N'Kisi: The Parrot With The Huge Vocabulary

Posted on December 1, 2005

N'Kisi is an amazing parrot that has a 900+ word vocabulary and a sense of humor. The BBC story about N'Kisi is from last year but it is a story worth repeating.

N'kisi is believed to be one of the most advanced users of human language in the animal world.
About 100 words are needed for half of all reading in English, so if N'kisi could read he would be able to cope with a wide range of material.
He uses words in context, with past, present and future tenses, and is often inventive.
One N'kisi-ism was "flied" for "flew", and another "pretty smell medicine" to describe the aromatherapy oils used by his owner, an artist based in New York.

N'Kisi is a hand-raised African Grey parrot. The parrot has been taught by Aimee Morgana and he has been raised as a member of the family. You can read more about N'Kisi here and hear him speak here. You really need to hear N'Kisi speak -- it is pretty amazing.

ANIMALS
ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE