Why is my Senegal interrupting me?

OK, well, as you know, I am a new forum member and a new owner of a Senegal male, age 4 with major baggage. I have kept company with many skid row Cockatiels, and a Sun Conure, and I never had trouble figuring them out or getting them to behave, trust, and eventually love; however, now I see that they were simply ignored, not abused. Now with Bibi, my poor little rescued Sennie, I am discovering that I must research, study, and ask the advice of those more experienced than I am if I am going to be able to gather the skill set I will need in order to rehabilitate Bibi and become the companion he deserves.

With that in mind, I ask you the following: Why does Bibi "talk over" or "interrupt" me when I talk to other people? When I make eye contact with and speak directly with him, he will just tweet and make sweet little noises, but when I speak to my sons or my husband in a normal conversational tone/decibel level, he will mumble/grumble incoherently while I speak. If I raise my voice to call out to or speak to someone, he raises the volume to match mine, but still using incoherent words.

I use the word "incoherent" because he speaks about 20 words, and they are VERY clear, so his "interruptions" are truly garbled nonsense.

My gut tells me that since I'm his favorite person, (and potential mate, ugh) he cannot tolerate my spending any time with my family, whom he now sees as competition, so he vocalizes in order to distract me or draw attention back to him.

If I'm correct in this assumption, what do I do to correct it? Should I just ignore it, or go to great lengths by giving him a time out?

Thanks for your help!

Hi there,

You've had a few posts I've been hoping to comment on, but I've had some computer issues (my home computer keyboard has now officially retired.) I'm at work at the moment, but I'll be bringing my work computer home and I'll be able to comment more thoroughly this evening. But for the time being:

This behavior, I think, is fairly common. If it is problematic you could work to change it, but it is not itself anything to be concerned about, and if it doesn't trouble you too much ignoring it is the best option. Auggie does this too, and it's just hard not to laugh. Whenever someone comes over I can't talk to them without him mumbling along with me. In Auggie's case I don't get the impression that it's interrupting, but rather that he thinks it must be time to talk.

It is also easier for me to just laugh it off though as it's just me and Auggie in my home so I don't regularly need to talk to anyone else.

I agree, it's pretty funny! He sounds almost like a deep-voiced trucker on a CB radio. It's really hard to ignore him when he's doing it, but I'm going to have to try, because I can't have him doing this when I'm trying to talk to my kiddos about something they think is important.

I also suspect that he has a secret word "stash" because he'll bust out a new phrase when he desperately wants my attention. Yesterday, he was on his play gym, and he kept asking me for "Yum-yums" which are his treats, and I told him, "Hang on, Bibi, I'll get you a Yum-yum in a minute," and then he said, "Come here!"

Last night, I had him in the kitchen with me while I was baking, and I left the room for a minute, and he called out, "Ashley? Ashleeeeeeeeeeey!!" My name isn't Ashley, by the way, but he seems to think so! I am astounded by his intelligence. Perhaps I may come home one day to find my check book reconciled!

Sorry to hear your key board quit on you! I am definitely looking forward to getting your input on Bibi's rehabilitation, so I will selfishly keep my fingers crossed that you remember to bring your work keyboard home!