| Summary: | In this paper, I will review the Model/Rival (M/R) technique that has been used to establish interspecies communication with Grey parrots (<i>Psittacus erithacus</i>). I will describe the original format developed by Todt, the relationship to other forms of observational learning outlined by other researchers, and the adaptations that I devised. I will describe how my undergraduate trainers and I isolated the various components that constitute the technique and explain how each is necessary, but how only the combination of <i>all</i> components is sufficient for successful implementation—and how improper implementation can lead to failure. I will briefly summarize the results of proper implementation—including the importance of interspecies communication itself as a technique for studying animal cognition.
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