African grey parrot Apollo, a viral TikTok sensation, has broken the Guinness World Record for the most items identified by a parrot in three minutes.

African grey parrots, like Apollo and Alex, are known for their incredible ability to learn. Image Credit: aappp:Shutterstock.com
African grey parrots are known for their ability to learn. Photo: aappp/Shutterstock.com

The four-year-old parrot, based in Florida, broke the record after successfully identifying 12 items. His owners, Dalton and Victoria Mason, are both content creators and run Apollo’s TikTok profile (2.8 million followers) and YouTube page (1.3 million subscribers).

Breaking the record involved Apollo being shown items and naming them such as “book”, “bug”, “socks”, etc. Apollo also shares his home with two white-bellied caiques named Soleil and Ophelia.

“There’s no knowing what Apollo will learn, or what records he could break next,” Apollo’s owners told Guinness World Records.

Apollo was adopted in 2020 after his owners walked through their local pet store to buy crickets for their leopard gecko, and Apollo caught their attention.

“He immediately got our attention, and we knew upon meeting him that we’d be taking him home,” the couple stated.

Apollo was trained using Dr. Irene Pepperberg’s methods. Pepperberg is famous among animal behaviorists for her work with a grey parrot named Alex throughout a 30-year study.

Alex was trained in the same model/rival method that Apollo’s owners used to teach him. This training model focuses on observation and involves two trainers: the first trainer gives instructions, while the second acts as a student to model correct and incorrect responses.

Apollo is described as having the intelligence of a human toddler. He recognizes colors, objects, and words. His verbal skills also allow him to count, communicate clearly, and answer complex questions. He frequently asks questions to satisfy his curiosity and understand the world around him.

The parrot ‘receives a preschool-level homeschooling education,’ with training sessions that keep him engaged, and often shares his playtime with his sisters Soleil and Ophelia.

Victoria and Dalton also stated that they try not to stick to a strict routine and allow Apollo to choose his study subjects. They hope Apollo’s accomplishments will help spread awareness about the “natural intelligence found in animals.”

“We teach him as much as we can naturally in day-to-day life and focus on what Apollo wants to focus on. We believe he will learn things faster that way,” the couple stated.