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The most trainable parrot

SmolParrot

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Obviously to call a certain species of parrot the most intelligent is a vast generalization. Intelligence is far too complex to just say "_______" parrot is overall the smartest, and a smarter parrot may even be harder to train due to stubborness

My question is, as a trend, which species of parrot is most trainable. I find parrots that are clingy to be more trainable than introverted ones. A caique for example
 

scrape

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As I'm sure others will tell you, it depends on the bird. Unfortunately for you, generalizing isn't recommended here. African greys are very intelligent, but I am amazed by one of my budgie's genius. There are different kinds of intelligence, so consider meeting some birds in person and seeing what likes you and you like.
 

SmolParrot

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@scrape I would never generalize intelligence, each parrot is intelligent in their own domain. I have studied some evolutionary biology at the college level during my undergrad, so I very well understand the notion that generalizing isn't recommended

I simply was wondering if there is a most trainable species of parrot. Trainablity does not suggest intelligence. For example, certain breeds of dogs are more trainable than others. Most dog owners would agree with such a statement in regards to probability
 

scrape

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@SmolParrot
I understand. I asked the same exact question but about hormones. I was dissapointed.:shrug3:
Are you interested in adopting a parrot?
 

fashionfobie

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@SmolParrot Dogs are not a good comparison; they are all the same species. There are 350+ parrot species and it is really not the same. One of the reasons budgies are so adaptable to companion animal life is that they are from an extreme climate, the Australian Outback. This helped them handled neglect better when they were first brought into the pet trade before humans knew how to care for them. Budgies are also highly social and intelligent which is how they manage arid and extreme desert life.

The train-ability of a parrot will start with trust. If your bird trusts you completely there is a high chance they will learn quickly. In my anecdotal experience my parrots pick up concept much more quickly than my dog. However my parrots do not care if I want them to do a "trick." They are only interested in things that they find interesting or that serve them somehow.

A better question for a new bird is: How much space do I have? Can I afford the regular diet? Can I afford the vet fees, as they are nearly 3x that of dogs? How much time do I have in my day to spend with the bird? Will this mean I need a small flock, so they can socialise with each other? Do I understand the long-term care of the species I want? Do I have 10,20,30,70 years to commit? Have I tried looking at bird rescues? Meeting a bird that clicks with me?
 

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If you find a high value reinforcer, any animal or bird is trainable.
 

JLcribber

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This isn't about the bird. It's about your knowledge and skill to achieve these things.
 

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Honestly the first species I think of is budgies.
 

Destiny

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As far as I know, there have been no large scale studies to compare parrot trainability, so the best you will get is anecdotal evidence and case reports. Nothing really definitive.

Are you asking to help pick out the right parrot to own or just from general curiosity?

If you are interested in getting a highly trainable parrot, I think the best choice would depend on what you hope to do with your parrot. Certain parrots can be naturally better or worse at certain things, like talking or cuddling or noise level. Some are more "clownish" while others tend to be more calm or serious. And some can be especially difficult for first time parrot owners, but an excellent choice for the right person.

It all depends. And how well behaved your parrot turns out to be also depends on your own ability to train the parrot. The smartest and most trainable species of parrot will still struggle to learn the right behaviors if they have a poor teacher.

As long as you have time and patience, any parrot can be trained. And all parrots have challenges when it comes to training successfully. The trick is finding the right parrot for you and your situation ... and then putting in the necessary effort to learn from each other.
 

SandraK

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@scrape I would never generalize intelligence, each parrot is intelligent in their own domain. I have studied some evolutionary biology at the college level during my undergrad, so I very well understand the notion that generalizing isn't recommended

I simply was wondering if there is a most trainable species of parrot. Trainablity does not suggest intelligence. For example, certain breeds of dogs are more trainable than others. Most dog owners would agree with such a statement in regards to probability
Apples and oranges. Dogs are not like parrots and I would hesitate to state that there is a most trainable species of parrot; your statement about dogs may be true (having owned a Lab, a Flat Coat Retriever and a Basset at different times in my life). I would also say the same thing about people - not all are trainable.
 

Destiny

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@SmolParrot Dogs are not a good comparison; they are all the same species. There are 350+ parrot species and it is really not the same. One of the reasons budgies are so adaptable to companion animal life is that they are from an extreme climate, the Australian Outback. This helped them handled neglect better when they were first brought into the pet trade before humans knew how to care for them. Budgies are also highly social and intelligent which is how they manage arid and extreme desert life.
Actually dogs are an interesting example BECAUSE all dog breeds are considered one species and yet there is such huge amount of variation in trainability and other qualities between breeds and between individual dogs within a breed. Dog breeds themselves represent a significant amount of time and effort dedicated toward selecting for a set of desirable traits. A dog that is good at scent tracking. A dog that is able to herd reliably. A dog that is small, yet determined enough to go to ground after prey. Trainability in dogs is often related to how closely they needed to work with their human handlers. Dogs bred for herding and certain types of hunting are quite people-oriented and have a high work drive, while other dogs were developed to follow their instincts and work independently, like livestock guardian dogs.

Bassett hounds are notoriously hard to train, but they are natural scent hounds. Border collies are highly trainable and can be taught a wide range of commands, but they tend to get into a lot of trouble without proper guidance.

Yet one thing that all dogs have in common is that they have been domesticated for a very, very long time. And during that time, a good deal of effort has been put into weeding out undesirable behavior and shaping dogs into obedient companions. In contrast, many parrot species have been wild-caught, historically. Very few species of parrot have been "domesticated" to a large degree. Budgies are one of the rare exceptions as their small size and adaptability has allowed them to be bred in captivity for a relatively long time.

But the entire history of budgie aviculture is a drop in the bucket compared with the amount of time that dogs have been domesticated by humans. I don't think any species of parrot is really that far from a "wild" state, genetically-speaking.

Just something to think about the next time your parrot refuses to behave. Even if he was hand-raised and spent his whole life around people, he still has thousands of years of jungle/desert/whatever instincts hard-coded in his DNA. It is no surprise that he sometimes has trouble fitting in to the urban jungle.
 
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fashionfobie

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@Destiny awe, but parrots can't misbehave ;)
 

SmolParrot

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Just to clear things up, in case those that read this post think I'm some sort of sociopath who is treating parrots as market items and trying to find a definitive "best". I am not looking for a parrot, I actually am quite happy with my flock of 3 parrots (2 budgies and a GCC) and they all know many tricks. However, to me the GCC is more willing to go beyond just 5 minutes of training, sometimes up to 15. While my budgies, a very small sample size, have a shorter attention span which contributes to less time to train.

This was a question out of genuine curiousity as someone who is a huge lover of all 350 species of parrots. I know "trust" is a foundation to training, and one thing I work on each day, however, that wasn't my question...
If my question doesn't have an answer to experienced parronts (ones whos flock is far more diverse than mine) that's okay too. I accept an answer of "there is no answer". I just don't accept being portrayed a someone who is trying to "shop" for a parrot
 

SmolParrot

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Just to be clear in case my tone sounds aggressive, I am not angry at all. Truly, everyone on a forum for parrot ownership, taking responsibility for a pet that shouldn't be a pet in the first place. Holds a special place in my heart. I was just disappointed with answers like "check if you can afford vet bills" because it has absolutely nothing to do with this thread
 

Shezbug

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I honestly think the true answer is unknown but they all have the ability to be as smart as they are given the tools to be. As I kid I had a budgie that you could teach anything to in a really short period of time and he loved to learn to the point that he basically insisted you do something new with him every day or he would just do it on his own and turn it into a game that involved you doing something. We knew absolutely nothing about training birds back then- it was just playing or finding something he was happy to keep doing so you could get on with what you were doing because he had to help with or be a part of everything I did not realize exactly how smart that little bird was till I started really learning about training birds while doing my research for getting Burt because for the first time I was going to have a bird that would not be funny dive bombing or biting you like some of my other past birds liked doing to people who were not me. I am still to this day amazed at the things my first budgie picked up in such short spaces of time.
I think the record for the most copied words for birds belongs to budgies. They are smart and learn fast but you need to be busy and fast to keep up with the little fluffers as they do seem to get bored faster than the larger birds I have known I think.
 
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fashionfobie

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Just to be clear in case my tone sounds aggressive, I am not angry at all. Truly, everyone on a forum for parrot ownership, taking responsibility for a pet that shouldn't be a pet in the first place. Holds a special place in my heart. I was just disappointed with answers like "check if you can afford vet bills" because it has absolutely nothing to do with this thread
Just for clarity, as a public forum not everyone knows everyone instantly. I read the post and I personally do not know your backstory. A question asking 'the most trainable' or a similar type of question, comes across the forum space often. The advice of 'Well what is realistic for you?' isn't poor advice. It isn't a personal critique. Now that I know your backstory the questions makes more sense. Please understand that some people come to forums and never join, they are looking for answers. It may help for the public audience as well as members to establish the backstory more. Even a simple, start like "
with my flock of 3 parrots (2 budgies and a GCC) and they all know many tricks. However, to me the GCC is more willing to go beyond just 5 minutes of training, sometimes up to 15. While my budgies, a very small sample size, have a shorter attention span which contributes to less time to train. -Has anyone here noticed something similar with their birds? Is there a more trainable parrot? Etc! -Boom No confusion! :) Then you won't feel like it is an attack.

I am sorry I made you feel bad. I hope that I get to know your birds and your backstory more as time goes on. :giveme5:
 

Mizzely

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I think there isn't an answer :) I've seen budgies do amazing things and the world record for words known by a parrot is held by a budgie last I knew. I've seen Poicephalus, asiatics, conures, caiques, amazons, cockatoos, and macaws all do tricks!
 

SmolParrot

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@fashionfobie you seem like a great parrot caretaker and I look forward to learning a tonne from people like you

You have inspired me to take some time to add more details to my profile and develop it. Glad a social community like this exists and I also apologize for our poor introduction to one another
 

fashionfobie

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@fashionfobie you seem like a great parrot caretaker and I look forward to learning a tonne from people like you

You have inspired me to take some time to add more details to my profile and develop it. Glad a social community like this exists and I also apologize for our poor introduction to one another
I had a similar experience in my first thread in this forum and I made my signature with my whole flock the very next day!
 
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