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Parrots Can Say Names - Study Reveals Surprising Language Abilities

A study by bioacoustics researchers at the Austrian Academy of Sciences suggests that parrots in human care may do more than simply learn words: they may also understand proper names and use them intentionally. The findings offer new insight into these animals’ cognitive and social abilities.

 21.04.2026
Marisa Hoeschele befindet sich in einer Voliere, während mehrere farbige Wellensittiche auf Naturästen sitzen oder durch den Bildvordergrund fliegen.
Marisa Hoeschele © ÖAW/Klaus Pichler

Whether animals “call each other by name” has been a subject of research for decades. There is evidence of name-like calls in species such as elephants and marmosets, but it remains unclear whether these are truly comparable to the human concept of a name. One reason is that animal communication systems have so far been deciphered only to a limited extent.

Read the full article in German here

Marisa Hoeschele

Eva Reinisch

Publication

Benedict L, Groiss V, Hoeschele M, Reinisch E, Dahlin CR (2026) Name use by companion parrots. PLoS One 21(4): e0346830.
DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0346830