There is no question that parakeets are very intelligent birds.
This is just one of the many reasons that they make for great pets. You can count on your parakeet to provide you with endless hours of entertainment, affection, and companionship.
They are some of the most amusing feathery friends one can have.
Parakeet Biology
It is interesting to note that while parakeets are fairly small overall, they do have a large brain. Avian researchers have attempted to assign IQs to birds, which is interesting but fairly tricky. They took a number of things into consideration, including the animal’s adaptability and innovativeness. These scientists believe that despite the small size of these birds, they have a very high IQ.
Factors to Consider
There are a couple of different factors to consider when it comes to determining just how smart your parakeet really is.
Speaking Ability
One of the things that you will need to consider when it comes to judging a bird’s intelligence is their ability to speak. Parakeets definitely have a reputation for learning a variety of words and phrases. Many of these birds mimic the sounds they hear on a daily basis, both from humans and inanimate objects. They are capable of doing this with a startling degree of accuracy, which can sometimes be a bit eerie.
Parakeets are capable of repeating thousands of words in their lifetime. The real sign of intelligence with these animals is their ability to use certain words in a way that is appropriate for their meaning. Researchers have determined that parakeets are even capable of understanding basic commands, which is pretty impressive to say the least.
Male parakeets are the only ones that imitate words and phrases. If you have one of these birds at home, talking to it like you would to another person can actually benefit them mentally/emotionally. The words that you utter in front of your bird (and the tone you use), could have more of an impact on them than you think.
If you were to keep a male and female parakeet together, you’d surely notice that they talk to each other quite a lot. It is not recommended that you do this if you live in an apartment, as it can get pretty noisy.
Parakeets, as well as many other birds, will vocalize around you as a way of getting your attention. The louder your bird is, the more desperate they are for you to acknowledge them.
Keeping Your Parakeet Smart
If you want to ensure that your parakeet stays smart, there are a number of things you can do that are quite effective. It is imperative that these animals receive mental and physical stimulation on a daily basis. This can mean anything from playing with toys in their cage to handling them directly.
1. Put a Perch in Your Bird’s Cage
While it might not seem like it at first, putting a perch or two in your bird’s cage can go a long way towards preserving their intelligence. It will also help to ensure that they get a good amount of exercise each day, which is also crucial. You should ideally have perches of different textures in their cage. Just make sure that none of the perches are made from any abrasive or toxic materials that could harm them.
2. Give Your Bird Some Toys to Play with
It is also highly recommended that you provide your pet bird with a variety of toys to play with. This can really help with stimulating their mind. Certain toys are better than others for doing this. There are many different puzzle toys that you can get for your bird. These toys in particular can do wonders for keeping their mind sharp. Putting a delicious treat in the puzzle toy will give your bird motivation to use it.
3. Introduce them to Everyone in the House
Socialization is another crucial aspect of owning and maintaining a pet parakeet. These birds are very social creatures that love to be handled and interacted with. You will need to make a point of doing this on a daily basis. It will provide your bird with lots of mental stimulation, which will in turn help to keep them functioning at the highest level mentally.
Make sure that you introduce your bird to everyone in the household so they get used to them. This socialization can really help with keeping your bird smart over the years. Just make sure that you and everyone else who handles the bird is very gentle.
4. Get a big Enclosure
Parakeets need plenty of room to flap and fly around in their enclosure, so you’ll need to keep this in mind when picking one out. It is very important that you get a cage that allows your bird to move around freely.
The better their cage is, the happier they will be. This can also go a long way towards keeping your bird mentally healthy. You also want to make a point of letting them out of their enclosure from time to time.
Conclusion
- Parakeets are very intelligent birds with very large brains relatively to their body size.
- These birds are known for being big vocalizers, but only the males are capable of “talking”.
- Keeping a male and female parakeet together can be quite entertaining, but their chatting back and forth can become pretty loud.
- The speaking ability of a bird is a good way of determining its intelligence, and parakeets can learn thousands of words and phrases.
- These birds are very skilled at imitating words and noises they hear on a daily basis.
- One of the signs of real intelligence with these birds is their ability to use words appropriately. They can also sometimes respond to direct commands.
- If you want to preserve the intelligence of your bird, make sure that you keep them stimulated each day.
- The right toys and direct contact with your parakeet can be very effective at stimulating their mind.
