bine them appropriately. Nowadays, parrots are rated along with
dolphins and whales as possessing a high level of intelligence.
About the intelligence and talents of parrots,
The Augusta Chronicle
has this to say: :
New research suggests that parrots, like chimps and dolphins,
are capable of mastering complex intellectual concepts that
children cannot handle until age 5.
16
Communication in animals—a dog’s bark, for example—is
usually innate behavior, not learned. In many species of birds, also,
the basic sounds can be instinctive signals, innate and automatic.
But the ability to imitate specific sounds is different matter that re-
quires learning. Research shows that in species of birds such as the
psittacine group (parrots, crested parrots, budgerigars), corvids
(crows, ravens, jays) and the
Cracticidae
(Australian magpies, curra-
wongs, butcherbirds) most vocal skills are learned behavior.
17
We should not forget that these talents do not originate with the
creatures in question. It is by God's inspiration that these creatures
with no rationality develop learning skills and then store in memo-
ry what they learned and use it in context.
The High Level of Consciousness
in Birds that Imitate Sounds
45
