Alex, one of the most well-known African Grey parrots in history, opened up new possibilities for bird intelligence. He could recognize specific objects by their specific material and could vocally label over 100 different objects, actions, and colors. He was able to count object sets up to six in total, and was currently working on seven and eight.
In addition to being able to deduce the relationship between written numerals, object sets, and the vocalization of the number, Alex demonstrated math abilities that were thought to be advanced in animal intelligence. He also developed his own concept of what was considered “zero-like.” Alex understood the concept of phonemes, or the sounds that make up words, and was learning to read the sounds of different letters.
In his day-to-day activities, Alex’s personality was clearly visible. He enjoyed giving orders to “his” humans to carry out different tasks for him because he felt “in charge” of his home. In addition, he served as a cheerleader and coach for Wart and Griffin, giving them advice and criticism in equal measure while they were learning. Corks, key chains, and cardboard boxes were his favorite toys.
Alex came from modest beginnings, having been bought in June 1977 at the age of 12 or 13 months from a Chicago pet store. His achievements demonstrated that African Grey parrots are far more intelligent than previously believed, even before he spent decades working with Dr. Pepperberg. Sadly, Alex died on September 6, 2007, at the age of 31, from an arteriosclerosis-related sudden, unplanned catastrophic event. (hardening of the arteries).
Either a fatal arrhythmia, a stroke, or a heart attack caused his abrupt and painless death. It was impossible to see how he would end. Earlier that week, the results of all the tests that were part of a recent physical examination had come back normal, including his cholesterol and asper levels. His age or current diet were unrelated to his death; our veterinarian reported that she had observed comparable occurrences in young birds (less than 10 years old) who were also fed a healthy diet. Most likely, genetics or a similar type of low-level inflammatory disease linked to human heart disease—which is currently impossible to detect in birds—was to blame.
