Apollo's Reaction to Florida Thunderstorm

Apollo the African Grey Parrot reacts to a very intense thunderstorm. He doesn't seem to mind the thunder very much at all. Guess he's used to it, since it's stormy season here in Florida.
Read somewhere that parrots can sense the change in air pressure before a storm, so they know it's coming and can find shelter. For Apollo, it makes him want to take a shower. And the low lighting helps him and the caiques relax some.
Apollo is our 2 year-old African Grey parrot we've had since December 2020.
Founder of Shrock and renowned GLASS connoisseur.
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[@MrBroken030]

2:17 "What going on outside?" "Metal!" is a true fact, nothing is more metal than thunder and lightning :D

[@PTEC]

\m/

[@gondy5936]

🤣🤣🤣🤘🤘🤘

[@hantasuki]

“Glass”

[@apheirox]

Heavy metal

[@brendonkellas9778]

Apollo needs a metal tshirt

[@melstiller8561]

Apollo understands that water is falling hard outside. He's so proud of himself when he says "Pour water!"

[@hantasuki]

Indeed! He is very smart!

[@madduxnagel6935]

I'm proud of him too, it's really impressive that he was able to recognize and apply older concepts to new things!

[@solidagold115]

Pour water! Pistash?!

[@PanHoover882]

Even before watching this video, I knew that’s how he’d react

[@private1177]

No he doesn't understand... You don't need to redirect human understanding on a animal. He just repeats noises he hears, but has no understanding of them. He surely is trained enough to know if he does something at a specific sound/command he gets a reward but he is not aware of the actual meaning. That's not saying those animals are dumb. That's probably saying that the animal is more smart then the people who think a random noise a parrot learned to say that coincidentally aligns with what happening is it being aware of the situation and the word. So yeah he's probably smarter then a person saying "he understands that is raining hard outside" because no. He don't understand in a way we humans would understand. Just because you wanna think that he does, and it makes it cuter and more magical for you, does not makes it scientifically true. Facts and logic doesn't care for your feeling.

[@Mythraen]

I like how he randomly asks Tori what's going on outside. She even gives the right answer! She's pretty smart for a human.

[@matterhorn731]

IIRC, they teach him using the "model/rival technique" developed by Irene Pepperberg, where one of the trainers asks questions and the other gives answers to model correct (and incorrect answers) and to act as a rival for attention.

[@pauliesgamingstuff]

@@jaxl1931 She is his legal guardian. Birds can't get married.

[@Jajajajaja...1]

​@@pauliesgamingstuff😂😂😂

[@Frostfern94]

@@pauliesgamingstuff😂😂😂 Perfect

[@440-fishermandrock8]

​@@pauliesgamingstuffonly in America

[@Korrath]

Apollo's progress is getting to the point where when he was asked if he heard the lightning noise, I seriously expected him to reply -"That's thunder."

[@MaryDunford]

Can't wait for the day Apollo starts correcting him. 😂

[@michaelsolomon3496]

​@@MaryDunford It happened actually One of the videos he's asked what the tiles behind the oven are made of, dad says rock, Apollo says glass, and dad taps it and realizes... you know what that is more like glass

[@ninjaguyYT]

​@@MaryDunfordhis owner isn't exactly intelligent. He always asks the cat simple stuff like "what is this?" when referring to stuff like books, and then asks what material it's made of. Like how can you not know?

[@TheKatarinaGiselle]

@@ninjaguyYT😂 I hope your comment is a joke

[@tweex1]

​@@ninjaguyYTDude is completely clueless. Doesn't know what things are made out of, doesn't know what things are called, dude can't even distinguish most colors without asking... Apollo's got patience.

[@MrxstGrssmnstMttckstPhlNelThot]

Love how he answers "pour water, pistash?" Like he's thinking "look I said the thing now gimme my dang pistash!" Adorable.

[@TempleoftheSon]

Most people call it thunder, Dalton calls it "lightening noise".

[@montananerd8244]

I wonder if that's because Apollo is taught to identify things visually & verbally, so he can see lightning & may understand the word "noise" already.

[@hotaruishere2133]

He's using what linguists called "infant directed speech". I think in this case, it's to help Apollo's more simple brain to conceptualize the absolute weirdness going on outside 😂😂

[@arghpee]

They most just repeat what they associate with items. So any material that clinks is "glass"

[@TempleoftheSon]

@@arghpee yeah that thunder was clinking just like glass.

[@arghpee]

@@TempleoftheSon he couldn't call it thunder because his owners never trained him on it and call it lightning noise lol. case in point, he clinked a tile and called it glass because it made a clink noise. "Parrots do not possess the same depth of language comprehension as humans. When parrots mimic words or phrases, they often do so based on associative learning, where they learn to associate a specific sound with a particular action, object, or context. This is similar to how a dog might associate the sound of a bell with mealtime or how a child might learn words through rote memorization. In some cases, parrots may appear to understand simple concepts like color, numbers, or materials, but this understanding is usually limited to the specific training context. They may recognize that when they produce a particular sound, they receive a reward or attention, rather than having a deep comprehension of the abstract concepts themselves." We need more research but I am still amazed by parrots.

[@bamf7286]

0:26 'What's that made of?' Apollo bites finger: 'Flesh and bones, mortal'

[@megelize8642]

My grandmas African grey does that “wooo” when it storms too.

[@murphychurch8251]

I'm surprised to hear so many wooo sounds and whistles from Apollo that were exactly the same from my grandparents' African Grey. These sounds are so human, so I wouldn't think they're "generic" African grey sounds, but maybe they are? 😳

[@chloesmith4065]

Woo~

[@dudeivealreadydonethis5tim289]

I love his little "woooo" sounds!

[@mitccoo]

- What's going on outside? - Metal. _dances proudly_ 🐦 🕺

[@livaugirard3383]

Why dose he sound like a distinguished English gentleman when he says "metal", he's so clever and adorable 😭😍🤗

[@EliseGraham-bu5xm]

I love how Apolo enunciates..adorable!

[@nuclearcatbaby1131]

I like how he says “paper”

[@lucilock713]

my favourite is hat

[@Clodsire_king]

meTAL

[@suelizzi1764]

It's the way he was taught to say it

[@NikiF88]

Metal at 2:17 was the correct answer because he was referring to AC/DCs Thunderstruck

[@MegaKellyschannel]

Now to teach him "AAAaaaAAAAH AAAaaaAAAAH!"

[@bogwife7942]

getting him to lift his wing on command is actually genius--that way if he ever has to go to the vet it will be so much easier for the vet to examine him

[@MrJdubz100]

Hes not going to do tricks at the vet.

[@knightogourd]

@@MrJdubz100????????? Animals do actually follow commands

[@MrJdubz100]

Getting a parrot to do tricks at the vet is highly unlikely. Getting an African Gray to do tricks at the vet is even more unlikely. As someone who has 3 parrots and has brought them into the vet over a dozen times over the past 15 years I can assure you of this.

[@MrJdubz100]

I understand your name now. Your brain is a squash thats why your reading comprehension and critical thinking skills don’t exist.

[@knightogourd]

@@MrJdubz100 Your experience is not universal.

[@davidca96]

Apollo is the most adorable bird ever, I never get tired of watching/listening to him. 1:05 "Pour...."(thunder) 😯

[@uribar-ner5055]

Me as well. Love this bird.

[@jty4k]

Pour lightning

[@NecramoniumVideo]

And instantly shat on the kitchen floor, rofl.

[@FangTheHellcat]

​@@NecramoniumVideoyou could say it. Scared the shit out of him

[@ba8735]

1:34 “pour water” *thunder in the distance* why is this so menacing 😭😭

[@TaynaLaniya]

👨: "What's going out outside?" 🐦: "meetal." - so cute 😭 😄 💕

[@trentinstudios]

no one uses emojis anymore

[@layalsaleh4103]

@@trentinstudiosbruh get outta here with that redditor bull, no one cares

[@slugintub634]

@@trentinstudios cry about it 💯😥😭😆😠

[@Tairex777]

​@@trentinstudios🆔

[@MxskedTurbo]

​@@trentinstudios *_G L A S S K ._* 🗣🔛🔝💯🔥❤️‍🔥

[@TSUNAMI-MAMI]

He’s so cute! “Pour water”

[@eskrior6094]

01:42 He moved so fast he broke the barrier of sound

[@LGL_55]

BRO

[@Sleepyjew]

Finally, Apollo training meets my thunder storm asmr.

[@RachelCMeredith]

exactly

[@dudeivealreadydonethis5tim289]

I am also loving the rain and thunderstorm sounds

[@squeaktheswan2007]

Time for "8 hours of rain and thunder occasionally interrupted by Apollo making the bad noise".

[@lisaaltman9363]

"lightening noise" is more easily referred to as "thunder". Lol. He's so smart. My aunt has an African Grey & he's the same - smart as hell! Love these guys.

[@zubetp]

i think they probably want him to know one is caused by the other

[@mehere8038]

@@zubetp yup & beyond that, if you notice, he used "lightning noise" after seeing the lightning as a warning the noise was coming, so as to desensitise him to the noise, cause he's learning that when he sees lightning, thunder, aka "lightning noise" is coming

[@rachelw821]

I was gonna say!!!

[@ElysetheEevee]

I think they figured the associative boost that "lighting noise" would give for memory retention is better than teaching a completely new concept by labeling it as "thunder," as many others have said.

[@dudeivealreadydonethis5tim289]

I love his little "oooh" noises!

[@jacquelinebraze7630]

Apollo said, "Whooo! Whooo!" in response to the thunder. I say, "Whoa! Whoa!" Pretty much same reaction to proper fear and respect I think.

[@escribopapelitos]

3:10 "Pistach...?" while lifting his left foot.

[@lud3445]

"Pour water" Yes, Apollo, the sky is pouring water in the giant celestial rock jar that is th Earth.

[@aporue5893]

I love how quickly he learned to say ''pistach'' lol

[@oriol108]

I see that He is eating the pistaccios more carefully now and not wasting half of it on the floor

[@100nanay]

I’m so impressed with how much you work with him! He has the most enriched environment

[@52flyingbicycles]

It’s basically required for this kind of bird. Parrots, especially grey parrots, are very high maintenance and will get depressed without constant attention or enrichment

[@DJPoundPuppy]

Apollo is a great antidepressant!! Watching him eat reminds me of my childhood Amazon Red Lored, Bubbles. I grew up and joined the military and my mom gave Bubbles away for health reasons. I never got to say goodbye. I just cried watching Apollo. Bubbles and Apollo are good people!

[@voids3050]

aw thats so sad, what a precious story, thank you for sharing

[@jenneryy]

I’m so sorry you didn’t get to say goodbye to Bubbles, that’s heartbreaking! I’m sure he knew you loved him a lot ❤

[@dudeivealreadydonethis5tim289]

Awww 😢 🫂

[@hgbbccchcccvvb8226]

"Whats going on outside?" Apollo, Sees a thunderstorm: "METAL!!"

[@Bibs92]

I'm surprised that Apollo doesn't even seem to react on the lightning striking outside. Lots of animals (and also humans of course) would be really scared by such a wild weather.

[@mielthebee]

I thought my GSD would be afraid of thunder but we just had a flooding thunderstorm here in Ontario, and she played in the puddles and jumped over the waves every time a car passed by! 😂

[@YuBeace]

My canary birds never seemed to be bothered either, they were curious about the light but not scared, and they took the thunder as a cue to start singing. Same goes for fireworks. Very different from dogs and cats. 😃

[@magnuswright5572]

It's just average Florida

[@Leopoldshark]

He is protected by the almighty G L A S S

[@rougeegamer98]

​@@Leopoldsharkexcuse but it's actually pronounced GLASK

[@TedBackus]

my dad had an african grey. it hated me, but it sure loved talking to me in my dads voice. i think that is a often overlooked reality of african greys & other mimicking birds.Once my dad had died, the Grey would still speak to me in my dads voice, which was rough. or he would cough like my dad, or any number of sounds he'd picked up. something i always suggest to african grey owners, or talking parrot owners, is to buy a microwave that has a mute function. its usually accomplished by long pressing the #8 button, and if it mutes, when you press buttons, it doesnt make any sound. it also doesnt make sound when it finishes cooking. lots of people arent even aware thats a thing microwaves can do, but some do. greys will pick up a microwave beep near instantly & repeat it often, which can be problematic when youre cooking in it, or annoying.

[@Stevessphoto]

Beautiful pet! He acts very similar to my green cheek conure. I like how he appears to have chewed off the fridge label.

[@ApolloandFrens]

Yeah haha, he was halfway there and kept hyper fixating on it, so we just ripped it off

[@kellywalker1664]

That's a very nervous "pistache?", poor boy's needin' comfort food.

[@Here_This]

That is great , someone is really pouring water outside . 😍

[@phlagenjoyer]

The sky is pouring the water

[@simondezombie9001]

God is pissi--

[@Here_This]

@@simondezombie9001 😮😅

[@simondezombie9001]

@@Here_This s o r r y

[@Here_This]

@@simondezombie9001 😄

[@michealdoor7035]

I didn't know if he can fly, that was a joy seeing him spread his wings

[@MeteCanKarahasan]

That landing on the fridge after asking want a snack is too majestic.

[@garybernstein3539]

He's so skilled with his pistachios. Cracks them open and eats all inside. Doesn't leave much leftover mess.

[@HeyokaGirlSpeaks]

I love how you interact with him. You are both lucky to have each other

[@michaelsolomon3496]

His notification sound is probably my favorite sound that he makes lol 😂

[@aporue5893]

apollo:''pistach?''

[@lazaglider]

So, to Apollo, storms are far less scary than birthday cakes. I like his thinking.

[@birbluv9595]

I think Apollo will do virtually anything for a pistach. I love the sound of your thunderstorm!

[@Tangerine9407]

It does sound quite nice

[@Alexanne13]

Nice way of handling the thunder. I'm also enjoying how you're using Tory to help him learn. I'm not seeing Tory get any "pistach's" though! LOL!

[@Ralinos]

"P-stach" my friend (as a child) called them "little green rocks" & ❤ them. Apollo is awesome & beautiful.

[@A.G.130]

you're right Apollo, that's a quite metal storm!

[@gildedlillian6259]

I have a cockatoo and when it rains he always wants me to take him outside for a bath in it. Neighbors probably think I'm crazy having him dance like crazy in the rain but it makes him happy..and clean.

[@Lindcita]

The thumbnails on all of these are just perfection

[@weeneodragon]

Dalton: what's going on outside? Apollo: metal 😎👍

[@treeguyfly]

My favorite part was when he started talking to the woman the same way he does the parrot

[@jaimezimmerman1670]

Ikr! Underrated comment! 😂😂😂

[@Tomy_Yon]

He's not afraid of the thunder. 😊

[@katho8472]

Nice to see him fly a little :)

[@Meca-Mat]

I love how when Apollo doesn't say anything, he still moves his beak and it looks like he is the one talking X)

[@user-lw6pq1gs8p]

Stay safe, guys! I’m glad the thunder doesn’t scare Apollo!

[@shadowsoulless6227]

Apollo: OMG You wanted me to say that it's pouring water outside so now I'm going to say it repeatedly WHERE IS MY FREAKING PISTACHÉ , I have said pour water several times after you have asked me to I want my second PISTACHÉ

[@Foople30]

I'm waiting for Apollo to publish his memoirs 😎

[@CarbonAndBadTiming]

With how smart he is its surprising birds can't really be litter trained

[@janicesmith2475]

Dalton would make a great dad for a human! The way he constantly talks to, and explains things to, Apollo, is just like I was with my son, and he grew up to be a genius. 🐦

[@karenlobosco9646]

African greys are so intelligent. It seems more than other animals because they talk to us.

[@determinationiskey]

2:58 *stares into your soul*

[@waxwinged_hound]

the way he made that beak motion as if trying to lick up the water from the window was so cute I can't even

[@Sicanda]

I agree though, thunderstorms are pretty metal.

[@mrssmith4453]

What a handsome bird ❤

[@spiritmatter1553]

Such a handsome, well,maintained beak!

[@GourSmith]

You maintain hair … You don’t maintain a beak 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ The don’t polish or put anything on it.

[@toscadonna]

@@GourSmith They actually grind their beaks down to keep them trimmed up properly.

[@GourSmith]

@@toscadonna The owners of Apollo have said they do nothing to tend to his beak. They’ve been asked about this. Stop the bull. Other bird owners might do that but these guys have said they don’t.

[@fran13r]

I notice apollo talks less when he's with his people at least based on the videos, and that's kinda curious to me because I have a conure and she knows how to say a bunch of stuff but the person she likes the most in the house is me yet when she's alone with me she never talks, she just sits there chilling. I wonder if this is a typical thing for parrots.

[@fwosti3548]

METAL.

[@kelleytester4032]

I LOVE seeing Apollo doing his happy dance!!! He's got some moves!!! 🦜🌟🙏

[@valerieporras8907]

I like it how Apollo isn’t scared just normal

[@auroraglxy]

I love that he has his own window!

[@leesashriber5097]

He's so flipping adorable ❣️ those chunky little thighs melt me 🥰

[@stillhere1425]

I think he was riveted by the rainfall. I’ve been there.

[@MattTheSpratt]

Apollo is one of the most intellectually-stimulated birds out there, he's becoming a smart cookie.

[@masonwadsworth7458]

the dance is so wholesome

[@xen423]

I love his look with the thunder

[@iananderson8363]

I agree with Apollo, thunderstorms are metal! 🤘

[@mariemonstre]

My 4 year old LOVES Apollo and likes to pretend to use his voice when he is playing by himself sometimes

[@Perromedic0]

Apollo loves his pistachios 😊

[@teodorasavoiu4664]

Technically you CAN use a metal sheet to mimic thunder sounds, so he's not wrong! Old timey sound effects

[@Tallstrgaming]

would love it if he just turned and said "Thunder" after the guy says lightening noise

[@nathd6784]

Whats goin on outside ? METAL 🤘

[@NikkyByrd]

I like these Apollo shows. My grey, also a Florida bird calls thunder, "thunder". He also says anbd understands the meaning of, "Storm", "Rain" and even "Fog" along with "Hot" and "Cold" to indicate weather temperatures. He's been through several hurricane close calls now.

[@b.i.kbeforeiankirby]

1:23 *Processing words* "Pour water."

[@florencehenderson3707]

"poor water pistache" 😂 I love this bird!

[@user-no8jz1su9n]

Whether rain or shine, Apollo is always training

[@solidussnake1906]

It's funny to see him love pistachios, my grey hates them.

[@ruthhopeful1405]

0:50 He is like me 😍🥰 When he hears the word "kitchen" the first thing that comes to his mind is "pouring water"

[@jadejacobs2221]

Holy crud, until this point I've never actually seen Apollo fly. Birds are way faster than they seem from far away. Also, coming from a house with two dogs, I'm shocked that there's an animal that doesn't mind the thunder.

[@gerriebell2128]

To me Apollo was a bit nervous at the front window and calmed down a little in the kitchen. But flying up to the fridge top was his way of feeling safer. It’s good you made it into a normal lesson experience, so he will eventually not be nervous at all with thunderstorms and rain. Florida is known for having that weather, so it would be good not to be scared by it.

[@raikkappa23]

After Artemis 1's launch scrub and driving home, Apollo is just the bird I need to see.

[@FL-qh8uu]

"pour water" how adorable

[@gloworm6387]

I used to 💕 walking around in those kind of showers. The water was sooo warm, it was like taking a shower! But I'd duck inside if it started lightning.

[@daniellehallihan6015]

I'm utterly fascinated by his eating of the pistash! The way he manipulates it with his toes is just 🤯

[@michaelsolomon3496]

I love his little coos❤

[@rambi1072]

I like how he eats with his talons like how humans eat with their hands

[@tonyde52]

I could watch Apollo for hours , He's so FUNNY !

[@rhondagardner2741]

Awwww I think it's making him a lil nervous and afraid. Sweet boy ❤. My little dog is terrified when it storms. I know a man that once had a bird and he would tell him so step up and he would put his arm in the show we r with the water on and Zig Zag would dance like crazy 😂. Apollo saying water and dancing is so cute.

[@abraxasth7238]

Apollo is a gorgeous bird you're lucky to have such a great partner in crime :P

[@elrhyesseyhrle8958]

Loved it when he puffed up!

[@rachf9695]

He started the dance before he could finish telling him to do the dance, this bird is incredible! I only just found their channel tonight so maybe that is a set of actions he normally does all together so he knew what request was coming, before he even said it. Such a cool bird!

[@jens3309]

maybe like it is staged, like with attracting his attention with a laser pointer in 1:44?

[@fly463]

​@@jens3309nah Watch the live streams He is like that

[@_antau]

Florida thunderstorms just hit different

[@s.crawford12]

The things I too do for a pistachio.......I feel ya Apollo. ♥️🦜♥️

[@Awesomeplayer98]

The tree in the kitchen window looks like a Minecraft tree

[@Skylasha]

Such a lovely bird, I love parrots!

[@chuckelator]

Apollo loves pistachios as much as I do. LOL