"ALEX: BIRD BRAIN? THINK AGAIN!" with Dr. Irene Pepperberg

"ALEX: BIRD BRAIN? THINK AGAIN!" with Dr. Irene Pepperberg

From The Fur Real Podcast with Mark A Kyle by Mark A Kyle

August 11, 2026 · 1h 2m · Episode 151

About this episode

Dr. Irene Pepperberg discusses the intelligence of her African grey parrot, Alex, and how he challenged perceptions of animal cognition.

How smart can a parrot really be? Dr. Irene Pepperberg spent decades answering that question with the help of one remarkable African grey parrot named Alex. Alex didn’t just mimic words. He learned to identify colors, shapes, numbers and objects, understood concepts like same and different, and showed abilities that challenged what scientists thought they knew about animal intelligence. In this episode, Dr. Pepperberg shares the incredible story of Alex, their groundbreaking work together, and how one very special bird helped change the way we think about the minds of animals. Funny, fascinating and sometimes deeply touching, this is the story of a parrot who proved that being called a “bird brain” might actually be a compliment. www.furrealpodcast.com ig@thefurrealpodcast ig@markakyle fb@ Mark A Kyle tik tok@ thefurrealpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

People in this episode

Host: Mark A Kyle

Guest: Dr. Irene Pepperberg

Topics covered

  • animal intelligence
  • African grey parrot
  • cognitive abilities
  • scientific research
  • animal behavior

Keywords

  • parrot intelligence
  • Alex the parrot
  • animal cognition
  • Dr. Irene Pepperberg
  • African grey parrot

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Alex

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