Birding Briefs: Updates on conservation, research, and organizations

摘要

In our December 2003 issue, founding editor Eldon Greij introduced us to Alex, an African Grey Parrot that challenges conventional wisdom on how much birds think ("Those Amazing Birds," p.76). Alex's owner is Irene Pep-perberg, a comparative psychologist and cognitive scientist at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. As Greij noted, "Alex doesn't simply repeat words as other talking parrots do; he makes choices." He counts, identifies, and labels objects, shapes, colors, and kinds of matter.