Can Parrots Even Do This?

Question

Someone I know has a rainbow lorikeet.

She plays a game with it where she holds its beak, it yanks its head down playfully and she says, "Got your beak!" The lorikeet says it too.

My friend claims that a few times recently, just from watching her do what I wrote above, the lorikeet has run up to her mouth, gently bit her lips then yanks his head down and says, "Got your beak!"

Is that even possible? Do parrots mimic in that way? How does he associate a human mouth as being the 'beak'?

Answer 1

Yes they can mimmic like that. I have a parrot that associated her feet with me cracking my fingers. Now everytime I crack my fingers she will put her beek by her toes and move them like she is cracking them and she will make the sound. We have a lot of fun doing this, but I only have so many fingers to crack at a time, and she can do it endlessly.
Birds are fascenating. Watch and she can probably teach it peek a boo.

Answer 2

Parrots do mimic, and he could associate the mouth with the beak depending on if they eat together. He knows the food goes in that way, just as his food goes in to his beak. SO yes...he could associate the beak with the mouth.

Think of it this way. Birds are highly intelligent, there learning capabilities are like a young childs. You can teach your 2 year old association just the same and many birds go beyond a 2 year old ability in learning.

Answer 3

It's just training and time. My rose breasted Cockoo does lots of things. I hold it by it's feet and it hangs upside down and yells "I'm a bat!" and It'll hold my hand with it's beak and claws and hang upside down like that and say "I'm a purse, need some change?" It'll also call the nine year old's name, or yell my name when it wants food. ANd when I boil water I'll say wanna cook? and she says "PLEASE NOT ME!"
It's just training and practice. It's not actually THinking that
"mouth=beak" It's just tought to assotiate the two.


Is it a Tropical Lorikeet? Because Tropical Lorikeets ahve the talkin abilaties, but (the most common pet lorikeet) Austrilian Mini Lorikeet, can not....though they are a bit smarter, Have lesser talkin abilities.

Just wondering...hope I helped! :)

Answer 4

Yes many birds can can mimic what they hear and also learn word association too. When a game like that is played over and over the bird will repeat it as a form of play.

I have Parrots that have learned to ask questions when I am doing things around the house that I do everyday. They have learned that if I am cooking they will ask me me if I want a drink or if I want a bite. So they understand to match words with certain things.

One of the best studies on bird speech and understanding is from the Alex Studies. Check out this link about Alex the .
talking African Gray, there are also Videos there too.

http://www.alexfoundation.org/


Sapphyre
Certified Avian Specialist
http://www.borrowed-rainbow.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BorrowedRainbowAviary/

Answer 5

Yes! Parrots are very smart and many can learn how to play games by mimicking what the owner does. Most birds you can play copy cat. First for a few weeks you ahve to do what the bird does. Using your arms as wings and your mouth as a beak. After awhile you can move and the bird will copy you. But that is really cute! Birds love to do what you do.

Answer 6

I am amazed daily by what a parrot can do? I've kept small aprrots for 20 years and they never cease to amaze me.
I have a conure that opens it cage, gets out, shuts and locks the door and then goes on top of the cage to look out he window. It reverses the process when it's hunger and wants to go back home.
Another whispers in my ear when it on my shoulder. She also "helps" me make salads. Flys to counter and will take a little bit of each ingredient and place into a pile before see eats it.
My friends african gray, turns on the water in the sink to drink and bathe. It always checks the temperature of the water very carefully.
They mimic and they learn from observation.
Molly opens the "treat door" of the cupboard and will fetch me the sack of banana chips.
They are amazing.

Answer 7

Yes, it is absolutely possible. Parrots are exceptionally smart animals. I have 4 of them, each a different breed but all have their own personalities. Parrots mimic what you do, therefore I am almost positive that the lorikeet is mimicking what your friend is doing to them. My parrots do similar things like saying thank you when they give kisses to you, and saying "mmmmm" when they get yummy food. I think they are such adorable creatures.

Answer 8

Yeah, parrots love to imitate what you do. My cockatoo, Kai, learned to use a napkin all by herself. She had watched us eating dinner, and realized that a napkin works really well to clean the banana off of her beak. She even holds the napkin with her foot to wipe her beak, it's just like a human!

Answer 9

There must be some association. I tried to give Jack some watermelon (something new) and he wanted no part of it until I was holding him in one hand and putting some in my mouth with the other. He figured out it must be good and tried to get what I was putting in my mouth.

Answer 10

All animals are different so it is quite hard to say. I would say that it is possible as some parrots are incredably intelligent and can even understand simple convosations sometimes