{"id":46137,"date":"2025-12-02T12:03:54","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T18:03:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/?p=46137"},"modified":"2026-03-10T11:56:26","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T16:56:26","slug":"inside-dr-pepperbergs-lab-fundraising-powers-the-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/inside-dr-pepperbergs-lab-fundraising-powers-the-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside Dr. Pepperberg’s Lab: Fundraising Powers The Work"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"two
Two students do M\/R modeling with Athena. Image courtesy of Dr. Irene Pepperberg.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019m often asked why we have to engage in so much fundraising to support our lab\u2026why is it so expensive when we have so few experimental subjects? The answer is that it really does take “a village.” Specifically, we try (though it is not exactly possible) to give our birds an environment as close as can be to that of a toddler.<\/p>\n

So, think of that environment\u2026the toddler is never left alone during the day! Yes, a caretaker will put a toddler down for a nap, or maybe put the child in a playpen (the equivalent of a cage, if one is being honest) for some parts of the day, but for the most part, the child has constant companionship. A good caretaker will be talking to the child pretty constantly, too\u2014talking about what is being fed for meals, about the colors, shapes, and number of toys. And, although the toddler will have many other experiences that a companion bird lacks (e.g., only a few birds get to go out on walks or have playdates; see Pepperberg, 2024 for others), you get the picture.<\/p>\n

So, for those reasons, our parrots have human companionship all<\/em> of their waking hours\u2026and, given that African greys originate in equatorial Africa, that is basically 12 hours each day. [For various reasons, our birds\u2019 days are technically 11 hours, but, like many toddlers, they often resist going to “bed” (back in their cages), so often our research assistants (RAs) stay late and the days are closer to 12.]<\/p>\n

Lab Runs on Teamwork<\/h3>\n
\"Harvard
A Harvard student with her senior thesis and parrots. Image courtesy of Dr. Irene Pepperberg.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Almost all of our RAs are students with heavy class schedules, so they work in shifts. During their shifts, they clean cages, make meals, and give Griffin physical therapy for his arthritis, as well as engage in our various studies. And one person per shift is just a minimum. If we are doing any training, that means a minimum of two RAs\u2014one as the model\/rival and one as the trainer. Usually, we have a third RA to take notes. The same situation is true whenever we do testing. One person is doing the questioning, another is making sure all the stimuli and other equipment are working properly, and a third is note-taking and\/or carefully watching the birds to ensure that they are paying full attention. If they aren\u2019t, we have to declare a mistrial, and because of the way the experiments are designed, that third observer is often critical.<\/p>\n

And even if we aren\u2019t doing any scheduled training or testing, parrots need attention. They ask for \u201ctickles\u201d\u2014for us to preen areas on their head that they can\u2019t fully reach, or tell us they \u201cwanna go back\u201d to their cage where they can nap or snack. Alex would ask for a \u201cshowah\u201d (a Bostonian shower), and Griffin tells us he wants additional training by saying \u201cwanna nut!\u201d, or asks to \u201cgo sink\u201d (to the kitchen area, where he gets to play with spoons). Oftentimes, several RAs and I use avian nap time to discuss how we would design a new experiment or analyze the data from a current one, or to troubleshoot a design that isn\u2019t working properly. These mini-meetings are critical to the smooth operation of the lab.<\/p>\n

Although no one is in the lab overnight, we have monitors that alert the RA on call if anything unusual happens. A video camera is in place to identify the cause of an unexpected sound, and monitors send an alarm if the temperature goes too high or too low. (And, yes, we have had such emergencies. One time, the building’s power blacked out overnight, and the heat went off. The RA on call rushed in to find\u2014unbelievably!\u2014that the ONLY room in the entire huge building that still had electricity was the birds\u2019 room, so we could plug in our emergency space heaters until the issue was resolved. And for that, of course, the RA got overtime pay.) When we were in basement labs at various universities, we also had a flood sensor, and we always have possible evacuation plans.<\/p>\n

\"Students
Students at Brandeis pose with a moulting Griffin. Image courtesy of Dr. Irene Pepperberg.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The RAs have various levels of expertise and are paid accordingly. The positions range from a post-doctoral fellow who spends half her time in lab working on new studies and half of her time at home, analyzing data and writing up papers based on completed experiments; to lab managers who are responsible for things like scheduling all the other RAs, ordering supplies and buying groceries as well as helping with bird care and experiments; to students who can work only a limited number of hours a week but who want experience in lab work and animal care. (Just FYI\u2014I get no reimbursement for my time in lab or for running The Alex Foundation<\/em>\u2026And we get no federal or university financial support\u2014we rent the apartment that maintains the lab, pay for utilities, food, veterinary care, supplies for experiments, etc. It all adds up\u2026)<\/p>\n

So, when you see our requests for assistance, understand that absolutely every penny goes to support the welfare of our parrots! For now, that is just Griffin, but other than veterinary bills, nothing really changes in terms of expenses and the number of our subjects.<\/p>\n

Be Part of the \u201cVillage\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

You can help Dr. Pepperberg continue the groundbreaking parrot research she began 40 years ago with Alex, the African grey parrot who won admirers from around the world with his cognitive abilities. If you shop online through sites such as Amazon.com, you can designate the Alex Foundation to receive a percentage of your final sales, or register with the Alex Foundation at iGive.com and a percentage of sales from companies associated with iGive will go to the foundation. The Alex Foundation also has a \u201cDonate\u201d button linked to PayPal. Visit the Alex Foundation’s \u201cSupport Us\u201d link<\/a> for more information.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Pepperberg reveals what daily life in her research lab really looks like\u2014and the support that keeps it going.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":46138,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[211,171],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editor-choice","category-everyday","bird-type-african-grey"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nInside Dr. Pepperberg's Lab: Fundraising Powers The Work – Pet Birds by Lafeber Co.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dr. Pepperberg reveals what daily life in her research lab really looks like\u2014and the support that keeps it going.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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