Ripley is a parrot who enjoys television and video games. With a simple joystick, he can play several interactive games--the most complex of which is The Endless Forest. In the game, he uses this pictogram:


Let me know if you run into him in the forest! His gaming schedule is sporadic, and less frequent these days as I am unemployed and have a lot of time to spend hanging out with him. Occasionally we may play together, but I would rather watch him playing than play with him as a deer. Don't expect him to perform too many actions--although he seems to understand the joystick layout better than I do. So far I've noticed him listening, roaring, dancing, jumping (lots of this), and laying down. And please take some screenshots, because I doubt he will.

Read More to learn about the parrot who shares the forest with you!

About Ripley

Age: 1 year
Birthday: June 14, 2009
Species: Congo African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus erithacus)
Nicknames: Monkeybird, Rip
Favorite Foods: cashews, applesauce, and peaches
Favorite Objects: paper, squeaky dog toys, pen caps
Favorite Song: The Great Escape
Hobbies: hanging upside-down, screaming, and diminishing property value

How He Plays TEF

Frequently Asked Questions

Can he talk?

• Yes. Ripley uses many words meaningfully (that is, in correct context), and says several others seemingly for his own amusement or just to get attention. Despite popular opinion, many parrots are capable of understanding that words have meaning, and can even use them correctly. African greys are noted as a specie that speaks very clearly, and Alex the parrot is one of the most successful and famous animals to communicate with humans.

Just how smart IS he?

• Adult African greys are estimated to have the about the same intelligence as a six-year-old human. That doesn't mean they act just like human children, but their awareness and problem-solving skills are comparable. Their emotional intelligence is closer to that of a two or three year old. Since Ripley is still very young, he's still developing. But he is quite smart: I have caught him unscrewing the locks on the food bowl doors of his cage from the outside of his cage so that he can open them from the inside.

What words does he know?

• Too many to catalogue! He learns new words and phrases all the time, and tends to pick a favorite to fixate on every few days. Lately, some of his favorite phrases have been "can I touch ___?" and "I love ___," wherein he substitutes many different words (such as 'it,' 'you,' 'juice,' and 'your toes').

Does he ever move? I only ever see his deer standing still!

• He does move, but very infrequently. I leave the game up for several hours at a time, most of which he spends eating, preening, napping, or playing with some of his myriad other toys. The joystick does seem to be his very favorite toy, though! Even when he is paying attention to the game, he spends most of his time just sitting by the joystick, watching the screen, sometimes saying "ooh" or "hello!" to it.

Why are you doing this?

• Because parrots are smart. Like, scary smart. In the wild, they live rich lives full of complex social interaction, and travel great distances in search of food and safety. In captivity, we shrink their environment and their social circle, but like their wild relatives, they still need to be constantly playing, doing, and thinking. If not, they will become unhappy. Letting Ripley play video games is one way I am attempting to enrich his play and give him opportunities to interact with his environment.