In its youth, a pet parrot was owned by someone who kept the wings clipped and never allowed it to fly. Later in life, the new owner let the feathers grow and let the parrot fly around the house. But the parrot kept knocking over lamps and crashing into walls. "Wow," said the owner, "I guess parrots are just too clumsy to fly around a house without destroying everything." What is an alternative explanation?

Question

A. Since the parrot was not able to practice flying during the critical period for flight development, the brain circuits for accurate flying were not able to develop.
B. The critical period for flying development in the brain has just now begun with the bird's first attempt. In a few weeks the critical period will end, so it must practice during this time.
C. The parrot just needs more practice flying -- although it did not get to fly when young, this should not affect later ability.
D. In nature, parrots have much more room to fly, and do not have to navigate around delicate home decor.

Answer 1

Answer: A