greys Griffin and Athena, along with a few companion greys, were tested to see if they would work for food just for the fun of it. The study centered on the concept of “contrafreeloading” and involves working for food that could simultaneously be obtained for free. Interestingly, the same experiment was done with wild Kea parrots. See the different outcomes, as well as what parrot species is next in line to be put to the contrafreeloading test.

Cocatiel

I just lost one of my cockatiels. I found her leaning her face into her food dish. I went to touch her and she fell off the perch. Her cage mate is OK, but we suspect he has mites or lice. We are treating him and the cage with Scalex. But we just got another […]

How to Identify Age of Conure Birds

Dear, I hope this email finds you well. I really appreciate your services for birds keeping. I am parrots lover and many parrots including IRN and Alexanderines are breeding well in my farm. I have recently bought a pair of Blue Turquoise Conure. I have bought conures for the first time. I request you to […]

Male Hormonal Bird

I have a male Alexandrine who seems to put weight on when he is hormonal. He receives the same amount of pellets every day and I weigh him every day but I have noticed when he becomes hormonal his weight goes up. I am trying to see if this is a normal for some male […]

Parrot addicted to Rubik’s Cube

Hi, Another problem for my Alexandrine. Lately my bird has been in love with my Rubik’s cube. He chews it’s blocks and sometimes even takes them out. He plays for hours. Due to that problem, I had to buy another one for myself but to my surprise he wants to play with it ie. Destroy […]

African grey parrot Alex sits on top of cage bars

Dr. Pepperberg’s Avian Cognition Lab Celebrates 45th Anniversary!

The Alex Foundation celebrates a special milestone this week — the 45th anniversary of when Dr. Irene Pepperberg began her groundbreaking collaboration with Alex the African grey! In this very special blog, Dr. Pepperberg takes us back to the early days of convincing others that parrot intelligence was worth studying and redefining the term birdbrained.

Summer Diet Plan after Breeding Season

Hello Dear Lafeber, I hope this message finds you well. I really appreciate your unconditional support for birds all over the world. I seek your guidance regarding daily diet plan of my parrots (Alexanderines and Rose-ringed Indian Parakeets (around 25 pairs) after the end of breeding season and during the off-season when birds’ nest boxes […]

yellow wild bird perched on stick chirping

The Studied Art Of Earbirding

When you think of the popular pastime of birding, images of folks with binoculars aimed up at a tree as they zero-in on a bird typically come to mind. However, there’s more to birding than what meets the eye. Earbirding is just how it sounds — identifying birds by the vocalizations they make. Those who bird by ear are listening for telltale contact calls, songs, and other vocalizations to identify a bird’s species. See how this form of birding takes an extraordinary learning process to able to identify a bird specifically – and only – by sound.

two African grey parrots eating a treat on a table

Inside Dr. Pepperberg’s Lab: Hatchday Celebrations — Updated!

In her latest blog, Dr. Irene Pepperberg emphasizes the mantra “happy lab equals happy parrots!” and the importance of celebrating milestones — both for the humans and the birds. This can be a challenge when working around revolving volunteer schedules. One celebration that can’t be missed is the parrots’ hatchday!

Feather chewing

Any recommendations on helping a 28 year old Alexandrine stop barbering his feathers? He has completely severed off his tail feathers. He came to me through a rescue and little is known about his history. I have taken him to the vet and no obvious physical reasons for the barbering were found.

Training Parrot to Let me touch it

Hi, I trained my Alexandrine today and it’s so cool! I put him in the cage with no problems! I am only facing only one problem which is that it gets angry if I try to touch its head. He raises his beak so much that touching his head becomes impossible. If I try to […]

Step-Up Training?

Hi, This is an update as well as a question for my Alexandrine Parrot. He has been allowing me to pet and scritch his cheeks and head. He bites everyone in my family except me. I have started to train him to step up. He puts one foot on my finger and does not put […]

What to do after Target Training?

Hi, This question is about my Alexandrine Parrot. He doesn’t let me touch him, only his beak, so I cannot even think of making him step up. I have target trained him really well. What next?

Parrot sitting on the cage and not going inside

Hi, I own an Alexandrine Parrot. I always keep him out of his cage and only make him go inside during the night. It’s night right now, and he’s sitting on the cage and beak grinding. I wanted to ask for an efficient way for him to go back inside his cage.

African grey parrot Alex

Inside Dr. Pepperberg’s Lab: Yes, Our Birds Mean What They Say

The most common question Dr. Irene Pepperberg encounters is if parrots truly understand what they are saying. In her newest blog, Dr. Pepperberg offers some notable experiences with African greys Alex, Griffin, and Athena that might not hold up to scientific scrutiny but are nonetheless valuable in demonstrating parrots’ impressive cognitive abilities.

African grey parrots

Inside Dr. Pepperberg’s Lab: Parrots On The Move—Again!

In her latest blog, Dr. Irene Pepperberg talks about African greys Griffin and Athena’s recent move into a spacious two-bedroom apartment. Surprisingly, the grey who typically doesn’t like change seems to be adjusting quicker than their flockmate. Dr. Pepperberg gives us the backstory.

African grey parrot

Inside Dr. Pepperberg’s Lab: Birds Do Not Like to be Tricked!

Dr. Irene Pepperberg explains the “treat substitution” trick, where a treat is moved from where the test subject assumes it should be or it is switched out with a less favored treat. Learn the reasons why birds and other prey animals form expectations of where food is located, and why they demonstrate a signs of distress when their expectations are challenged.

two African grey parrots eating leaf of chard

Inside Dr. Pepperberg’s Lab: Dealing with Picky Eaters

Parrots, like people, have their individualized tastes in food. This includes their own interpretations of what constitutes fresh produce, as well as the order in which food should be eaten. In her latest blog, Dr. Irene Pepperberg dishes on African greys Athena and Griffin’s specific food preferences.

Bitting problem

I brought one Alexander parrot and he is very scared , i love him and also care him but then also he bites me . He is very aggressive

African grey

Inside Dr. Pepperberg’s Lab: Some Parrots Dislike Uncertainty & Novelty

Some birds are inclined to be cautious and wary of new things, while others seem to exhibit an immediate curiosity, and still more land somewhere in between. In her latest blog, Dr. Pepperberg discusses the concept of neophobia (dislike of novelty) and neophilia (attraction to novelty), and the degree of which it can vary among bird species. She also dishes on why our companion parrots tend to like consistent schedules.

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