A comprehensive investigation involving nearly 900 pet parrots has yielded compelling evidence suggesting that certain avian species possess the capacity not merely to imitate speech but also to assign and utilize specific vocalizations to identify individual beings. This groundbreaking discovery emanates from a collaborative effort by researchers affiliated with the University of Northern Colorado, the University of Vienna, the Acoustics Research Institute at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.
The African gray parrot (Psittacus erithacus) named John eating cucumber. Image credit: Papooga.
A long-standing inquiry among both scientific minds and the general public has revolved around whether the animal kingdom employs appellations for self-identification and for distinguishing between fellow creatures.
A substantial body of evidence indicates that numerous animal species are adept at recognizing and reacting to designations bestowed upon them by humans. Furthermore, some are capable of originating and deploying unique vocal identifiers.
Nonetheless, no prior research has substantiated the assertion that a varied collection of animal subjects can generate and appropriately deploy names, recognized as such within the framework of human linguistic norms.
“While a multitude of animals demonstrate the ability to respond to human discourse, only a select cadre of species have mastered the production of speech-like sounds or their judicious application,” stated Professor Lauryn Benedict of the University of Northern Colorado, along with her esteemed colleagues.
“Parrots, in particular, exhibit exceptional prowess in acquiring vocalizations, encompassing human lexicon, and can accurately employ words as distinct labels.”
“This inherent facility for vocal production acquisition empowers researchers to scrutinize the extent to which animals utilize vocal labels, rather than merely reacting to them. This approach affords a more profound insight into the cognitive dimensions of word utilization and the process of labeling.”
The present investigation involved an in-depth analysis of data pertaining to more than 889 companion parrots, meticulously gathered through the ManyParrots project. This initiative represents a collaborative network of scientists dedicated to exploring parrot vocal learning and cognitive abilities by amassing survey responses and audio recordings.
For a select segment of these avian participants, the survey respondents furnished supplementary contextual information, enabling the research team to achieve a more granular understanding of how the parrots were employing appellations.
Approximately half of the individuals completing the surveys provided documented instances of parrots utilizing names.
Out of these 413 documented occurrences, 88 instances provided strong indications of birds employing appellations as identifiers for both human beings and other animals.
The investigators also unearthed robust evidence indicating that certain birds applied these designations not merely to a general classification, such as ‘people,’ but specifically to a singular, identifiable individual.
Conversely, a significant proportion of the birds also deployed these labels in ways that diverge from typical human usage.
For example, on occasion, parrots vocalized their own appellation as a means of soliciting attention.
The findings of this research propose that parrots possess the requisite cognitive and vocal faculties to employ names in a diversified manner, ranging from facilitating communication with humans to even referencing individuals absent from their immediate vicinity.
However, the observed variability across different species, and even among individuals within the same species, leaves abundant scope for further inquiry into the mechanisms, circumstances, and motivations underlying the adoption or omission of these skills for naming other creatures.
“Our conclusions suggest that parrots frequently acquired names from their human companions and utilized them across a spectrum of situations, some of which are congruent with an inherent capability to cognitively link a name with a particular individual,” the researchers stated.
“All the avian subjects included in our dataset employed human-derived names, leaving open questions regarding their potential to originate appellations independently.”
“Nevertheless, the results unequivocally demonstrate that animals are capable of learning and deploying proper names within appropriate social contexts.”
“Further detailed research, conducted in meticulously controlled environments, is warranted to enhance our comprehension of the underlying cognitive processes driving this behavior in parrots and other species.”
“It is our expectation that the capacity for individual labeling is intrinsic to both wild and captive animal populations.”
“We earnestly hope that forthcoming investigations will establish reliable methodologies for identifying instances of animal nomenclature through techniques that do not rely on human language.”
The study is scheduled for publication online this month in the esteemed journal PLoS ONE.
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L. Benedict et al. 2026. Name use by companion parrots. PLoS One 21 (4): e0346830; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0346830
