Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!ames!ucsd!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!hpcea!hpfcdc!hpfcmp!rjn
From: rjn@hpfcmp.HP.COM (Bob Niland)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Intelligent Parrots, or Self-deception and Gullibility.
Message-ID: <1800002@hpfcmp.HP.COM>
Date: 5 Mar 88 15:12:08 GMT
References: <1988Mar4.162334.18184@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Ft. Collins CO
Lines: 20

re: intelligence in birds

One evening last year I was having dinner with an aviculturist friend and
another couple.  I was playing with one of her bluefront amazons, and at the
same time, she was attempting to get the bird to speak for the other guests.
She ran repeated numerous phrases that the bird was known to utter, such as
"hello bird", "I love you", "what's up", etc., in the hope of triggering
some kind of reply.

The bird finally turned to the assembled throng and announced:

"birds don't talk"

...and then resumed its attack on the buttons of my shirt.

After this, who can doubt that birds have intelligent speech?  :-)

Bob Niland   ARPA:rjn%hpfcrjn@hplabs.HP.COM   UUCP:[ihnp4|hplabs]!hpfcla!rjn

PS - I had taught the bird to say "birds don't talk" some weeks prior.