3 year old CAG still not talking

Eli makes all kinds of sounds and is very musical, making up tunes every morning he whistles to wake me. But aside from glimpses of possible attempts at words, he isn't using them.

Before people tell me about how not all greys talk and don't get a bird for talking abilities, I completely agree. He is my baby boy and is going nowhere. I think he is just as beautiful regardless. I'm a responsible and committed bird mommy.

That being said, did I hope that he would talk? Of course but I understand it wasn't guaranteed.

My question is had anyone else had experience with their bird not talking until they were a bit older? I got him at 4 months. He'll be four years old April 26. My bird friends have all said their Greys were talking by the time they were 2. Should I keep hope that he can still learn if he becomes interested?


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If he hasn't started to talk by 4, then he most likely won't, and will be sticking with all the cute songs, pops and whistles that he's already making.

I have no insight as to if a CAG will talk or not depending on age, all I can say is do not stop talking to him. It very well could be a comfort or trust issue. My Perjo 28mos did not start talking until about 19-20 months, and she spits out something new each week. She's saying "pretty Perjo" as I type this.

I have no idea. When I researched CAGs prior to getting Levi, I consistently found it stated that not all Greys are garaunteed to talk. Sorry, I know that’s not what you want to hear.

Eli's a beauty, and he'll charm you in many ways. So happy you understand the absence of talking guarantee. He may yet learn to speak, possibly a late bloomer?

try to make words more appetizing to him. I notice a lot of times my birds like to mimic sounds that are interesting to them, try and use a fun tone when saying words you want him to repeat, and consistently use the same fun tone over and over. It's never to late to teach a young parrot new tricks, but it will ultimately be his decision. My tiel isn't a big talker, he says a couple things but they are hard to decifer, he prefers whistling and he mimics my tone with "BAB-ee Birrrrd" essentially sounds like a phrase

I agree with tone and context being very important. Perjo has this uncanny ability to acknowledge me questions with a whistle type response that has a particular cadence that mimics how I posed the question.

I'll try to get a video of an example and post it in this thread.

[ame="https://youtu.be/I-FTL_VTT7E"]https://youtu.be/I-FTL_VTT7E[/ame]

Once they start talking, it can be like a dam bursting. Be careful what you wish for!:34:

mh434 said:

Once they start talking, it can be like a dam bursting. Be careful what you wish for!:34:

Click to expand...

I'll take it haha! He ain't quiet now!


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DRB said:

https://youtu.be/I-FTL_VTT7E

Click to expand...

I see that he learned the iPhone camera and voice recorder sounds just like Eli. Haha!


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When no one is home do you leave a radio or TV on for him?
If not, that may be something to consider. . .

I leave either animal planet or bugs bunny cartoons on for Levi.
I know some ppl leave on cable news, but I don’t want Levi to get political.

BirdNerdPHL said:

DRB said:

https://youtu.be/I-FTL_VTT7E

Click to expand...

I see that he learned the iPhone camera and voice recorder sounds just like Eli. Haha!


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Click to expand...

The point of the video being while Perjo doesn't answer my question of where are you by speaking she has picked up on the tone and cadence of me saying "where are you" in that long drawn out manner. She simply responds with a call with that same long drawn out manner. I think all this stuff plays in a part in all there different ways of communicating with us.

Tami2 said:

When no one is home do you leave a radio or TV on for him?

If not, that may be something to consider. . .



I leave either animal planet or bugs bunny cartoons on for Levi.

I know some ppl leave on cable news, but I don’t want Levi to get political.

Click to expand...

I leave nick on yes


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DRB said:

BirdNerdPHL said:

DRB said:

https://youtu.be/I-FTL_VTT7E

Click to expand...

I see that he learned the iPhone camera and voice recorder sounds just like Eli. Haha!


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Click to expand...

The point of the video being while Perjo doesn't answer my question of where are you by speaking she has picked up on the tone and cadence of me saying "where are you" in that long drawn out manner. She simply responds with a call with that same long drawn out manner. I think all this stuff plays in a part in all there different ways of communicating with us.

Click to expand...

Yes he responds with pops and whistles that sounds like hello...if you are whistling too him stop or mimicking his sounds back too him stop just talk too him in your normal voice and don’t ware him out with the same words...believe me he understands the first time he hears it.
My Congo is 13 months and just now stopping all the pops and some whistling and talking like crazy when he wants I stopped making all the whistles back to him and just spoke too him for a couple months and he started talking like crazy.

If he's anything like our Reno, he responds best when he can HEAR you, but can't SEE you. Anytime we're in the next room, out of sight but within earshot, is when he does his best, most adventurous sound exercises. It's like a "dance like nobody's watching" kind of thing.

Just an update. No words yet... :/


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Do not despair - one day he'll find a word he likes.
(no guaranty *you* will like it too)

I actually prefer to whistle to my birds - so their talking really has gone down a lot.
(they all have had a lot of owners, not all of them very "discreet" in their language, so I have one grey that very, very occasionally will swear .... )

Appie surprised me one day: she was climbing up the cage in a hurry, missed a bar, so had to catch herself and "Ooooooooooohw shiiit" (male voice) came out of that cute little beak.
She never used that before and I've heard it maybe twice the last year.
(Yes I did laugh- how could I not)



Have you tried repetetive sounds yet (nonsensewords) ?
It's what they love best here.
whoop-whoop-whoop-whoop
brrw-brrrrw-brrrw-brrw

and of course they ALL know hey-hey-hey-hey because that is what I use if they do something I am not in favor of (eating books etc.) and want them to stop

Once they know how to make a sound and like it - build on that using words that match it.
They love to play around with sound.


No way mine want to learn to say "apple" or "cherrie"
(D. did and would, but these 2 are rebels, D. would order "a piece of apple" or "something nice" )
so you are not alone
Little stubborn grey pieces of fluff!

Yea I do all that. He has sounds and all. We make whoops and whistles to each other. But he's four and I've had him from a baby.


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