Bird Brains.Alex, a 23-year-old African gray parrot (Zool.) an African parrot (Psittacus erithacus), very commonly domesticated, and noted for its aptness in learning to talk. Also called jako. See also: Gray , won't be taking the SATs, but he's no featherhead feath·er·head n. A featherbrain. feath  er·head ed adj. , says his owner, University of Arizona (body, education) University of Arizona - The University was founded in 1885 as a Land Grant institution with a three-fold mission of teaching, research and public service. scientist Irene Pepperberg Irene Pepperberg (born April 1, 1949, Brooklyn, New York) is a scientist noted for her studies in animal cognition, particularly in relation to parrots. She is an adjunct professor of psychology at Brandeis University and a lecturer at Harvard University. . Disputing the belief that parrots only mimic sounds and learn by rote, Pepperberg says Alex can identify 50 objects, 7 colors, and 5 shapes, and understand abstract concepts like bigger, smaller, same, and different--proving that "animal intelligence is more widespread than we thought," she says. So is Alex's ego. Pepperberg recently acquired two new parrots, and "Alex doesn't like either of them," she reports.
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