Learning or just loves to play

[Nychsa]

Greetings everyone!

 

Bella is now 15 months old and has really made leaps and bounds in her vocabulary. But she also has this real drive to play all the time. I'm wondering if parrots learn from playing much the same way other animals learn and if so, what is it she's learning?

 

Aside from playing HARD with her toys, dangling every which way and attacking them, she tries to engage me to play little games we have with her all the time. She seems to like our "bing" game the most - she sits on my computer monitor and do a gentle poke to her belly and say "bing" and she tries to grab my finger. When I stop she bounces back and forth on my monitor going "bing, bing, bing!" wanting more. The reason I'm wondering what she is up to is that we all just got up, I'm drinking my coffee and it's still dark out and she wants to play "bing"! She hasn't even had breakfast yet.

 

So I'm wondering what this little game is doing for her - is she just having fun, or do parrots learn by playing - is she training her reflexes (at the expense of my finger of course :laugh: ) If you've read anything about parrot play and what it is doing for them, I'd love to hear it!

 

Cheers!

Terri

[lovemyGreys]

Hi Terri,

 

Just my thoughts Terri,

Playing with our greys is not only fun, it is a necessary and important part of their development. I believe we are teaching them skills that they will use for the rest of their life in our human-oriented world.I think by playing & interacting with them it gives us a great insight into our greys behavior by observing the bird's body language and vocal responses to various play situations. You will learn when the bird is excited, angry, nervous, and content.Playing with them provides the stimulation they need,the human interaction they crave at times & having them involved in our lives via play then they will im sure be more fulfilled .

[Nychsa]

Hi Tracy, you're right - it is a two way street - I learn too When she gets on to something she wants to do it over and over and over again - like this "bing" game. I hope she gets tired of it eventually because she's already nailed my finger a couple of times good!

 

In addition, when she's in play mode, she's a bit rough and excited and will do crazy things like fall off the monitor because she's bouncing around so much :blink: She fell to the floor and when I picked her up she wanted to immediately snuggle under my chin because she startled herself - her little heart was pounding a mile a minute ! :unsure:

[BMustee]

To add to the learning thing, I think that also because they are so smart they need to play just for the mental stimulation. All smart animals love to play like chimps and dolphins, but the things they like to do don't really aid in survival in the wild...it's just fun.

[siobha9]

From a human perspective, humans need to play and have fun in order to balance out the stresses that occur in every day life. Many people take up a hobby such as golf or dance initially as a means of stress relief. For a human playing with their bird can help to lower blood pressure, and have a calming effect on them.

 

I am sure that it is similar for our parrots. They enjoy the game firstly for the entertainment value but also because it probably has a calming effect on them too.

[Nychsa]

I think all of your are confirming what my suspicion was - she just likes to play - it isn't an instinct thing that she's doing in order to learn some skill that would assist her in the wild. So, the concept of "fun" is something they seem to understand.. I would also venture to say - they have a sense of humor as well. While I was in DC a friend was bird sitting for me. Bella would fly off her cage and my friend would then try to get her to step up so she could put Bella back on her perch. Bella was running around under the kitchen table looking out from behind chair legs saying "peek-a-boo!" and then she'd run off! Cindy told me she clearly felt Bella was playing a game with her. But then she tried to rationalize and say 'no no way she's teasing me on purpose!" I think in the mean time - Bella was teasing her very much on purpose! If that's so, wow - these babies have a breath taking intelligence!

[siobha9]

Nychsa wrote:

If that's so, wow - these babies have a breath taking intelligence!

 

I agree:) . I think that what Alex achieved is incredible, but not natural because he was in a laboratory situation, but Bella is just a baby really, and hasnt had "special" training. She has just been treated like the funny little character she is and she still shows such incredible intelligence. They really are remarkable birds and we are very lucky to witness it;)

[Nychsa]

Which makes me wonder Siobha whether the lab didn't capture what all they are REALLY capable of doing.

 

In a lab, only certain aspects are being observed and the rest of their personality doesn't have an opportunity to evolve (I know I'm making an assumption here, but I really can't see how they can unfold in a lab). I mean that would be like taking a child and watching how they learn their ABC's or their multiplication tables and then ignore the rest of their personality. Intelligence is a function of so much more - not limited to a beings communication abilities.

 

And I certainly agree - we are lucky these wonderful little beings are in our lives <br><br>Post edited by: Nychsa, at: 2008/08/13 03:12

[danmcq]

Nychsa Wrote: "it isn't an instinct thing that she's doing in order to learn some skill that would assist her in the wild. So, the concept of "fun" is something they seem to understand.. I would also venture to say - they have a sense of humor as well."

 

1) All Critters play and have fun, it is an "instinct or God given right for all to have fun and the intelligence to do so. He did not leave out the critters while doling it out.

2) It does help them survive in the wild due to their learning balance, coordination, build strength in all their muscles and sharpen their reflexes and speed.

3) They all have a since of humor, whether they can communicate it or not. Example 1: Dayo likes to tumble down from our shoulder and land on our lap while we're sitting and not paying attention to him. He then laughs a BIG BELLY laugh (In my Voice) as he climbs back up to do it again.

 

Example 2: Our male Doberman thinks it's "BIG FUN" to go over and poke our female Doberman as hard as he can with his nose while she is sleeping on the couch..... Then he runs for his life!! Because she turns into a creature that truly looks like the "Alien Creature" from the movie "Alien". The end of her Nose flips up and backwards, exposing nothing but Teeth and Wicked looking eyes as she jumps down and pursues him at lightning speed.

 

We are all truly blessed by having such intelligent and funny creatures in our homes and lives. :-)