Your Parrot May Already Have a Name

Your Parrot May Already Have a Name

Photograph by Soraya Delgado

While studying green-rumped parrotlets in Venezuela, National Geographic grantee Karl Berg discovered an incredibly rare behavior—the adults appear to "name" their young. Berg’s long-term study of parrotlets is beginning to shed light on some important questions about parrot communication. With each new season, more is sure to be revealed.

"We recently discovered that parents use slight variations in their calls for different offspring. Baby birds appear to recognize specific calls designated for them.

"Parrots have been difficult to understand in the wild, but the study site has specially built nests which allow us to record video and audio of social interactions between siblings and parents. These green-rumped parrotlets (Forpus passerinus) have been studied intensively for the past quarter century, which means we know the age, parents, grandparents, aunts, first cousins, friends, and enemies of each individual. This knowledge allows us to record their vocalizations in some very specific contexts.

"Parrots have long been icons of mindless mimicry, but the question has always been: What are they communicating about to each other? Are they born with this ability or do they have to learn it? If they have to learn it, do they need to be taught how to use it?"