Why do parrots talk and how do they achieve it if they do not have vocal cords

Like cats with meow, which is the exclusive way of communicating with humans, parrots have developed the ability to “talk” as a system of communication with us that they never use in nature to communicate with each other.

In the case of these birds, the sound is produced in a much more complex way than in the case of felines, and it turns out that they are capable of imitating almost any sound.

Parrots, like all birds, do not have vocal cords, they cannot make the sounds that we make with the same method.

They have an organ called the syrinx, in the trachea, which can reproduce, by a cognitive mechanism of imitation, any sound that can be imagined.

Imitation is very important in parrots, as they are prepared to be able to reproduce the environment in which they live, which can be clearly seen in any park or natural area with an abundant population of parrots.

Not only can they imitate the human voice, but any sound that may be important to reproduce in some circumstance of alarm or threat to the community.

Therefore, the imitatory capacity and the ability to reproduce sounds of any kind has a natural protective and another specific communicational basis with humans in that animal with a close bond with us.

Pet parrots, that is, in close coexistence with humans, understand that talking is an important trait for us.

They understand that this is a method of communication and that these kinds of strange sounds that we make have great value for our social relationship.

Parrots learn the so-called “bad words” easier, since they capture these words as special and perceive that they stand out from the rest.

That is why it is common for them to identify the insults we emit emphatically and are very interested in repeating them, understanding that those words are important to us.

For a parrot to intend to imitate the sound of the human voice, it must be properly socialized from a very young age.

That is why parrots who have not developed this ability at their earliest age are likely to fail later, since it is a complex brain process that must develop with their growth.

It has been shown that the brain of parrots has an area specifically dedicated to this faculty, which is very complex and responds to the same brain areas that make them dance when the rhythm of the music is pleasant to them.

As with many animals, making a strong association between a circumstance and a sound is a common mechanism that favors the repetition of sounds or words in relation to the correct and appropriate circumstances in such an exact way that it can surprise us.

Having explained the mechanism, it should be clarified that having parrots as companion animals is not at all advisable, and should not be carried out, since we will be doing damage to nature by removing from its gear a wild animal that must remain in that environment for its proper development and existence.

*Prof. Dr. Juan Enrique Romero @drromerook is a veterinary physician. Specialist in University Education. Master's Degree in Psychoimmunoneuroendocrinology. Former Director of the Small Animal School Hospital (UNLPAM). University Professor at several Argentine universities. International lecturer.

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