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why do parrots laugh?

Do Parrots Have A Sense of Humor? (Laughter + Joking)

Last Updated on January 29, 2024 by Carrie Stephens

Parrots are playful birds that love joking around with each other and their owners. If you get a parrot, it may develop a distinct laugh, suggesting it has a sense of humor.

Most parrots can imitate human laughter. A parrot will watch you and your family interact. It’ll notice your happiness level when you laugh, encouraging it to repeat noises that bring you joy.

You’ll likely join in when a parrot laughs, so it’ll do so when it wants attention. This is usually harmless, but ensure the parrot isn’t making laughing sounds due to discomfort.

Parrots, like the kea parrot, laugh when playing with other birds. This parrot emits a specific call, which sounds like laughter and encourages other birds to play.

How A Parrot Laughs

Avian laughter arises from the syrinx. The syrinx (the lower larynx) is found above the lungs and below the windpipe. Like the human larynx, the syrinx acts as a voice box for a parrot.

The parrot takes in air through the nares – small, nostril-like holes in the beak.

Air travels through the throat and into the windpipe. Once it reaches the syrinx, the parrot can transport oxygen straight to the lungs or create noise.

According to Music Perception, birds can create 2 different sounds if they wish to breathe and verbalize. That’s why some wild birds sing constantly, never stopping for breath.

If a parrot is laughing, it results from vibrations in the syrinx. Intelligent birds like parrots can adjust the frequency of this vibration, creating a noise of their choosing, which includes laughter.

Why Parrots Laugh

Keeping a parrot is akin to having a court jester as a pet. Parrots are a source of amusement, especially if taught humorous sentences. They’ll also keep themselves entertained.

As clever as parrots are, they don’t necessarily understand human speech. If you crack a joke, a parrot won’t laugh because it understands a nuanced build-up and expectation-subverting punchline.

Parrots often laugh at humans because they have studied us and consider this an appropriate response. They learn through imitation, and the sound of laughter is fun to replicate.

Parrots also enjoy joking around with each other. Alternatively, a parrot may seek interaction and find that laughter is the best way to gain attention.

Imitating Humans

Parrots imitate noises in their environment if they find the noise pleasurable, which is how they learn to speak. They also copy sounds like musical beats, alarms, and human laughter.

Scientific Reports explains how parrots have an enlarged medial spiriform nucleus in the brain. This helps them understand human behavior and noises. A parrot will assert that laughter is a positive thing.

A parrot won’t necessarily understand a joke being told and why it’s funny, but it’ll notice that telling a joke makes a human smile, laugh, and show other positive responses.

These are all positive associations for the parrot, so they’ll be memorized.

A parrot can distinguish facial expressions and may laugh when you make a face. It’ll know if you have a baby or a small child who laughs when you pull a face.

You may laugh if you slip and fall. Parrots don’t understand nuance, so they may laugh whenever somebody falls over. In the case of an elderly or sick relative, it won’t be funny.

how do birds laugh?

Seeking Attention

Parrots’ laughter often leads to attention, petting, and treat rewards. This will not go unnoticed by a parrot, which will add laughter to its vocalization repertoire when it wants attention.

There’s nothing wrong with a parrot laughing to gain your attention. If you respond, it can be a great way to bond, and laughter is a more pleasant way for parrots to interact than squawking.

Remember, parrots don’t always understand the meaning of laughter. If a parrot laughs for no reason, check for other sounds or behaviors.

Monitor the bird to see if the laughter is dispersed with crying, screeching, or squawking.

Play with Other Birds

Laughter is contagious among humans, and the same applies to parrots.

Current Biology explains how kea parrots respond to live or recorded calls that encourage play and positive emotional responses, which include laughter.

Parrot Species with The Best Sense of Humor

The caique arguably has the best sense of humor of any parrot. This species has a well-earned reputation as the clown of the bird world due to its unending curiosity and desire to amuse.

The African gray can be taught jokes and will laugh with human owners at something funny. Even if an African gray doesn’t understand the joke, it’ll enjoy that it made you laugh.

Cockatoos and parakeets are intelligent and can read emotional cues from humans. They’re among the most loving parrots, so their desire to be with humans will lead to sharing fun times.

Parrots have lots of personality, which leads to a great sense of humor. If you meet a parrot’s needs and care for it well, expect to be rewarded with fun and laughter.