Apollo and Frens

Hypothesis: Apollo thinks certain words/sounds are magic spells.

In the morning, if he is up before us, he’ll cast Cage Door Creak like it’s some kind of “open sesame.” When that doesn’t work he’ll remember it’s part of a sequence with the bedroom door opening as a prerequisite to the cage door. So he’ll spam Bedroom Door Creak into Cage Door Creak to manifest bedroom door open -> cage door open.
It’s clear he also thinks “Wanna earn a snack” is some kind of magic spell. For women specifically, he knows the kiss noise is very effective counter-magic when the initial spell is ineffective.

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 12,430

Apollo and Frens

Just a heads-up that we're going to delay the quarterly mailbag until December! We haven't gotten enough mail for a video quite yet, and we think it'd be fun to make it into something for the Christmas season. Thanks to everyone who already sent something in; we look forward to sharing what we got.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 2,157

Apollo and Frens

Happy Halloween! It’s not quite polished on the website yet, but when would be a better time for our goth drop? Available now!

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 810

Apollo and Frens

Apollo ponders why six is afraid of seven.

1 month ago | [YT] | 595

Apollo and Frens

Apollo's been practicing a lot lately.

1 month ago | [YT] | 382

Apollo and Frens

A'ight we're still set to do the belated Member/Patron stream today @3pm EDT

While chat is reserved for Members and Patrons, viewing is public so everyone is welcome to come hang out

1 month ago | [YT] | 655

Apollo and Frens

Sorry we totally forgot it's last Sunday 😩
Good news is we got a new camera person; bad news is they're out of town until next week. So uhh next Sunday @3pm ET!
I'll start setting alarms or something mb y'all here's the bird tax

1 month ago | [YT] | 4,764

Apollo and Frens

There is a paradox in the field of Animal Cognition. Scientific objectivity inherently and severely stunts the development and capability of the "subject". Take the constraints placed upon Alex & Dr. Pepperberg; what effect would these constraints have on the development of a human infant?

2 months ago | [YT] | 4,810

Apollo and Frens

Looks like we have to postpone our usual last-Sunday Patron/Member stream for tomorrow. We'll reschedule for next Sunday, September 7th @3pm EDT
As usual, viewing will be open to the public but live chat is only for Patrons, Members, and Super Chats.

2 months ago | [YT] | 1,767

Apollo and Frens

We finally transcribed our early journals form Apollo's first two years with us.

Part 1: The Apollo Project - The First Four Months (December 2020 - March 2021)

Here’s a look back at our earliest journal entries for Apollo, documenting his journey from the very beginning. It’s incredible to see how far he’s come!

December 2020: A New Home

* First Sighting (Dec. 9-11): We first met an 8-month-old African Grey at the pet store, initially thinking he was a Timneh because of his black-tipped tail feathers. He was surprisingly well-tempered and affectionate, even with strangers. He seemed to partially know a few words already.

Coming Home (Dec. 13-14): After bringing him home, we noticed he was incredibly unsure of himself and a clumsy climber, likely because his wings had been clipped very short. For the first few days, he wouldn't eat or drink unless the bowls were presented to him directly and was hesitant to go into his cage willingly.

Building Trust (Dec. 24-31): The end of the month marked a huge breakthrough in trust. After being very hesitant, Apollo started to step onto our hands and shoulders, allowing us to carry him around the house very slowly. We officially named him Apollo on Dec. 27th.

January 2021: First Steps in Training & Trust

Early Training (Jan. 2): Apollo showed a love for training right away. In an early session, he correctly understood the command "kiss" on the first try after thinking about it for a few seconds.

A Fright and a Breakthrough (Jan. 18-19): A small incident where his foot was accidentally squished in his cage door made him very closed off for about a week. However, this was followed by another breakthrough where he began willingly stepping up without any coercion, indicating a new level of trust.

February 2021: Finding His Voice & Personality

Calling by Name (Feb. 16): While our friend was over, Apollo, seeking attention, didn't just make noise but clearly and sheepishly said "(friends name" to call him by name.

First Trip Outside

(Feb. 21): We took Apollo outside onto the ground for the first time. Though initially very nervous, he eventually climbed to the top of a small tree, he seemed overwhelmed, but in a good way.

Harness Setback (Feb. 27): A difficult experience with the harness left him very upset, a reminder of how sensitive and important trust is in this process.

March 2021: The Vocabulary Explodes

New Words (Mar. 9-11): Apollo began saying his own name clearly for the first time and started a new routine of saying "Peekaboo" back and forth with us.

Understanding Context (Mar. 29): He began saying "Bad Bird," a phrase he'd only heard when he bites. It seems he was often biting on purpose to create the context for the phrase, showing an understanding of cause and effect.

2 months ago | [YT] | 3,222