Alex

Remembering Alex...

There’s a new little grey angel flying over the Rainbow Bridge. Alex, the African grey parrot and subject of Irene Pepperberg’s longtime studies in avian communication and cognition died suddenly on September 6th at the age of 31. Our hearts go out to Dr. Pepperberg and the staff who worked with Alex. We know they truly loved him and so did we.

The Long Island Parrot Society will pay tribute to Alex in several ways. At our September meeting, we’ll pass a jar for donations to the Alex Foundation. We will dedicate an engraved brick in Alex’s memory. The brick will be displayed along with others at Parrot Expo at the Freeport Recreation Center on October 6th, and eventually at the Parrot Society’s future Parrot Museum, Shelter and Learning Center. A memorial card for all to sign will be available at a special Alex tribute at Parrot Expo, and donations for the Alex Foundation will be accepted on site. There will be a silent auction for the benefit of the Alex Foundation at Parrot Expo and items will include a signed, limited edition African grey art print by Jean Pattison. (see photo at right)

LIPS member and Research Scientist and Lecturer in the Department of Animal Science at Cornell University, Donna Muscarella will dedicate her class this year to Alex’s memory. One of Dr. Muscarella’s lectures will be about Dr. Pepperberg and her work with Alex. Dr. Muscarella said, “The class is ‘Exotic Avian Husbandry and Propagation’, an undergraduate course taken mostly by biology, animal science and pre-vet students. The lecture is scheduled for early October. I will also bring material about Alex and Irene to a pre-vet society meeting that I am speaking at later in October and will compile a list of web sites that students can access to learn more. It seems as though Alex may end up being larger than life in his passing....and he deserves to be! I read the on-line New York Times every morning and have never seen a situation where two articles on a single person/subject are listed in the top 3 emailed articles at the same time!!!!”

WALTHAM, MA (SEPTEMBER 10, 2007)—Alex, the world renowned African Grey parrot made famous by the ground-breaking cognition and communication research conducted by Irene Pepperberg, Ph.D., died at the age of 31 on September 6, 2007. Dr. Pepperberg’s pioneering research resulted in Alex learning elements of English speech to identify 50 different objects, 7 colors, 5 shapes, quantities up to and including 6 and a zero-like concept. Pepperberg says that Alex showed the emotional equivalent of a 2 year-old child and intellectual equivalent of a 5 year-old. Her research with Alex shattered the generally held notion that parrots are only capable of mindless vocal mimicry. Over the course of 30 years of research, Dr. Pepperberg and Alex revolutionized the notions of how birds think and communicate.

Alex was found to be in good health at his most recent annual physical several weeks ago. According to the vet who conducted the necropsy, there was no obvious cause of death. Dr. Pepperberg will continue her innovative research program at Harvard and Brandeis University with Griffin and Arthur, two other young African Grey parrots who have been a part of the ongoing research program.

Alex has left a significant legacy—not only have he and Dr. Pepperberg and their landmark experiments in modern comparative psychology changed our views of the capabilities of avian minds, but they have forever changed our perception of the term “bird brains.”

If you choose to help support this research directly, please consider making a donation in Alex's memory to The Alex Foundation, c/o Dr. Irene Pepperberg, Department of Psychology/MS-062, 415 South Street, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454.