Dr. Irene Pepperberg, an Adjunct Research Professor at Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts studies African Greys in order to help us understand their cognitive and communication abilities. She compares their abilities to other intelligent animals like apes and even humans. Her most well known research partner is Alex, the African Grey parrot. But, she also has other Grey parrots in her lab including Griffin that have aided in her research and captured the hearts of the world. Their work has helped us to better understand how parrots communicate and interact with the world in ways that we never realized. It’s thanks to Alex, Griffin, and their colleagues that we are starting to comprehend their rich, inner lives. It’s important work because it helps us to create a better world for them and even to better understand our own intelligence and learning. Let’s learn more about these amazing parrots and their work!

Alex

Alex was born in 1976 and lived until 2007. He was famous all over the world with scientists, parrot lovers, and even those that didn't know much about birds at all. The reason was simple - he was showing the world that not only are parrots intelligent, but they are capable of abilities comparable to human children. Before Dr. Pepperberg pushed back against the norms of our belief about animal intelligence within the scientific community, birds were widely considered to mostly be automatons capable of only basic interaction with their environment. But, Alex showed the world that they were wrong about this and that parrots are complex, sentient beings more complicated than we ever realized. Of course, people that had parrots in their home already knew this, but science hadn't caught up yet. Someone had to come along to show them the data, and this is exactly what Alex did. He demonstrated that he had cognitive abilities comparable to a 5 year old human child. The world was shocked and captivated. 

(Image of Alex from The Alex Foundation Website)

People watched as Alex counted, identified different types of matter, colors, and objects and communicated his thoughts and needs. Alex developed his own "zero-like" concept which surprised even Dr. Pepperberg. This means he was able to understand and communicate when there was an absence in quantity. For example, that a tray would have nothing in it. He wasn't trained to understand this concept, but instead, he developed it on his own. This might not sound that impressive until you understand that even human children don't typically develop this concept until they are around 3 or 4 years old. We used to think that understanding the meaning of zero, or nothing, was uniquely human. However, Alex showed us that animals are capable of so much more than we give them credit for. 

Alex was featured on television, documentaries, books, and research studies. He was beloved not only for his abilities, but also for his unique personality. He tragically passed away suddenly in 2007 from complications that were likely genetic. The world mourned his passing and we lost a unique, beautiful soul that day. His final words to Dr. Pepperberg were "I love you, be good." 

Griffin

Griffin worked alongside Alex in Dr. Pepperberg's lab and continues there to this day. He was hatched in 1995 which makes him 31 years old today. Griffin has been able to demonstrate similar concepts to what Alex did. He even beat or matched some Harvard students in tasks like the classic shell game where they would memorize what colored objects were under a cup when moved up to three times. He's also demonstrated strategic thinking like figuring out a way to get the maximum reward for certain tasks. He's displayed complex memory and communication skills and his contributions have been extremely valuable. 

(Image of Griffin from The Alex Foundation Website)

Griffin has been featured in studies, on Animal Planet, and is mentioned in articles debunking myths about the idea that birds have limited intelligence. He has continued Alex's legacy and helping us to better understand animal intelligence and expanded our research even more. You can find him and his work in many places and I will include some links below for both Griffin and Alex. 

Influence and Legacy

Alex, Griffin, and the other birds in Dr. Pepperberg’s lab have taught us so much about parrot cognition and behavior. Many of the things they’ve shown us probably don’t come as much of a surprise to people that have parrots in their family. Many of us have felt validated to see it recorded in scientific studies what we’ve always known: Parrots are intelligent, sentient beings capable of complex relationships and communication.

Dr. Pepperberg pushed against the established scientific norms in her early career that birds were mostly automatons. When she began her career, the idea that a bird was self aware and capable of communicating with humans was seen as absurd by many of Dr. Pepperberg’s peers. But she suspected something that they didn’t, so she faced adversity and challenges every step of the way in order to prove it. Her work is helping us to understand not just what parrots are capable of cognitively, but she’s given us a glimpse into their complex, curious, playful lives in ways that have vastly improved our understanding of the connection we share and the way that they think and interact with their world. 

I believe this quote from Dr. Pepperberg during an interview when discussing the research being done sums up what I believe is the most important takeaway from the work she, Alex, and Griffin are doing: “It is really important because it helps us understand our lives and our place in the world, and what the world should be like.” (Dr. Pepperberg, 2024)

Links and Resources:

The Alex Foundation - This is Dr. Pepperberg's website where you can learn about her, the birds in her lab, and the important work they are doing. You can also show your support there by donating and purchasing items from their shop. 

Alex & Me: How a scientist and a parrot discovered a hidden world of animal intelligence--and formed a deep bond in the process. - An absolute must-read for anyone that loves parrots or wants to dive into the details or Dr. Pepperberg and Alex's life and work. This book will make you laugh, cry and feel a deep connection to these two amazing beings. 

Dr. Pepperberg's research and publications - This page will take you to the research section of her website where you can read the work that has been done. There's a lot, so I'm not going to list them all here. 

Life with Alex - A Memoir - A documentary about Alex and his work

BBC documentary series Super Smart Animals , Episode 1 - This series featured Griffin in one of their episodes. 

Harvard University YouTube Channel - "Not Your Average Birdbrain" featuring Griffin

References:

Pepperberg, I. M., & Gibson, J. (2011). Alex & Me: How a scientist and a parrot discovered a hidden world of animal intelligence--and formed a deep bond in the process. CNIB.