Parrot Speech Hypothesis ~ FlyChomperFly Research Series: PARROTING Tourette-like Behavior

THEORY THAT "PARROTING" IS A THOUGHT PROCESS
Scientists are getting close to understanding the evolutionary impetus for mimicking in parrots, but there are lots of unexplained vocalizations that still look a lot like random "parroting." Based on my observations, I present an explanation of what many of those could be and how they do have purpose.

There has already been a precedent set where researchers have found a correlation between parrot Feather-picking Disorder and human Trichotillomania (obsessive hair-pulling). And, there may be other similar traits that are normally part of the parrot psyche.
"Feather Picking Disorder and Tricotillomania: An Avian Model of Human Psychopathology," Bordnick et al., Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 1994

As far as I know, there hasn't yet been anything published that correlates parrot mimicking with a Tourette-like tic, but I have seen an intriguing parallel between them. One of the symptoms of Tourette syndrome is involuntary verbal outbursts—usually triggered by a strong emotion when thinking about specific things. That corresponds to an already well-established relationship, in which it is common knowledge how parrots tend to prefer to mimic sounds they associate with high emotion.

There are also seemingly out-of-context vocalizations that may actually be based on the parrots' current thoughts. Regarding food, here is what I've observed from my birds, who I believe are typical:

* As explained above, parrots will mimic based on pattern recognition, which isn't necessarily for communication, but a spontaneous "fill in the blank." For instance, when we enter the kitchen, the Grey will be getting excited about meal time and make the sound associated with food preparation—the microwave. She thinks about it and the sound comes out.

* If we're not in the kitchen, making a microwave imitation may sound random, but it's not if she is wanting a snack, or if it's close to a meal time.

* When eager for a snack, she may also spontaneously run through some phrases parroting-style that she associates with having acquired treats or food in the past—whether we are in the room or not.

* Furthermore, I have overheard her quietly making the microwave sound to herself when it gets close to dinnertime.
Again, to a casual observer, the seemingly random sound of a microwave or the treat-associated phrases would appear to be "parroting," but she is thinking about food and the associated sounds comes out.

Whether it's voluntary or involuntary, I haven't determined, but I can confirm the thought-process-to-vocalization relationship.

There are additional incidents not related to food where we've seen the same kind of vocalizations.

* The grey will say out loud, "Bobo walk," as she plods across the floor.

* The grey will say, "No bite," as she is reaching for a forbidden object.

* The conures cannot help but "announce" their nefarious activity if they fly over to an area designated as "off."

Others have reported those kinds of behavior with their birds as well.

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