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Why can parrots talk? - Grace Smith-Vidaurre and Tim Wright

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TEDEd Animation

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Whether they’re belting Beyoncé, head-banging to classic rock, or rattling off curse words at zoo-goers, parrots are constantly astounding us. They are among the only animals that produce human speech, and some parrots do it almost uncannily well. How is this possible? Grace Smith-Vidaurre and Tim Wright dig into the anatomy that allows parrots to talk, scream, curse, and recite facts.

The parrot brain contains one neural circuit linked to vocal mimicry.

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Grace Smith-Vidaurre, Tim Wright
  • Director Anton Bogaty
  • Narrator Jack Cutmore-Scott
  • Music Jarrett Farkas
  • Sound Designer and Mixer Weston Fonger
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Anna Bechtol
  • Editorial Producer Cella Wright
  • Associate Producer Sazia Afrin
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler

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