If it’s intelligence you’re after in a pet, then you could certainly do worse than bringing a parrot home to roost, as these birds are renowned for their little grey cells, capable of learning all sorts of fun and exciting tricks… as well as being able to develop a vocabulary and actually talk to you, of course!
Recent studies even go so far as to suggest that some breeds of parrot (like the African grey) can actually perform cognitive tasks at levels beyond those seen in five-year-old humans!
But, of course, that’s only the tip of the iceberg and parrots have long been impressing people with their unique abilities – as evidenced by the Guinness Book of World Records and the number of interesting achievements these birds have amassed over the years.
Just a week ago, for example, it was announced that parrot Xiaogui set a brand-new world record for the fastest time to identify ten colours by a bird of his species, clocking in at an impressive 33.50 seconds!
For the challenge, he was presented with ten tiny plastic bins and a line of ten straw balls in the same colours. The orders were then mixed up and he had to pick up the balls and put them in the right bins, getting through the task as fast as possible. He was even able to tell the difference between two different shades of pink!
And this got us to thinking… what other parrot world records are there? What else have these fantastic birds done? Here are a few of our favourites!
Apollo & item identification
African grey and rising TikTok star Apollo from Saint Petersburg in Florida recently set an amazing record where he identified 12 different objects in just three minutes, including socks, book and bug.
Apparently, he can recognise colours, words and objects, as well as being able to count, answer complex questions and communicate clearly!
Zac & basketball slam dunks
Forget Michael Jordan! It’s all about Zac the macaw from San Jose in California who, in 2011, set a great world record for the most basketball slam dunks by a parrot ever… reaching an incredible 22!
Puck & the largest vocabulary
Parrots are chatterboxes, that’s for sure, and you have to be careful what you say around them or before you know it, they’ll be spilling all your biggest secrets!
These birds can build up a truly impressive vocabulary, as evidenced by Puck the budgerigar from Petaluma in California, who knew approximately 1,728 words! Amazing!
Gordon & bottle caps
Hyacinth macaw Gordon (who, incidentally, is an incredible colour!) from Los Altos in California hit the record books for the most bottle caps removed by a parrot in one minute, racking up 12 caps for his owner Julie Cardoza. What a useful skill this is to have! You’ll never need to worry about losing the bottle opener again!
