The smartest parrot in the world: description, name and features. The smartest parrot in the world

Ecology

Many single people would like to always have someone with whom to communicate. They would like to hear someone's joyful voice greeting them at home after work: "Hi! How was your day?" If you would like to have a pet that also learns to greet you, why not have one. talking beast? For example, a talking parrot.

Not all birds are suitable for becoming a talking pet. Some of them can speak very quietly, others will haunt you, screaming at the top of their lungs. If you choose a bird for yourself, you must take into account the environmental conditions in which it will live and which will suit it, for example, an apartment with you or a house on the ground, whether you live in a noisy urban area or out of town. Many neighbors are reluctant to hear a faithful imitation of horror movie sounds from your apartment every day. In any case, you should remember about your own comfort and consider how much noise you are willing to endure during the day, being at home with your pet.

Having talking birds as pets is always very interesting. Some species of birds copy our speech and sounds better than others. Some species have better memory and are able to hold hundreds or even thousands of words in their little bird's head. The most smart birds for example, Jaco's parrots are able to select individual words that they hear in speech and give them out in certain situations or in a certain context, maintaining a "meaningful conversation".

There are also birds that can surprise you with their excellent memory and language skills. These animals are often shown in the circus and various other shows.

We offer you a list of birds that can be easily taught to speak at home. It is these birds that have special abilities that distinguish them from other species. Among the Amazon parrots, there are some species that have a talent for "speaking the human language." Some species really know how to memorize and reproduce the words of our speech, but they do it very indistinctly, or they can repeat words very rarely, and mostly they make sounds that are not the most pleasant to our hearing. These birds were not included in our list.

It should be remembered that some representatives may never, under any circumstances, learn to speak, no matter how you try to teach them. As well as among people with different personalities, among the birds there can be very timid and shy ones. Some birds may be smarter and smarter than others. Therefore, you should not start a bird just to surprise your friends, but only if you really love animals.

1) Budgerigar

The most popular bird today - the budgerigar - is known not only for its attractive appearance, but also for its ability to memorize and pronounce words and phrases, as well as various sounds that it hears. Often their voices can sound too low, and the spoken phrases are difficult to make out, however, some representatives of this species are excellent at learning different words and sounds. Males learn more easily than females.

2) Parrot Kalita

These bright green beautiful parrots are native to South America. They are known to have amazing mental abilities, and they are also very social, they know how to memorize a large set of words. Some owners of these birds complain that parrots can scream too loudly.

3) Parrot Blue-fronted Amazon

If you are looking for yourself good pet- this parrot is perfect. Blue-faced Amazons can outlive you, as their life expectancy with good care is 100 years or more. It is better to teach young birds to talk right away, otherwise they will produce shrill and unpleasant sounds... They are good at imitating the speech they hear and distinguish their master from other people.

4) Indian ringed parrot

These parrots are smart enough and memorize a large number of words, they can pronounce phrases or even whole sentences very clearly. They do not always succeed in copying the tonality of a human voice, but they can convey the mood of the phrase they hear.

5) Noble green-red parrot

Known for the fact that males and females of this species have completely different colors (males are green and females are bright red), these parrots are able to pronounce articulate sounds and copy the tone and mood of the speaker. If you start to train birds from the very early age, they will show excellent results.

6) Parrot Surinamese Amazon

This colorful bright green parrot with a yellow forehead is found in the Amazon, northeastern South America and Panama. 10) Parrot Jaco

Jaco or, as it is also called, the gray parrot is considered the smartest talking bird and one of the smartest representatives of the animal world. Some experts argue that Jaco has the intellectual abilities of a child who is just learning to speak.

Bright and colorful appearance, the ability to copy and imitate, high mental abilities - it is not surprising that parrots have gained such popularity. Today, there are more than 300 varieties of these wonderful birds, about the breeds that are considered the most capable and intelligent, and will be discussed in this article.

In captivity, parrots have been kept for a very long time, according to research by historians, the ancient Indians were the first to teach these birds to speak, then the fashion for exotic birds came to Europe. For the first time, they were brought to their homeland by Alexander the Great, from Greece they were brought to Rome and the New World. Because of their ability to reproduce sounds and human speech, birds were considered sacred. The Vatican even had specially trained parrots who spoke words in several languages, even an honorary position was created - the caretaker of parrots.

Currently, many people have such pets, but not all have enough time and patience to teach them to speak. It is easier to teach a chick to talk than an adult. When choosing a parrot, stop the choice on the one that calmly sits in a cage and listens with interest to his speech, it will be much more problematic to teach rushing and wild birds. You need to start training at the end of the adaptation period: choose a melodious name for the pet and repeat it often. Learning will go faster when the bird trusts you, sits on your shoulder, and eats from your hands. One person should do the training, avoid long words and difficult phrases, do not change intonation often. Stop at a calm tone and 2-3 phrases and say them regularly with the parrot; at first, do not let your pet watch TV or listen to the radio.

What breeds of parrots are considered the smartest in terms of onomatopoeia and speech learning?

Jaco

Despite their not the most attractive gray color, these birds are distinguished by high mental abilities. Their homeland is West africa, parrots live mainly in forests. Grays grow up to 35-42 cm, they quickly learn spoken language, well-trained pets have intelligence three year old child, they imitate male and female voices, the sounds of nature, the roar of animals, whistle melodies. American scientists have proven that gray parrots not only memorize words and phrases, but are also able to conduct a dialogue. The gender of the gray does not really matter, both males and females are well trained.

Amazons

This species includes 25 species that live in South and Central America. They are considered one of the best imitators of speech, they have a higher ability to imitate than the Grays, however, in intelligence they are somewhat inferior to him. They are affectionate to a person, have a more friendly character, tolerate captivity well. On average, they can learn 80-100 words and can also speak in short sentences. Amazon parrots can also perform simple circus tricks, reproduce the tones of musical instruments, whistle melodies, imitate animals and sounds of nature. These are one of the few parrots who do not hesitate to speak in the presence of a person, they love attention to their person. The best options for keeping in captivity are white-headed, yellow-winged, blue and red-fronted, Brazilian and Venezuelan Amazons.

Cockatoo

Cheerful and cheerful parrots, whose natural habitat is Indonesia, the Philippine Islands, Australia, New Guinea. The size of the birds is impressive: from 30 to 70 cm, there are also many color variations. They have a real artistic talent: they love to fluff up the crest, dance, and their powerful beak becomes a real tool with which parrots gnaw through rods, open locks. As for the ability to speak, cockatoos are somewhat inferior to their two brethren described above, but they have no equal in imitation. Pink cockatoos and Inca cockatoos lend themselves best to training. Cockatoos memorize dozens of words and simple phrases, but they reproduce the most bizarre sounds and melodies.

Macaw

It is considered one of the largest and at the same time gifted parrots, although he does not remember so many words - about 20, however, he pronounces them meaningfully and always in the right place. However, there are individuals who quite successfully operate 100 words and sentences. This order includes 15 species, their life expectancy is 80-100 years. If the owner treats the pet well, he will repay him with love, if the macaw is offended, he becomes aggressive. The macaw's voice is piercing, cutting the ear, so not everyone will choose it as a poultry. The most popular are blue-yellow, green-winged, hyacinth and red macaws - they perfectly imitate sounds (dog barking, door creaking, etc.) and voices, whistling melodies.

Budgerigar

An interesting feature of this species is that mostly males talk, while females prefer to be silent. Budgerigars cannot pronounce words clearly and loudly, they still resemble chirping, but the volume of their vocabulary is impressive - up to 150 words. Parrots well remember the intonation of a human voice, are able to imitate them, whistle melodies, imitate birdsong. Sometimes wavy females also enrich their vocabulary a few dozen words, but males are preferable for training.

Corella

Bright and sociable parrots with a funny crest and gray-white plumage. If you compare the cockatiel with the budgerigar, the latter talk more, but the cockatiels pronounce the words more clearly. Representatives of this species have the ability to speak, they can learn to repeat words and sentences, imitate sounds, whistle melodies. The voice of the cockatiels is quite shrill and harsh, these parrots distort human speech, the words are pronounced with a characteristic chirp. Such pets cannot conduct a dialogue, they give out their entire supply, regardless of the situation.

Roselle

Quite a popular variety of parrots, they easily adapt to new conditions, undemanding to content. Their speaking ability is weak, pets remember no more than 10 words, most often limited to 2-5 words. Rosellas have beautiful singing, they are able to imitate the voices of other birds, the sounds of nature, most often they remember their name or the name of the owner and pronounce it. Roselles are quite aggressive towards other birds, so it is better to keep them only with fellow tribesmen. The most popular are pale-headed, nut-cheeked, variegated, black-headed, yellow-bellied rosella.

By the way, the smartest parrot, listed in the Guinness Book of Records, belonged to the type of gray. His name was Alex and he lived for 31 years. Jacot knew more than 400 words in different languages, was able to competently construct sentences, had the ability to sing and have a musical memory. Alex was trained by Irene Pepperberg from Arizona. Alex discerned geometric figures, colors, number of objects, could read syllables. His intelligence level matched that of a five-year-old toddler.

So, dear owners of feathered clever men and women, show patience and attention and your pets will surprise you more than once!

Knowing about the ability of parrots to imitate sounds, including human speech, many, choosing for themselves, want to have just such a pet. Indeed, in this case, in addition to a pet, you can also get a funny and intelligent interlocutor. The majority have the ability to imitate sounds, but this can manifest itself in them to a greater or lesser extent. We have selected the 10 best breeds for you.

We will start our review with the breed gray gray(lat.Psittacus erithacus). Its representatives have two main colors in plumage: gray (body) and red (tail). The beak is black, the eyes are yellow.

Adult sizes: length - 30-35 cm, wingspan - 65 cm.

The homeland of birds is West Africa.

There are two types of birds:

Did you know? Representatives of the Guinness Book of Records tried to find out which parrot speaks the best, and came to the conclusion that the bird of the Gray breed is the smartest. The parrot named Alex, who died in 2007, had a vocabulary of 400 words, could repeat whole sentences, and mimic different languages..

Scientists conducted research, as a result, proved that birds of this breed not only reproduce words, but also associate them with the objects that they denote, have an idea of shape and color, and can be considered ordinal numbers. This confirms that the gray parrots have intelligence and are the smartest.
Birds should be trained from eight to nine months of age. In addition to duplicating human speech, they love to memorize and make sounds. household appliances... They can also repeat their behavior after the owners: irritation, joy, etc.

Grays are easy to care for. However, you should be prepared that he is very noisy, with a complex character, touchy. Strives to be a leader. Better to take such a pet small, with adult it is almost impossible to agree.

The life span of a gray is about 50 years.

An already trained young parrot will cost about a thousand dollars. You can still get an unintelligent one for a price half as low.

Review of parrots and finding out which one speaks better, we continue with the description Amazons(lat.Amazona). They are loved to be kept at home due to the fact that, unlike their other brethren, they learn quickly and easily. These birds are sometimes called "the personification of the mind and the masters of the word."

These are rather large birds - their length is 25–45 cm. They are usually green in color, sometimes with insignificant red, yellow, blue blotches. Their distinctive feature is a strong beak.
The homeland of these birds is Central and South America, the Antilles, forests on the shores of the Amazon. The genus of Amazons includes 32 species. The apartment most often contains white and yellow-headed, as well as yellow-winged.

The birds can learn from 50 to 60 words, but they cannot reproduce the intonation and demeanor, as the Grays do. They love to sing, depict the sounds of musical instruments. They learn simple tricks, such as bringing a small ball in their beak or collecting scattered matches in one place.
Their advantage is that they easily adapt to new conditions. They quickly get used to a person, become attached and remain faithful to the end of their lives. These birds love to shout, communicate a lot.

They wake up early, so you should be ready to either adjust to the rhythm of the parrot's life, or arrange for him a long night, covering the cage with a dark cloth. Birds love to get their way, sometimes behaving persistently and arrogantly. Are prone to frequent and dramatic mood swings. The life expectancy of the Amazons is 40–45 years.

The cost of one trained individual is in the region of a thousand dollars. An untrained parrot usually costs half the price.

Did you know? There are special schools in Australia where parrots are taught to talk. They are quite popular, since not all owners have the time, knowledge and patience to do this on their own..

Another intellectual among parrots- this is ara (lat.Ara). In addition, he is also a handsome man - he has a bright plumage of all kinds of colors and shades. Macaws reach sizes up to 50 cm. They have the strongest beak among all parrots. They have it strongly bent.

The macaw is home to Central and South America. Their genus includes 36 species. Unfortunately, seven of them no longer exist.
Macaws can learn not as many words as, for example, Grays or Amazons - usually about 20... However, they always insert them on business, which gives a person the impression that he is really having a conversation with the bird. In addition to words, macaws perfectly copy various sounds, for example, belonging to natural phenomena - rain, murmur of water, or to the animal world - barking, howling, mooing, etc.

Macaws are unpretentious in leaving. They are calm in nature, reasonable. Usually they do not shout only if necessary. Their voice and the cry of some people is very annoying, so before you buy such a bird, you need to listen to how it screams. The average life span of a macaw is 60 years.

The cost of adults ranges from 1.5 to 3 thousand dollars.

Important! It is forbidden to feed parrots with chocolate, avocados, salt and alcohol. It is considered poison for birds..

Large parrots breed cockatoo(lat. Cacatuidae) are also excellent imitators. They grow from 30 to 60 cm. They have a massive bent and very strong beak, which can split wooden things, including cage rods and furniture. They can even handle thin wire rods.

The cockatoo has two distinctive features:

large upper beak, which covers the lower beak like a bucket;
the presence of a tuft.

The crest is different in color from the rest of the plumage. When a parrot is excited, his tuft is fluffy. The plumage can be of various colors, except for blue and green.

The homeland of the cockatoo is New Guinea, Indonesia, the Philippine Islands, Australia. There are 21 species of these birds, including most popular:

Cockatoo does not have a good memory, it can learn about 10 words and a couple of phrases. His breeder can also teach the bird tricks. But he teaches a variety of sounds on his own and with pleasure.

Cockatoo is excellent companion for a person, easily attached to him, betrayed. He gets bored if he is not paid attention to or is left alone at home for a long time. Long trips for a beloved owner can be real stress for a feathered bird. There have been cases when parrots in such situations refused to eat and drink, pluck out their feathers, and then die. Therefore, those whose work is associated with business trips, it is better not to have such a bird.
It is also important to know that cockatoos bite painfully, up to a fracture of a finger to the person who offended him. The bird can be touchy and vindictive. For the same reason, you should not take her into a family where it is planned or already there Small child... Cockatoo are usually not friends with children.

It will be useful to know that these birds are noisy and can be quite aggressive if they don't like something. However, they can be taught the word "no". With due care, attention and affection, the pet will pay the same. The life span of a cockatoo is 30-40 years.

The cost of adults of these talking parrots is 1–2.5 thousand dollars.

Did you know? Parrots have been kept as poultry for three thousand years. The first to tame them were the ancient Egyptians.

(lat.Loriinae) refer to capable parrots - they can learn up to 70 words... In this case, a person may not even take part in training. But their main characteristic is: "screamers and slovens." When eating liquid food, they scatter it around the cage and very often shriek in a raspy voice. The litter will have to be cleaned daily.
In addition, these birds are selective in their food and require an indoor temperature in the region of 20 ° C.

Lorises grow from 18 to 40 cm. They have a beautiful variegated plumage with a predominance of green and red flowers. Their beak is small and weak, red in color.
In the wild, lorises live in the forests of Indonesia, Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines. There are 62 types of lorievs.

Lorias are usually very friendly birds. They love and get along with young children. Aggression is unfamiliar to them. Loris live up to 20 years.

The cost of such a parrot is about $ 500.

Bright exotic eclectus(lat. Eclectus roratus) has a large size - 29–37 cm in height. It is a capable parrot, easy to train, however terse... His advantage is that he is docile in everyday life, has an even character, and is never aggressive. It is also often referred to as the noble parrot.

Males usually have blue-green plumage, females red. The beak of both sexes is large and shiny. In males, it is yellow or red. In females it is black. They have long wings and a square tail. In general, the body is well developed and strong.
Unlike other parrot breeds, these birds are not monogamous.

The habitat is wide enough - eclectus can be found on many islands: Moluccas, Salamonovs, Tanimbar, as well as in Australia and New Guinea.

The parrot easily gets used to home conditions. He is so attached to a person that he may even pay more attention to him than to his partner. He is affectionate, loves attention and communication. Possesses an outstanding intelligence and quick wit. Girls are more difficult to contact, they are also not as easy to tame as males. The love of the female will need to be earned. These parrots rarely cry.
In addition to a few words, Eclectus can also learn to clean, for example, returning food dropped from a plate or putting small toys in a box.

Eclectus' lifespan is 30-40 years.

Adults cost $ 500.

Did you know? Parrots lack vocal cords. They imitate speech with the help of their tongue and beak..

(lat. Agapornis) are small birds, reaching a height of 10–17 cm. They have a large head. Their body is mostly green, but some of its parts may have other colors: blue, pink, yellow, red, etc. These birds have a strong and very curved beak. Despite its small size, the owners of such a beak can easily injure a person.
Lovebirds are quite agile - they run fast and actively climb trees or other vertical surfaces.

Lovebirds are home to Africa and Madagascar. Their genus includes eight species. They have this name due to the fact that it is believed that if birds live in pairs, then after the death of one partner, the second also soon dies, unable to withstand loneliness and melancholy.
It is important to know that if you keep lovebirds in pairs, they will not be able to talk. The fact is that they establish communication with each other and they do not need voice communication with a person. And even if the owner wants to train such a bird 10-15 words, it will not be easy to do this: lovebirds are bad and difficult to train.

Only a well-tamed parrot and one that feels constant attention on itself is able to speak. Training should begin when the bird is one month old, but not later. The bird does not tolerate boredom and a long absence of the owner. The lifespan of lovebirds is 15-20 years.

The cost of adults is $ 20-30.

(lat. Platycercus) are also quite popular with parrot breeders. They have beautiful variegated plumage with the inclusion of almost all colors. They are compact in size - they grow up to 35 cm. You can recognize a rosella by their pronounced cheeks, depending on the type, they are white, yellow or blue.

Rosella habitat - Australia.
Rosella speakers are average - can learn up to 10 words and a couple of phrases... But they really love to sing. Moreover, the song performed by them, as a rule, is melodic and pleasant to the ear.

Representatives of this breed can be classified as intelligent, friendly birds. If the owner finds a common language with such a feathered person, then he will receive a wonderful companion, which every now and then will attract his attention. However, a feature of birds is aggressiveness towards other fellows - it is better not to keep budgerigars in the same cage with them.
Anyone who is going to get such a bird should know that it does not tolerate a change in living conditions and nutrition, is prone to stress - even harsh sounds can provoke it. Therefore, they do not accept raising their voices. You need to be gentle and affectionate with them, and then they will repay in kind.

Since rosella requires constant attention and taming, they are not advised to buy for those who have not yet had experience with parrots. Rosella does not live very long - about 20 years.

The cost of one individual starts at $ 100.

(lat.Nymphicus hollandicus) - middle bird a height of about 30 cm. It is easy to recognize by the crest on the head and a long (14-16 cm), pointed tail. Usually the plumage of males is somewhat brighter than that of females. On the body, they are dominated by gray, the front of the head is yellow, the cheeks are orange. However, breeders have developed other colors that are gaining more and more popularity.
Homeland is Australia.

Their speaking ability is average - up to 10 words and phrases... They are good at repeating sounds, including those around them. household items... They need to be taught speech from a young age. Only tamed chicks lend themselves to training.
Corella is an excellent companion, he loves when his owner takes him in his arms, caresses him, devotes a lot of time to his training and games. Caring for a representative of this breed is minimal. The bird can express its displeasure with a piercing cry. The owner of this feathered creature should also know that it is not difficult for him to open the locks. Corella live - up to 20-25 years.

The cost of adults ranges from $ 100-150.

Important! When buying a parrot, you need to understand that regular communication and learning tricks are essential for the normal existence of a pet. This should be done by mutual agreement and in the presence of a good mood among both participants in the process. If during the day you are often not at home, then you can turn on the radio or tape recorder for your pet.

Wavy

We want to end the material about which parrots talk with a description of one of the most popular pets - wavy(lat.Melopsittacus undulatus). In addition, he can safely be attributed to the list of smart parrots.

They can distinguish colors and 150 images per second, hear sounds in the range of 400-2000 hertz. They can be taught to count to three and speak about 100 words.

Although, unlike their large relatives, budgies do not speak very clearly. The owners can teach them to tell simple children's quatrains. They can tell them exactly, or they can change phrases. Boys learn better words than girls.
There is practically no need to care for budgies. They adapt well and quickly to new surroundings. They are distinguished by a good, good-natured character. Easy to learn, love to fly and play. They are cheerful, constantly chirping sweetly, love communication. They are friendly with a person.

Budgerigars grow up to 19 cm in height. Their plumage can be completely varied - about 200 colors have been bred. The main color is green with a yellow head and throat. The back of the head is covered with dark, wavy lines.
Budgerigars have a powerful beak that can carry various objects.

The homeland of representatives of this breed is Australia.

The life span of these pets is 10-15 years.

The cost of a budgerigar starts at $ 20. So, now you know which parrot is the most talkative. And if you are still not afraid of the noise and feathers in the house, and you are serious about acquiring a pet, then you should take care of decent living conditions. If you previously did not have experience in communicating and caring for birds, then we advise you to opt for a cockatiel or budgerigars - their maintenance is not difficult, they are excellent students and wonderful imitators.

In the event that you have already learned how to care for birds, then you can consider the option of larger birds, such as gray, macaw, eclectus, rosella. However, be prepared that the cost of these birds will also be much higher.

Bright coloring, the ability to copy a person's speech and interesting habits of parrots with long ago made these birds the favorites of man. Together with representatives of the monitor family, parrots are the smartest birds on Earth. They are sociable, do not tolerate loneliness, and feel comfortable in the company of a person. Currently, there are about 300 species of parrots. The most interesting of them will be discussed in this article.

What kind of birds are these - parrots?
Of the 40 orders and 100 billion individuals of birds living on Earth, one has always stood out, representatives of which can be recognized instantly. And in fact, there is not a single person who does not recognize a parrot at first sight. So, what are the features that allow the bird to be classified as a parrot squad?

First of all, a special beak - massive, short, slightly similar to the beak of a predator. Parrots are very adept at using it. It serves both for gripping and crushing feed, and for climbing tree branches. In addition, it is a very dangerous weapon, as it is unusually strong. A large parrot is able to eat without straining steel wire a couple of millimeters thick, injure a person, and even kill a small animal. But at the same time, parrots show tenderness to each other with their beaks, show affection for the owner, fingering his hair with their beak

The second sign is the tongue, which is short and fleshy. In many species, it has a depression on the hummock, which allows it to conveniently deal with grains and seeds. In brush-tongued parrots, the tongue ends at the bottom with a special claw, and at the top it has a brush of hard bristles for collecting nectar and juice of tropical fruits

Thirdly, the legs. Parrots have very strong legs, but rather short. There are only four fingers. The first and fourth are directed backward, respectively, the second and third are forward. Nails short, strongly curved, rather sharp. Each foot is very independent of movement. In addition, the paws help to hold the harvested fruit or nut, and with them the bird brings food to its beak. The flexibility and plasticity of the fingers is surprising. A parrot can take a large Walnut and a small grain of oats. Many species of parrots on the ground move awkwardly, strongly clubfoot. The only exception is the earthen parrot, which runs fast and dexterously.

And, finally, a luxuriously rich color range of plumage. Throughout the avifauna the globe it is unlikely that there will be a detachment competing in the richness of the color of the plumage, with the exception, perhaps, of the chickens (pheasants, peacocks and other birds).

Noble parrots belong to the subfamily of true parrots "Psittacinae". The species is characterized by a sharp difference in color between males and females, which at one time misled researchers: birds were considered two different species - green loris and red loris. This mistake persisted in the literature for a long time, until, during the collection of collection material during research in New Guinea, it was discovered that all the green birds caught were males, and the red ones were females. Later, in nests found in nature, differently colored chicks were found, which made it possible to finally solve this riddle. The noble parrots are characterized by a strong, stocky body with a short square tail and rather long, rounded wings. The beak is large, with a very smooth and shiny beak, which made it possible to distinguish it, together with some other species, into a special group of wax-billed parrots. Feathers are amazingly colored, thin, delicate, with a slight sheen. The noble parrot forms 9 subspecies, differing in color details (mainly in females) and sizes, which is caused by the habitation of separate, often small, bird populations on numerous isolated islands. Signs of different subspecies are often insignificant and distinguishable only for specialists, therefore, when pairing, it is better for amateurs to focus on the geographical origin of birds from the same region.

The main color of the male is grassy green, with a slight yellowish tinge on the head. The sides of the body are red. The primary flight feathers are blue, the secondary ones are blue with a green outer edge. The fold of the wing and the upper small wing coverts are blue. The underside of the wing is red. The tail is green with blue on the outer feathers, on the underside it is matte black. The lower tail coverts are yellow-green. The upper beak is yellow to coral red with a lighter tip, the lower beak is black. The legs are dark gray. Eye color ranges from black-brown to brownish-red. The body length in different subspecies is from 35 to 45 cm, wing length is from 24 to 27 cm, body weight is from 360 to 400 g.

The plumage of the female is predominantly red, on the head and neck with a carmine tint, on the back and wings it is darker and brownish. The chest, belly, transverse stripe below the occiput, and in some subspecies the ring around the eyes is violet-blue. The fold of the wing is violet-blue, the primary flight feathers and their coverts are blue with green outer edges. The middle and ends of the secondary flight feathers are blue, their outer edge is reddish, and the inner edge is black. The underside of the wing is blue. The tail is brownish-red, and in some subspecies it is yellowish-orange, lighter at the end. Undertail red with yellow edges of feathers or yellow. Eyes light yellow to whitish. The beak is black. The legs are dark gray. Juveniles are colored in the same way as adults, already in nesting plumage, but their upper beak is grayish-brownish, dark yellow at the end. Natural deviations in color are also known: a yellow noble parrot was seen on the island of Halmakhera.

The area of distribution of the noble parrot covers the island of New Guinea and the numerous surrounding islands: Waigeo, Nom, Mios, Salavati, etc., the Chinese islands, the Moluccas (in particular, the island of Halmakhera, after which the parrot is sometimes called), the archipelagos of Louisiade and Palau, Solomon Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, York Peninsula in Australia. The noble parrot lives in dense virgin forests with palms, casuarins, fig trees (the fruits of the latter are the favorite food of many species of parrots) and dense undergrowth. They usually meet him singly or in pairs: they were rarely seen in flocks. But there were collective overnights in the hollows in groups of up to 6-8 individuals. It feeds on fruits, nuts, berries, various seeds, tree buds, flowers, nectar. Causes serious damage in places, attacking corn fields and oil palm plantations. In nature, flying parrots often emit a high, piercing cry "krak-krak", repeated 3-4 times. When feeding on trees, birds: talk with pleasant flute sounds "chuvi-chuvi". It has been noted that when mating, the female emits a voiced "chi-tsong", "chi-yong", while feeding the female during courtship, the male emitted a quiet "tok-tok" (in another interpretation, "gong-gong"). The male summoned the female from the hollow with the sounds of "kra-kra". The breeding period does not coincide in time on different islands within the range; in New Guinea, the noble parrot nests since August; on the York Peninsula in Australia - from October to January. It makes nests in the hollows of tall trees in forest fields and along the edges of the forest. The nests found and examined were located at a height of 14-22 m, the entrance holes of the snipe were 25-30 cm in diameter, the depth of the snipe was 30-60 cm. The hollow was lined with wood dust. There are usually two eggs in a clutch and only the female incubates it. The male does not take part in incubation, but keeps close to the nest and periodically feeds the female. Hollow visits very rarely and immediately leaves it.

During the acclimatization period, birds are best kept at room temperature... Birds are generally very sensitive to cold, especially drafts, and therefore better all year round keep them in a heated room. The outdoor aviary may only be kept in the warmest weeks of summer. The room should be more or less large, as the female can be quite aggressive. In the same room, you can keep a couple, two males, but in no case two females. During this period, the birds are very reluctant to descend to the bottom of the enclosure, so feeders should be located near the perch. The food should be as varied as possible. At the beginning of acclimatization, soft food should be given; a variety of fruits (grapes, cherries, apples, pears, etc.), sunflower sprouts, soaked biscuits, boiled rice. They willingly take corn of milky-wax ripeness, carrots, lettuce, chopped egg. You need to get used to solid food gradually. In the future, the feed can be diversified with boiled beans and lentils, green peas, sunflowers, peanuts, a small amount of hemp seeds, canary seeds, oatmeal, wheat and oats in dry and sprouted form, various nuts. From feed of animal origin, you can give egg feed (mixtures of grated hard-boiled eggs with grated carrots, breadcrumbs and a few drops vegetable oil), a slice of chicken and boiled lean beef. The noble parrot is a typical forest dweller and does not tolerate overheating in the sun. Drinks quite a lot of water, especially if he eats a lot of sunflowers and other dry seeds. He willingly bathes, but does not recognize swimwear at the bottom of the enclosure, preferring water from a spray bottle, wet leaves. Pairing is a well-known difficulty and sometimes takes a long time. When choosing partners, you should pay attention to the fact that both birds are in the same condition. The beaks of young birds turn to adult colors after 12 months in females and after 9-12 months in males. Soon after hatching, the chicks must be separated from their parents, since at this time the birds begin to re-lay and become aggressive towards the young.

Noble parrots are calm, rather silent, tolerant and quickly get used to the owner of the bird. Onomatopoeic abilities are low: birds are only able to learn a few words or sounds. With proper maintenance and feeding, these parrots can live in captivity for tens of years, delighting the owner with their beauty and calm disposition.

PARROTS (Ordo Psittaciformes), order of birds. There are 1 family. 316 species, mostly in the tropics. Length from 9.5 cm to 1 m. Females are smaller than males. The plumage is bright, there is no sexual dimorphism (except for the red-sided parrot from New Guinea). Feather ornaments in the form of crests are not uncommon. The toes are capable of positioning three against one or two against two. Thanks to this, parrots manipulate their fingers almost like hands. All parrots have a massive beak. Many have a good memory and the ability to onomatopoeia. The cerebral hemispheres of parrots are larger than those of other birds, they are even called primates among birds. Their natural language is the most developed among birds. They are monogamous, but live in flocks outside the breeding season. Large parrots have 2-3 eggs in a clutch, small ones - 5-8. Incubation lasts 2-4 weeks. Chicks appear naked and blind and change their downy outfit 2 times before putting on a feather one. 27 species and 14 subspecies in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and natural resources... Many especially beautiful and amusing parrots died out due to their intensive capture.
The earliest center for the emergence of these unlike other birds, apparently, is located in Australia, but parrots are widespread on all continents, except Europe and, naturally, Antarctica. Most of the species nest in tree holes, some in rock crevices, and there are those that dig holes. Most parrots live in nature in large flocks or groups, couples unite only during the mating season.

People have been keeping parrots in captivity since ancient times and are very much appreciated. The pioneers here were probably the ancient Indians, in whose idea every noble man had to teach at least one parrot to speak. Europeans first met parrots in India. The first were the soldiers of Alexander the Great. Birds quickly gained popularity in Greece and later in Rome. With the onset of the Middle Ages, information about tame parrots in Europe disappears and reappears during the Crusades (11-13 centuries). The parrots' amazing ability to imitate human speech impressed the Western Church, and parrots were declared closer to God than other animals. With the conquests of the era of geographical discoveries, new species of parrots from the New World appeared. These birds, to their misfortune, fell into fashion, their high hairstyles were decorated with stuffed animals, lovebirds, as a symbol of fidelity, were certainly presented to their beloved, etc. Many species have disappeared irrevocably. In Russia nowadays there is a real boom in hobby for parrots. They are brought in asleep, filling them with the most incredible and unsuitable hiding places for birds. Many birds die. Therefore, before purchasing a bird, you should find out where it comes from, do not support the smuggling industry.
Many species of parrots have long been domesticated, and their maintenance does not present any particular difficulties. The cage is selected for the parrot in size, often aviaries are arranged where you can keep different species together. Moving into a new cage, birds experience stress and often stop eating. It is necessary to let the parrots fly around the house: this inquisitive bird needs not only to stretch its wings, but also to look around. All kinds of perches, rings and swings are provided in the cages. It is useful for such as cockatoos to exercise their legs with all kinds of shells. If breeding is planned, then nest houses in the form of nest boxes are placed for couples. Young shoots of willow, linden, apple, maple should be in the cage all year round and replaced as they are eaten. In addition to fresh water in the drinking bowl, it is necessary to give honey water 1-2 times a week (1 part honey for 1 part boiled water; a multivitamin tablet is also added here). Alternating with honey water, give water with juice of black and red currants, cranberries. For mineral dressings use crushed for 5 minutes eggshell, chalk, shell rock, charcoal, tablets of calcium gluconate and glycerophosphate and even old plaster... V warm time For years, a piece of meadow or forest sod is put into the cage, sometimes pieces of forest rot. Parrots love to swim, but the water shouldn't be cold.

The natural variety of food for parrots in a home environment cannot be fully reproduced. Birds caught in captivity as adults find it especially difficult to get used to changing feeds. Having bought such a bird, you should offer it food again and again, achieving maximum variety. In large parrots, individuality is clearly manifested in addictions, and what another bird eats, yours may not accept.

Grain feed is the basis of nutrition. There should be plenty of it. This is a mixture different varieties millet, oats, wheat, hemp (a little, as they get fat from it), canary seed, sunflower, corn. Nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pine nuts) are added to the mixture. If there is no complete mixture, then individual components can also be given, part of the grain must be unrefined, germinated in spring and winter. When the ears of grain in the fields reach the stage of milky-wax ripeness, they are put to the parrots. The corn needs to be boiled (but not from the can, only the cobs!). Parrots love fresh cottage cheese, they are happy to eat a white roll, especially soaked in milk or tea. The egg is finely chopped, mixed with grated carrots and white bread crumbs (1: 1) and given about every other day (large and medium-sized parrots can be given just a chopped egg). Parrots should not be offered meat, sausage, ham, butter etc. In nature, parrots eat a lot of fruits, drink their sweet juice. In our conditions, sweet varieties of apples and pears and imported tropical fruits, carefully washed, are suitable for them. Of the berries, ripe strawberries and strawberries, raspberries, black currants, fresh and dried mountain ash are suitable (black chokeberry can also be given in small quantities), figs (you can soak in milk). Give slices of melon, watermelon. Parrots love slices of carrots, pumpkins, raw potatoes. For many parrots, flowers are needed as food (marigolds, dandelions, rose hips, marigolds, etc.; this helps to maintain the color of the plumage). As greens put leaves of lettuce, dandelion, cabbage. Parrots' favorite candies should be given in a very limited way, as a reward for learning.
Many small parrots breed well in captivity, even when kept in cages. The main difficulty for most species is not feeding and creating special conditions, but the selection of pairs, since some species are very picky and will never start a family with an unwanted partner. Reproduction of large parrots is fraught with significant difficulties.
Vitally necessary for all parrots, and especially for large, life-giving rays of the sun. In winter, birds are irradiated with a quartz lamp, setting the lamp so that the light reflected from the walls and ceiling falls on the cage.

For parrots, especially medium and large, living alone, communication with a person is vital. Having fallen in love with a person, the parrot seeks to "clean his feathers", loves to be stroked and scratched, reminding in this respect many cats. The main condition for teaching a parrot to human speech is that it must be without a pair. Young birds naturally learn faster than adults. Among parrots there are individuals that are smart and stupid, incapable. If you want to teach a parrot, you need to pronounce the words many times, clearly. However, a parrot can remember what was said once. Many birds obviously not only repeat the words, but also understand their meaning, call the owners, warn of danger (for example, that a cat has come). Although parrots often get along well with cats, dogs, and rodents, you shouldn't risk it. Many parrots are surprisingly vindictive. Often, having fallen in love with one of the family members, a parrot cannot stand other family members, or even jealous of his wife, children (this is what large parrots sin). Correcting character flaws in this bird is not easy.
The maximum recorded lifespan in captivity is 60 years. The existing legends about 200 and even 300-year-old cockatoos and grays are just fiction.
What are the species of parrots? Parrots are divided into small (budgerigars, lovebirds, cockatiel nymphs, grass parrots, rosella), medium (necklace parrots, lorises, wedge-tailed parrots), large (macaw, gray, cockatoo, Amazonian parrots or Amazons).

Amazon parrots are considered one of the best imitators of human speech and belong to the "Talking Parrots" group. They quickly get used to a new environment and are very affectionate to a person, but less mobile than a gray, calmer, prefer human company. Amazons are famous for their good appetite, easy friendly character with a minimum psychological problems and can live to be 80 years old. Their intelligence is a bit lower than, say, a Grays, but their ability to imitate speech is excellent. The bird talker is distinguished by intelligence and ingenuity. It's about Jaco. The Amazons are in second place by a small margin. Please note that by law, live goods cannot be returned or replaced. And therefore, when choosing a feathered friend, you need, as they say, to look both ways. The first indicator of a parrot's health is its plumage. Glossy, sleek, feather to feather plumage is a sure sign of excellent health. If the bird is sick or under stress, it often begins to pluck its feathers. It will be quite difficult to wean the bird from this habit in the future. Of the large parrots among birdwatchers, the most common are the Amazonian parrots, of which there are about 26 known species. Their homeland is the tropical part of America. Most Amazonian parrots are found in the forests of the Amazon Basin. They endure captivity easily. Like gray parrots, they are wonderful indoor birds. They quickly master in a new environment, are unpretentious to feed, strongly attached to a person, meek, sweet and capable of learning. These are very capable birds, and individuals are often found pronouncing more than 80 words and phrases.

What breeds of parrots are considered the smartest
in terms of onomatopoeia and speech learning?

Jaco

Despite their not the most attractive gray color, these birds are distinguished by high mental abilities. Their homeland is West Africa, parrots live mainly in forests. Grays grow up to 35-42 cm. Jacques quickly learn colloquial speech, in well-trained pets the intellect of a three-year-old child, they imitate male and female voices, the sounds of nature, the roar of animals, and whistle melodies. American scientists have proven that gray parrots not only memorize words and phrases, but are also able to conduct a dialogue. The gender of the gray does not really matter, both males and females are well trained.

Amazons

Cockatoo

Macaw

Budgerigar

An interesting feature of this species is that mostly males talk, while females prefer to be silent. Budgerigars cannot pronounce words clearly and loudly, they still resemble chirping, but the volume of their vocabulary is impressive - up to 150 words. Parrots well remember the intonation of a human voice, are able to imitate them, whistle melodies, imitate birdsong. Sometimes wavy females also enrich their vocabulary with a few dozen words, but males are still preferable for training.

Corella

Roselle

By the way, the smartest parrot, listed in the Guinness Book of Records, belonged to the type of gray. His name was Alex and he lived for 31 years. Jacot knew more than 400 words in different languages, was able to competently construct sentences, had the ability to sing and have a musical memory. Alex was trained by Irene Pepperberg from Arizona. Alex distinguished geometric shapes, colors, the number of objects, and could read syllables. His intelligence level matched that of a five-year-old toddler.

So, dear owners of feathered clever men and women, show patience and attention and your pets will surprise you more than once!