Some of us have many talents and skills and some of us don’t. It’s common knowledge that parrots have a unique ability to learn words and phrases and repeat those at will and when requested. A particular African Grey Parrot at the Knoxville Zoo, named Einstein, has gone above and beyond just learning a handful of phrases as she quickly and perfectly mimics the sounds of other animals.
From a hungry pig, a rooster crowing and a howling wolf, Einstein the parrot follows each request given by the caretaker and is given a treat each time, her favorite, sunflower seeds. The treat re-enforces that the parrot did a good job in mimicking the correct animal.
This parrot doesn’t mimic animal noises either, she has a wide variety of sound effects, including a crowd screaming and the sound of water dripping from a faucet. She also has phrases such as, “Superstar” and “Hey Baby” that she uses when asked questions. The bird ends the show by singing a lovely rendition of “Happy Birthday”.
Einstein joined the zoo in 1992 as part of an outreach program to engage visitors and teach them about the natural world. Einstein is a must-see for many of the zoo visitors.
