Decoding the reasons why parrots can imitate human speech

To possess this special skill, parrots must have many factors. It is also the parrot's ability to imitate human voices that has helped enrich the relationship between humans and animals.

Parrots can imitate human speech almost 100%.

Why can parrots imitate human speech so well?

Parrots have a special ability to imitate the sounds they hear, whether in the wild or domesticated. Language is a product of the development of human society. In addition to the need to rely on vocal cords (through rhythmic movements of the throat, tongue, teeth, and lips) to pronounce, it is also necessary to combine vocabulary and language rules to be able to express well what is in the mind.

For a parrot, sound originates from an organ called the syrinx, which is located at the bottom of its windpipe. While many birds have two vibrating membranes inside this organ, parrots only have one. As the sound leaves the airway, the parrot uses its tongue and beak to modulate it. Parrots do this because they have exceptionally flexible and powerful tongues.

The parrot brain contains many interconnected regions, allowing parrots to hear, remember, and speak.

Like other animals that are capable of vocal learning, parrots' brains contain interconnected regions that allow them to hear, remember, modify, and produce complex sounds. While songbirds have only one system in their brains, most parrots have additional systems.

According to scientists, this may give parrots more flexibility in learning their own species' calls and human speech. With this specialized anatomical feature, parrots can bark, scream, and memorize pieces of information.

In the animal kingdom, only birds, especially songbirds, can often imitate the sounds of their own kind and the calls of other animals. Learning to speak human language is limited to a few songbirds, namely parrots, lapwings, and babblers.

Fascinating facts about parrots

Parrots are the only birds that can eat with their feet. This means they have four toes on each foot, two facing forward and two facing backward. Most parrots are known to be extremely intelligent, especially the Goffin's cockatoo, which can solve complex mechanical puzzles.

The Kakapo is the world’s largest parrot and also the longest-lived bird on the planet, with an average lifespan of 95 years. One of the most elusive and enigmatic birds in the world is the Australian Nightingale. In fact, in over a decade, people have only seen them three times.

Parrots are very intelligent and can understand human thoughts.

A highly trained African parrot named Alex has become the first non-human creature to question existence by asking what color it is. It is illegal to keep parrots in homes in India. The parrot has the logic of a four-year-old child. It can use tools and solve problems.

Most parrots live in pairs, even when it is not breeding season. Their beaks are very hard and can do some pretty amazing things. Some species, like the Hyacinth Macaw, can crack open a macadamia nut, or even a coconut. There is only one species of parrot in the world that lives in the high mountains: the kea. Because of its thick feathers and round body, it helps to preserve its body heat. This helps the kea survive in cold environments, especially in high mountains.

Tuyet Anh (Source: Synthesis)

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