Do parrots really speak? Kuya Kim explains

Ever wondered how parrots get to speak and copy people's words?

On Wednesday's "24 Oras," Kuya Kim said parrots get a contextual understanding of humans' language, but don't really understand the meaning. They just mimic it.

"Ang parrots ay natututo ring magsalita. Ang tawag don ay mimicry pero hindi katulad natin na pag tayo nagsalita, ang ginagamit natin ay 'yung voice box o vocal cord," said Dr. Romulo Bernardo.

"Sila, 'yung syrinx nila [na] nagmo-modulate ng different sounds," the zoo and wildlife veterinarian added.

["Parrots also learn how to speak. It is called mimicry but it's not the same as us when we speak, we use voice box or vocal cord. For them, the syrinx modulates different sounds."]

It's no wonder why they can do this since parrots are actually very smart. In fact, their intelligence can be likened to that of a four or five-year-old child.

They also have a long life span, which can reach up to 50 to 90 years.

—Franchesca Viernes/MGP, GMA News