Talking Parrots

The Raven: highly intelligent, playful, talkative, and very, very funny

When you think of a talking bird, what probably comes to mind is either a parrot or a cartoon character. If you're a fan of Edgar Allen Poe, maybe you'd have said to yourself, "A raven, of course." And you'd have been on to something. Ravens are surprisingly brainy and have an extraordinary talent f

A young adult female wearing a dark green, relaxed-fit v-neck long-sleeved shirt outdoors in front of a house with light beige siding; a black-crow with white chest patch is present.

When you think of a talking bird, what probably comes to mind is either a parrot or a cartoon character. If you’re a fan of Edgar Allen Poe, maybe you’d have said to yourself, “A raven, of course.” And you’d have been on to something. Ravens are surprisingly brainy and have an extraordinary talent for mimicking sound, including the human voice.

Raven intelligence is really quite astonishing and goes well beyond remembering and reproducing sounds. They’ve been seen engaging in problem-solving as well as trial-and-error learning. Ravens have a demonstrated capacity for “displacement,” the ability to communicate about objects that are distant in space or time. Ants and bees are the only other creatures, along with us humans, that are known to have that ability. Ravens are even capable of trickery! They’ll steal hidden food from other ravens and it’s such a widespread problem that they’ve been known to find out-of-the-way hiding places and also pretend to be hiding food so as to confuse any other ravens that might be watching!

Ravens’ black plumage conceals colorful personalities. Perhaps that’s why the raven you’ll see in the video posted below is named Mischief! He’s a white-necked raven, a species found in southern and eastern Africa (the more familiar common raven has a much larger range, stretching across much of the northern hemisphere, including the United States). Because of their husky voice, white-necked ravens are known as “ravens with a sore throat.”

In the video, Mischief does some amazing and also really funny mimicry. The way he says “hello” in a husky voice is not to be missed. Likewise, his ability to imitate a human cough is priceless. He does go off-script at one point, but what self-respecting raven wouldn’t?

Did you love Mischief’s verbal antics? Let us know in the comments in the comment section below the video and be sure to like and share!

Share card: A young adult female wearing a dark green, relaxed-fit v-neck long-sleeved shirt outdoors in front of a house with the headline text below the photograph.
Save this to Pinterest Save

More like this

Share card: A crow with dark plumage stands amidst blurred greenery, sunlight filtering through leaves in a daytime outdoo with the headline text below the photograph. Save Feathered alarm clock raven gives hilarious wake-up calls
Share card: A crow with dark plumage stands indoors near a window with blinds, metal structure visible on left. with the headline text below the photograph. Save Smart raven who can't stop talking mimics mom's voice to perfection
Share card: A young adult female wearing a gray sweatshirt with an American Eagle logo stands outdoors near a building. A with the headline text below the photograph. Save 17-year-old senior crow thinks he's a tiny human
Share card: A close-up of a black crow with white eyes and beak, set against blurred greenery. with the headline text below the photograph. Save Crows and ravens are self-aware just like us new video shows
Share card: A person stands near a white bird perched on a bag at an outdoor event. with the headline text below the photograph. Save Rare white raven snuggles up to red-haired woman
Share card: A young adult female in an olive-green top stands outdoors, with a black crow or raven perched on part of an o with the headline text below the photograph. Save Ravens are not just smart; they’re huge, as big as a hawk – and this one can talk!
Share card: A hand holds a black bird near glass windows indoors. with the headline text below the photograph. Save It’s unusual to have a pet crow. Especially when the crow thinks she’s a puppy
Share card: A young adult female wearing a fleece-lined olive green jacket and a headband, interacting with a black crow i with the headline text below the photograph. Save Fable, The Talking Raven, Is No Fable And Is Sure To Astound You
Share card: A crow in an indoor enclosure with green and beige walls. with the headline text below the photograph. Save Friendly Talking Raven Calls People “My Darling” In Perfect German
Share card: A crow interacts with an adult female in a rural outdoor setting, wearing a pink loose-fitting sleeveless top with the headline text below the photograph. Save Poor Raven Had Porcupine Quills Stuck On Him. Now Watch What Those Humans Did…
Share card: A crow or raven with a black body and white neck patch stands outdoors in front of beige siding, suggesting sp with the headline text below the photograph. Save She asked a raven a simple question, the answer should not be possible
Share card: An American crow with black feathers and white markings on its neck and chest, perched in front of a beige-sid with the headline text below the photograph. Save A woman says “Hello” to a raven, what the bird does will shock you!
Share card: A close-up view of an adult crow with dark feathers in an indoor setting under artificial light. with the headline text below the photograph. Save Someone Has Been Teaching This Raven Some Very Naughty Words
Share card: A green parrot with a blue face and orange beak, indoors in a neutral-colored room with natural light. with the headline text below the photograph. Save Poor Parrot Cam, May Have A Broken Beak, But Has The Most Astonishing Talent Known To Man!
Share card: An African Grey Parrot with gray feathers, black tail feathers, and red feet perched on a pink object in an in with the headline text below the photograph. Save Female African Gray Parrot Starts Talking. I Was Flabbergasted At What Came Out Of Her Beak.
Share card: A green parrot with red markings is perched indoors near a blue toy and a small Christmas tree in a home setti with the headline text below the photograph. Save 2 Parrots Start Chatting With Each Other, But When One Of Them Utters These Words? OMG!
Share card: A light pink-feathered adult parrot with a black beak, perched indoors in a home setting surrounded by a white with the headline text below the photograph. Save Adorable Bird Lets Out BIG Noise. But His Next Move? I Didn't See That One Coming!
Share card: A crow with orange eyes, perched outdoors amidst green foliage on a sunny day. with the headline text below the photograph. Save This Research Was Trying To Determine The Intelligence Of Animals; He Shocked At What He Found!
Share card: A crow with orange eyes, perched outdoors amidst green foliage on a sunny day. with the headline text below the photograph. Save Researchers Tested A Crow’s Intelligence. When You See His Results, Your Jaw Will DROP!