# How come parrots, etc., talk but chickens don't?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-parrots-etc-talk-but-chickens-dont/146477>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [January 3, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-parrots-etc-talk-but-chickens-dont/146477 "2003-01-03T19:59:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2003, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-parrots-etc-talk-but-chickens-dont/146477/21 "2003-01-19T07:52:48Z")

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**Colibri** , one term confused me. When you say “conspecific”, do you mean _within the same species_? If so, I think I understand what you were saying.

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**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-parrots-etc-talk-but-chickens-dont/146477/22 "2003-01-19T21:46:56Z")

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But chickens DO imitate humans, Pat Buchanan in particular. In a dark room it would be hard to tell them apart.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-parrots-etc-talk-but-chickens-dont/146477/23 "2003-01-20T18:47:53Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by elelle \*  
> \*\* I do wonder about the hummingbirds specifically, though. They move so much faster than most other creatures; how can they visually process that speed of input??? That’s what I was wondering in asking for studies on their visual accuity. \*\*

Although hummers seem to be going very fast relative to their body size, they don’t actually move that fast in _absolute_ terms. Normal forward flight speed is only 25-30 mph, although they can reach 50 mph. That’s not much compared to a Peregrine Falcon, for example. They don’t really need to process visual information any faster than most birds.

> [@](#):
>
> _Originally posted by Irishman_  
> **Colibri, one term confused me. When you say “conspecific”, do you mean within the same species? If so, I think I understand what you were saying.**

Yes, “conspecific” refers to members of the same species. Sorry, sometimes I use somewhat technical terms out of force of habit.

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**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-parrots-etc-talk-but-chickens-dont/146477/24 "2003-01-20T21:44:13Z")

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… and here I thought con-specific meant it was specific to persons servin’ time in then pen.

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