Meet Apollo, the four-year-old parrot from Florida, USA, who’s giving Mensa members a run for their money! Apollo has officially been crowned the bird brainiest, successfully identifying 12 items in just three minutes, snagging the record for the most items identified by a parrot in that time.
His proud human parents, Dalton and Victoria, are over the moon and hope Apollo’s achievement will shine a light on the often underestimated intelligence of our feathered friends.
Apollo’s journey to fame began in December 2020, when Dalton and Victoria visited their local pet shop for some leopard gecko snacks. Instead, they found Apollo, a charismatic grey African parrot, who immediately won their hearts and joined their family.
Dalton and Victoria adore Apollo and are dedicated to raising him with the care and attention of a human child. Their training sessions are all about letting Apollo’s intelligence sparkle! They use Dr. Irene Pepperberg’s Model/Rival method, inspired by her groundbreaking work with another brainy parrot, Alex, whose 30-year study showcased a parrot’s potential to surpass simple mimicry.
Dalton and Victoria saw the same spark in Apollo. “Once he started learning object labels, colours, and materials, we knew he could achieve great things, just like Alex, and perhaps even more,” they shared.
Their training philosophy is straightforward: “We teach him naturally in day-to-day life and focus on what he’s interested in. He learns faster that way.” Apollo’s curiosity is boundless, and he loves applying his knowledge outside of training sessions.
When Apollo isn’t hitting the books, he’s playing with his toys, munching on his favourite pistachios, or hanging out with his White-Bellied Caique sisters, Soleil and Ophelia. His playful antics and remarkable skills have won the internet over, boasting 2.8 million TikTok followers and 1.37 million YouTube subscribers. Check out his latest escapades at Apollo and Frens on both platforms.
Currently, Apollo is mastering the words “plastic” and “cloth,” and has recently added “four” to his vocabulary – often chiming in whenever he hears “one,” “two,” or “three,” much to everyone’s amusement.
Dalton and Victoria have big plans for Apollo, aiming to expand his knowledge to include more complex concepts like shapes and actions. “There’s no limit to what we hope Apollo will learn,” they say.
Their advice for fellow pet owners? “An environment where the animal can behave most ‘naturally’ will foster their uniqueness and lead to more productive growth.”
With Apollo’s remarkable skills featured in the Guinness World Records 2025, released on the 12th, Dalton and Victoria hope to redefine the term ‘bird brain’ and spread awareness of animal intelligence.