For at least 30 years, there have been close parallels between studies of birdsong development and those of the development of human language. Both song and language require species-specific stimulation at a sensitive period in development and subsequent practice through subsong and plastic song in birds and babbling in infant humans leading to the development of characteristic vocalisations for each species. This book illustrates how social interactions during development can shape vocal learning and extend the sensitive period beyond infancy and how social companions can induce flexibility even into adulthood. Social companions in a wide range of species including birds and humans but also cetaceans and nonhuman primates play important roles in shaping vocal production as well as the comprehension and appropriate usage of vocal communication. This book will be required reading for students and researchers interested in animal and human communication and its development.

From two experts on wild parrot cognition, a close look at the intelligence, social behavior, and conservation of these widely threatened birds. People form enduring emotional bonds with other animal species, such as dogs, cats, and horses. For the most part, these are domesticated animals, with one notable exception: many people form close and supportive relationships with parrots, even though these amusing and curious birds remain thoroughly wild creatures. What enables this unique group of animals to form social bonds with people, and what does this mean for their survival? In Thinking like a Parrot, Alan B. Bond and Judy Diamond look beyond much of the standard work on captive parrots to the mischievous, inquisitive, and astonishingly vocal parrots of the wild. Focusing on the psychology and ecology of wild parrots, Bond and Diamond document their distinctive social behavior, sophisticated cognition, and extraordinary vocal abilities. Also included are short vignettes—field notes on the natural history and behavior of both rare and widely distributed species, from the neotropical crimson-fronted parakeet to New Zealand’s flightless, ground-dwelling kākāpō. This composite approach makes clear that the behavior of captive parrots is grounded in the birds’ wild ecology and evolution, revealing that parrots’ ability to bond with people is an evolutionary accident, a by-product of the intense sociality and flexible behavior that characterize their lives. Despite their adaptability and intelligence, however, nearly all large parrot species are rare, threatened, or endangered. To successfully manage and restore these wild populations, Bond and Diamond argue, we must develop a fuller understanding of their biology and the complex set of ecological and behavioral traits that has led to their vulnerability. Spanning the global distribution of parrot species, Thinking like a Parrot is rich with surprising insights into parrot intelligence, flexibility, and—even in the face of threats—resilience.

Parrots are renowned in captivity for their vocal flexibility, and although studies of avian vocal learning focus largely on songbirds, there is some evidence that the majority of parrots may be more vocally flexible than many members of the songbird order. In addition, unlike the majority of most temperate songbirds, both male and female parrots produced learned vocalizations and often share a repertoire of calls, although anecdotal evidence from pet owners suggests that males may be the more vocally flexible sex. However, most of what we know about parrot vocal flexibility and sex differences in parrot communication comes from anecdotal evidence and very limited lab studies that have difficulty mimicking natural parrot social conditions. Thus, the purpose of this work was to investigate how wild parrots are using vocal flexibility during interactions with conspecifics, and how sex differences in communication are expressed in vocal interactions in general and vocal flexibility in particular. I studied two geographically and phylogenetically distant parrot species, the Australian galah (Eolophus roseicapillus) and the neotropical orange-fronted conure (Aratinga canicularis) to address these issues. I conducted four playback experiments either to wild, free-ranging individuals or to wild-caught captives held temporarily in aviaries. Two of these experiments address how parrots are using and interpreting rapid, short-term vocal flexibility during their interactions and how this differs by sex. The other two experiments address more broadly how male and female parrots respond to male and female affiliative and aggressive calls. This thesis demonstrates that in at least two species of parrots, males and females differ in how they rapidly modify their vocalizations during interactions with conspecifics. Despite sharing a repertoire of calls, both galahs and orange-fronted conures distinguish the sex of a caller based solely on acoustic cues, and males and females interact differently with conspecific callers, suggesting that the sex of interactants is a highly relevant factor even during interactions that do not seem to be primarily for the purpose of mate attraction. These experiments begin to shed light on the incredible intricacies of flexible parrot vocal communication.

"A synthetic account of the diversity and ecology of wild parrots, distilling knowledge from the author's own research and from her review of more than 2,400 published scientific studies. The text covers parrots' evolutionary history, foraging, mating, and social behavior, innate intelligence, and conservation status. The book is enhanced by an array of illustrations, including photos of parrots taken exclusively in their natural habitat"--Provided by publisher.

20 years ago Pepperberg set out to discover whether results of pigeon studies necessarily meant that other birds were incapable of mastering cognitive concepts and the rudiments of referential speech. This is a synthesis of her studies.