A few questions about talking

[Mark51]

Hi. As you may know from my other threads, I got Timmy my timneh one week ago. He (we were told it is a male but not documented or tested) is 1 year 8 months. In his previous home he talked a lot (words and phrases). As I also mentioned in my previous thread, Timmy's previous owner spoke to him in Arabic. I speak to him in English. I was assured by many that this isn't a problem and he will learn the new commands or words or phrases and reassociate them with the corresponding action or object or situation.
I was very surprised that he started taking 2 days after I got him. And he talks a lot (mostly mornings and evenings) which I find very fun and entertaining. However till now he has only been saying the things he knew from his previous home. Nothing new. Even though he is in the living room where we spend most our time and there is a lot of talking around him. Also I have been following the recommendation to always talk to him and explain what I am doing and name things I am giving him (like apple or water..etc...) Also I have been repeating a few phrases I thought it would be fun for him to say. I have been repeating these phrases several times in a row, multiple times each day. But he still isn't saying anything new. Note that the previous owner said he could get him to say a new phrase in a day or two. And he was learning new things up till the day I adopted him. I have a few questions:

Question 1: is this expected with moving to a new home? To keep on saying old things but not learn new things for a while till he gets more comfortable with his new environment?

Question 2: the previous owner called me yesterday to check up on Timmy. I explained to him he was not saying new things. I told him I am speaking in English to him and he told me that Timmy would pick up Arabic words and phrases in two days but once he tried to teach him the English phrase "I love you " and Timmy did finally say it but after 2 or 3 weeks of repetition. So he concluded that Timmy was better at learning Arabic than English. This is nonsense, right? I mean I new word or phrase is just a new sound to the parrot no matter which language it is, right? I mean before any meaning is given to this word or phrase. It doesn't make any sense that it would take him longer to learn English words, right? The "I love you " example is just a coincidence, right?


Question 3: if I want to teach a new words or phrases, should I only do one at a time. I mean for example chose the phrase: "my name is timmy" and keep repeating for how many days it takes for Timmy to start saying it, then move on to another phrase? Or is it ok to work on multiple phrases at the same time? Is it best to be near Timmy or across the room or perhaps speaking loudly from the next room? Eye contact or no eye contact. (I know eye contact is threatening to birds).

Question 4: I've read that sometimes parrots mumble new words before saying them clearly. Timmy mumbles a lot in between the clear things he says. So let's say the parrot hears the phrase: "pretty bird" and a few days later starts mumbling it. Will the mumbling turn into clearly saying "pretty bird" only if the parrot keeps hearing the phrase "pretty bird" said over and over clearly after that? Is it is possible that even if it never hears it again, the parrot will keep on working on it and practicing till it says it more clearly?

Question 5: I am not repeating any of the Arabic phrases Timmy says because I don't want to reinforce them. I want him to transition to the new English words and phrases. I know parrots communicate with their flock members vocally. So if Timmy is in a chatty mood and is going through the phrase and words he says, is this a good time to talk to him and repeat the new phrase i want him to learn? Or is he too busy talking to be listening? I mean if he is saying his Arabic phrases and words and I am joining the conversation and saying English phrases to teach him, is this good? Or should I wait till he is quieter and more attentive?

Thank you very much.

 

[chris-md]

Hello!

Take a moment and slow your rolls. You’re putting way too much pressure on talking. Talking is ancillary at best.

Parrots on rare occasions learn something right away. My boy heard my mom shout “OH MY GOD!” at him when he spoke for her the first time, and he threw that phrase right back at her.

But by and large it can take months to learn a given phrase. To expect1-2days is wholly unrealistic.

And why wouldn’t you reinforce the Arabic? Speech is speech, why not encourage a wife variety of communication? He’ll pick up English too, but how cool would it be to have friends over, and your bird whips out some Arabic. Life of the party, that one!

Don’t focus on speech right now. Focus on building a bond. We always say “don’t pick a bird because it can speak. Not all African greys will speak, and not all will build big vocabularies”. You could be focusing on much more relevant things like target training or trick training. Trainings that build a stronger bond.

The speech and English words will come. You can’t rush them. Generally he’ll pick up of the words and phrases he hears the most. You cant choose the words he will learn, it’s that simple. You can stack the deck in favor of those of your interest but there’s no guarantee he’ll choose those to learn.

So don’t worry about it. Worry about what you can control.

 

[Mark51]

Hi, chrs-md, thank you very much for your reply. Yes I know these things take time. And I have read a lot about talking in parrots and African greys in particular. But sometimes internet articles and guides tend to be to general and don't take into consideration the specifics of a certain situation. That is why I posted on the forum, hoping for advise from your (the experienced parrot owners) experiences with your parrots.
You said: We always say “don’t pick a bird because it can speak". And suggested focusing on building a bond. Well I think building a bond and teaching a bird to talk are not mutually exclusive. One can work on both equally and I think both efforts will be complementary. I've read a lot of posts or replies to other similar questions about talking which always go along the lines of: talking isn't important... Or you should never get a bird because it talks... or (and this is my favorite): "would you love your child any less if he didn't talk?"
Let us just make one thing clear: a parrot is a pet bird and NOT a child!! No comparison. It really gets under my skin when I hear people comparing their pets to children or fathers or mothers.. etc... A pet is an animal. Period. One can be an EXCELLENT per owner but still view his children as children and his pets as pets. And if we do want to use that anology (African greys talking and our children talking, I think every loving parent would do everything in their power to help their child overcome his/her talking problem. Another issue I would like to raise is the following: If one researches parrots looking for specific characteristics, talking ability would be one of the things listed for African greys. So it is absolutely normal for anyone who did their homework and made an educated choice to get an African grey to be every bit enthusiastic and excited for it to be a good talker (in addition to being a well bonded and socialized and healthy and happy animal). So I don't understand on forums (whether this or others) why when someone is concerned or disappointed that his African grey is not talking, he/she get criticised. If I wanted to get a hunting dog, I would do the research and find the best breed for this purpose and I would be VERY disappointed if my dog ended up being one of the exceptions of that breed and doesn't possess the characteristics need to be a hunting dog. If i get a cow to produce milk and ends up producing a few drops of milk every other day, yes i would be VERY disappointed and would be very upset if i tried getting advise online and got answers like:
"Oh, but it doesn't matter that the cow doesn't produce milk. It is still a beautiful animal." Understand my point? If someone gets an African grey and talking is an important characteristic and then it doesn't talk and he/she decides after a month or two to give it to a loving family (who don't value talking ability) and get a new African grey that talks, I think he has every right and deserves every bit of respect for his decision. Let us not forget that when one commits to an African grey we are talking about the possibility Of this being a 40 or 50 year commitment. It is only normal and expected that this person would not want to be stuck for 50 years with a parrot that does not do what he chose that specific breed of parrot to do. Of course I stress the idea of passing that parrot on to a loving family or caring facility. If that person were to say he was going to throw that African grey out or put it in substandard conditions, then yes I would agree he is doing something very bad.

Chrid-md, I'm sorry I posted this in reply to your post. I do not mean for it to be directed towards you. I am just voicing my opinion for anyone who is reading this thread and for anyone on this forum.
Thank you.

 

[Carl_Power]

Just keep repeating words to him. In the morning say hello. At night say goodnight. He will learn to associate them. Other words just repeat them often and he may or may not say them. Its entirely upto him. Talking is really a lucky bonus when owning a Parrot but keep at it x

 

[Inger]

Give your bird a minute before you decide he’s sub-standard. Work with him on other trust-building activities. Since we know he already talks, as he trusts you more he may talk more.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GaleriaGila]

OOOOOOH! When y'all figure talking out, clue me in! :22:

I have said "I love you!" to the Rb at least ten times a day for over 30 years... nothing doing.

He heard a J-Lo hit on MTV while it was popular, and sings 4-5 lines (well, HIS version, anyway) to this day.

What's J-Lo got that I don't?
Don't answer that.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Greys (and most fids) are funny lol.. you can repeat and repeat until you're blue in the face what you'd LIKE them to say,and they never will...then,something you just randomly said a few times,they come and blurt it out!
Timmy is in a new environment and still not accustomed to his new surroundings,or the new "language" he is hearing..I think Timmy speaking Arabic is pretty darn cool!

I had to rehome a goffin 'too a few years back..he spoke a couple words in English..he cussed REAL GOOD and his new parronts are Pakistan that own a convenience store down the street from me that I stop in to regularly..About a year ago Jonesy started speaking Pakistani too! He asks for his Poppi and for his birdie bread and calls out "me me" for his mom.

Just give Timmy time..if he is already talking in Arabic I'm sure he'll pick up English..just in his sweet old time.


Jim

 

[chris-md]

Mark,

No need to apologize. We can all disagree without being disagreeable.

That said, while you’re entitled to your opinion, that opinion is out of touch with commonly understood responsible parrot ownership because it treats the bird like a commodity, not a companion. We get birds for the love and affection they provide.

Speaking is a bonus to that companionship. It’s not the reason to buy them.

Not every bird talks, this is fact. Which makes it a very poor basis for deciding which species of bird to buy. It’s one thing to let potential soeaking ability shade your decision. But You go in eyes wide open with the understanding you may never get a word. And you better be ok with that.

You wanna cite the 60 year committement? Remember, the bird doesn’t make the commitment, you do. You chose the bird, the bird didn’t have a choice in this. YOU committed to that bird.

The average bird has 6-7 homes in their lifetime, often because of poor decision making on our part. It’s our responsibility to know better and be better.

 

[Violet_Diva]

You said: We always say “don’t pick a bird because it can speak".

This statement is commonplace and is usually used in an attempt to stop people buying birds when the incentive is based on the humans 'desired behaviour' of the bird. A behaviour that the bird may or may not develop or exhibit. It's an attempt to discourage people from buying a living creature (with potentially a lifespan of 100 years in some instances) only to rehome them later on because the bird didn't do the things that 'the human wanted' the bird to do, rather than respecting the bird for the bird that it is - and rejecting it for not being the bird they wanted it to be.

And suggested focusing on building a bond. Well I think building a bond and teaching a bird to talk are not mutually exclusive. One can work on both equally and I think both efforts will be complementary.

It was a great suggestion from chris-md to focus on building a bond. You are right that the two (talking and building a bond) are not mutually exclusive and that building a bond could be potentially complimentary to aiding your birds talking ability.

The suggestion to focus on building a bond will mean the bird will see you as it's flock. Meaning it will learn to trust you and like you. Once the bird is bonded to its flock member, it will want to communicate with said flock member. It will learn from its interactions with you, what noises you respond to best. If it wants your attention and you are always pleased and attentive when it says certain words, it might be more inclined to say them.

I've read a lot of posts or replies to other similar questions about talking which always go along the lines of: talking isn't important... Or you should never get a bird because it talks... or (and this is my favorite): "would you love your child any less if he didn't talk?"
Let us just make one thing clear: a parrot is a pet bird and NOT a child!! No comparison. It really gets under my skin when I hear people comparing their pets to children or fathers or mothers.. etc... A pet is an animal. Period.
One can be an EXCELLENT per owner but still view his children as children and his pets as pets. And if we do want to use that anology (African greys talking and our children talking, I think every loving parent would do everything in their power to help their child overcome his/her talking problem.

You are completely right. A pet bird is not a child. It is a specialist animal requiring specialist care. So it's good to read that you did lots of research.

I would say be careful as to what your attitude and mood is while around the bird. They are very sensitive and can pick up on stuff like a sixth sense. If you're disappointed or annoyed with the bird, it'll 'feel your vibes' (so to speak) and this could affect their behaviour around you. Just try to be a positive influence, make them feel happy to see you, want your attention etc, so your company is a reward in itself, which they will crave. If your company is enjoyable to the bird their likelihood of trying to please you is increased.

Although, with regards to your entertaining the typical child comparison - (kid with talking problem and wanting to fix it), I couldn't help but think - some children are mute - does that mean put them up for adoption then I guess, if their 'problem' can't be fixed?

Another issue I would like to raise is the following: If one researches parrots looking for specific characteristics, talking ability would be one of the things listed for African greys. So it is absolutely normal for anyone who did their homework and made an educated choice to get an African grey to be every bit enthusiastic and excited for it to be a good talker (in addition to being a well bonded and socialized and healthy and happy animal). So I don't understand on forums (whether this or others) why when someone is concerned or disappointed that his African grey is not talking, he/she get criticised.

So based on this educated research, you must have found that some parrots choose not to speak at all. Any expectation you have should be based on this knowledge. Therefore - why be "concerned" at all? A parrot that chooses to not speak isn't defective. Though it's definitely a joy to behold and very exciting when a bird does decide to speak - there's no denying that!

If I wanted to get a hunting dog, I would do the research and find the best breed for this purpose and I would be VERY disappointed if my dog ended up being one of the exceptions of that breed and doesn't possess the characteristics need to be a hunting dog.

I agree. A hunting dog is a working animal aquired for a job (to help provide sustenance to keep the human alive) - it would be disappointing if they failed to fulfil that role.

If i get a cow to produce milk and ends up producing a few drops of milk every other day, yes i would be VERY disappointed and would be very upset if i tried getting advise online and got answers like:
"Oh, but it doesn't matter that the cow doesn't produce milk. It is still a beautiful animal." Understand my point?

Again, I agree. If the cow was obtained purely for milk production (again as a working animal to provide sustenance for humans) and it failed to produce milk, it would be disappointing.

If someone gets an African grey and talking is an important characteristic and then it doesn't talk and he/she decides after a month or two to give it to a loving family (who don't value talking ability) and get a new African grey that talks, I think he has every right and deserves every bit of respect for his decision.

It's interesting that you criticised others for choosing to compare two non-comparable things (kids and pets).
But then you decided to compare to other non-comparable things (working animals - for survival, and pets purely for entertainment).

Respect for good decisions. Though the better decision would be to not buy an animal that you will likely need to rehome later. There's thousands of birds being moved from home to home to shelter etc. It's a problem with a high cost - the welfare of the birds, and all because people bought birds they weren't committed to.

Let us not forget that when one commits to an African grey we are talking about the possibility Of this being a 40 or 50 year commitment. It is only normal and expected that this person would not want to be stuck for 50 years with a parrot that does not do what he chose that specific breed of parrot to do. Of course I stress the idea of passing that parrot on to a loving family or caring facility. If that person were to say he was going to throw that African grey out or put it in substandard conditions, then yes I would agree he is doing something very bad.

Parrots have thoughts, desires and most importantly - feelings. What about the bird being stuck with a human for the next 50 years who sees them as an object and not a companion? Or the bird being passed around various owners and shelters (that repeatedly loose funding and struggle to support all the 'reject birds') for the next 50 years. It would be you responsible for making that chain of events lead to that bird having that unsettling life. It's the human that is responsible for the commitment, not the bird. Birds without other feathered company see humans as their 'flock'. Birds should ideally be companion creatures for humans and/or other birds and not seen as replaceable or interchangeable novelty items.

If you purely want a parrot that speaks, buy an electronic one. It will never let you down and you will never be disappointed. If it stops talking, you are 'within your rights' to return it or replace it without causing an actual living creature any emotional distress or psychological problems.

Anyone that's really serious about owning a real parrot should be serious about what that really means, rather than what they would like it to mean.

As you have said, you have done your research. And so you are already aware of the cost, time, diet, and care required.

Talking is not an "important characteristic". It is a novelty factor. Your comments about possibly rehoming and getting an effective replacement seemingly suggests you care more about the novelty factor than the bird itself. And choosing to buy a living creature based on a possible novelty factor rather than the reality of the animal itself is what causes the usual backlash from people. What is important - is health, both physical and mental and the numerous factors expanding from it.

Equally, humans are just a type of animal that is stupid enough to belive it's somehow more valuable or cleverer than other animals. Pretty ridiculous really when humans are seemingly the only animals that behave in a way that destroys and damages the resources it needs to survive. Other animals aren't stupid enough to do that. As far as I'm aware the only other things that destroy the things that keep them alive are fatal virus' or cancer...

Anyway, I've gone a bit off topic now, so I'll cease my rant before I take a wrong turn

At the end of the day, when we take a bird on, we take the responsibility to ensure that bird will be cared for for the rest of its life.

If you want your bird to talk more, be patient, be positive, be encouraging, don't give up on the bird - it's all the more rewarding! I truly hope you form a bond with your bird, and that you find them to be a rewarding companion, and that they find you to be a rewarding companion too! Good luck

 

[Terry57]

Hi, chrs-md, thank you very much for your reply. Yes I know these things take time. And I have read a lot about talking in parrots and African greys in particular. But sometimes internet articles and guides tend to be to general and don't take into consideration the specifics of a certain situation. That is why I posted on the forum, hoping for advise from your (the experienced parrot owners) experiences with your parrots.
You said: We always say “don’t pick a bird because it can speak". And suggested focusing on building a bond. Well I think building a bond and teaching a bird to talk are not mutually exclusive. One can work on both equally and I think both efforts will be complementary. I've read a lot of posts or replies to other similar questions about talking which always go along the lines of: talking isn't important... Or you should never get a bird because it talks... or (and this is my favorite): "would you love your child any less if he didn't talk?"
Let us just make one thing clear: a parrot is a pet bird and NOT a child!! No comparison. It really gets under my skin when I hear people comparing their pets to children or fathers or mothers.. etc... A pet is an animal. Period. One can be an EXCELLENT per owner but still view his children as children and his pets as pets. And if we do want to use that anology (African greys talking and our children talking, I think every loving parent would do everything in their power to help their child overcome his/her talking problem. Another issue I would like to raise is the following: If one researches parrots looking for specific characteristics, talking ability would be one of the things listed for African greys. So it is absolutely normal for anyone who did their homework and made an educated choice to get an African grey to be every bit enthusiastic and excited for it to be a good talker (in addition to being a well bonded and socialized and healthy and happy animal). So I don't understand on forums (whether this or others) why when someone is concerned or disappointed that his African grey is not talking, he/she get criticised. If I wanted to get a hunting dog, I would do the research and find the best breed for this purpose and I would be VERY disappointed if my dog ended up being one of the exceptions of that breed and doesn't possess the characteristics need to be a hunting dog. If i get a cow to produce milk and ends up producing a few drops of milk every other day, yes i would be VERY disappointed and would be very upset if i tried getting advise online and got answers like:
"Oh, but it doesn't matter that the cow doesn't produce milk. It is still a beautiful animal." Understand my point? If someone gets an African grey and talking is an important characteristic and then it doesn't talk and he/she decides after a month or two to give it to a loving family (who don't value talking ability) and get a new African grey that talks, I think he has every right and deserves every bit of respect for his decision. Let us not forget that when one commits to an African grey we are talking about the possibility Of this being a 40 or 50 year commitment. It is only normal and expected that this person would not want to be stuck for 50 years with a parrot that does not do what he chose that specific breed of parrot to do. Of course I stress the idea of passing that parrot on to a loving family or caring facility. If that person were to say he was going to throw that African grey out or put it in substandard conditions, then yes I would agree he is doing something very bad.

Chrid-md, I'm sorry I posted this in reply to your post. I do not mean for it to be directed towards you. I am just voicing my opinion for anyone who is reading this thread and for anyone on this forum.
Thank you.

I just want to say that first of all, you have the right to your opinion, just as people who may disagree with you have the right to theirs. That is what is great about forums is they are full of people with different opinions, and we learn from some, others we skim by.
I am one of the ones who feels my parrots (and dogs & cats) are family, and I am far from the only one here who feels that way. Let's be clear - we have the right to feel the way we do, just as much as you do.
I also feel that getting a parrot based on talking ability is not fair to the parrot. It's one thing to be disappointed that your parrot isn't talking, quite another, in my opinion, to trade them in for one who may talk. I feel too many things are considered disposable, and I do not feel that an animal should ever be one of them.
With that being said, good luck with your Grey. If he is speaking in another language, I would think that when he feels comfortable he will start picking up more words. He has not been in your home long, and it took my CAG several months before he started speaking.

 

[Billdore]

Well in the same analogy if your child doesn’t ever end up speaking well do you give them away and hope your next child has a better vocabulary. I have a Timneh and she doesn’t speak that well. A lot of her words are mumbled and she spoke really well In The pet store. When she came home she repeated a lot of phrases from the store then they slowly faded out and now she has a few go to words. She is too shy to speak in front of other people still. Like Gail said I say I love you yet her everyday all day and she has never said it back. I know she knows quite a few words and is very good with word association. She just has trouble getting it out. Please give Timmy a little time to adjust and start understanding her new language a little bit better and then I’m sure he will start using it more when he’s more comfortable. I’m sure in your research you’ve read how sensitive african Greys are and how they pick up on your mood and ther surroundings. And how sensitive they are to change, and how stubborn they can be to make any changes you want. Greys move at their own pace even if the house were on fire. I wish you the best of luck and remember the research is All generalization and each parrot is their own uniqueness. Greys are cuddly but my Timneh needs he cuddle session every night. It really does sound like your doing very well with Timmy!! He’s moving along really fast from what I’ve read. I love these little guys so much and I’d hate for you to give up on Timmy yet.

 

[texsize]

I bought my first parrot in 1985 (Orange wing Amazon).
I admit I wanted a "pet" that would talk and would live a long time. My OWA never spoke a word and at first I was disappointed about that.
Even though it did not talk I never considered "getting rid of it" for a moment.
Instead I got my second parrot (Yellow nape Amazon) in 1986.
He could talk at the time I got him and he became my best buddy. We would be best buddies even if he could not talk.

Plumas (OWA) was a wild caught bird and because of this I tried my best to give him a good life right up to when he died in December 2016. The fact that he did not talk made very little difference in how much I loved him and miss him to this day.

I think the reason the forum community considers their birds to be children (Fids) is

Like children they are totally dependent on their owners (parronts) to take care of them, take them to the doctor when sick, feed them when they are hungry, teach them what is dangerous and protect them from danger.

The difference here is that these "children" will be CHILDREN FOR LIFE, their life. 20 years or 80 years it's what you sign up for when you take one of these wonderful beautiful, and intelligent creatures into your home, life, and heart.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Mark, I wish I hadn't 'scanned' your earlier post so quickly, or I would have responded much as others above have, although I really wonder if I would have achieved their eloquence.
That said, I do commend you for speaking your mind in a civil and measured way. That temperament was responsible for one of the most interesting threads (http://www.parrotforums.com/congo-timneh-greys/73737-observation-about-plucking.html) in a good while. Our community responded in an appropriately energetic and intrigued way!

 

[DRB]

I talk to Perjo as if she's a person in my house, sometimes in a childish tone and manner other times as I would talk to an adult equal. I let her take it all in and figure it out on her own terms, it's working great.

 

[Anansi]

Amazing posts on this thread. I won't go too much into what has already been covered, save to say that there really is nothing wrong with hoping that your bird will talk. The concern you see in all of the posts comes from the worry that talking was the primary reason for your purchasing your grey.

Thing is, right now all our posts will just be words on a screen for you. I don't say this in an insulting way. I'm just saying that you haven't had the chance yet to bond with Timmy to the extent most of the responders thus far have bonded with ours. So to an extent, it will be more abstract idea than concrete reality.

But here's the thing. Put the time in. Really work at building a relationship with Timmy. I believe you'll find that much of what has been posted here will hit home in a different way. I'm not saying you'll necessarily come to view Timmy as your child or anything like that. But you will likely come to value him for more than his ability to speak. In fact, it's quite possible that you'll reach the point where you can't imagine parting with him for any reason.

We always talk about our birds bonding with us. But it's a two-way street, Mark. And I think it quite possible that you may find yourself pleasantly surprised by the strength of the bond that develops from you to Timmy.

One other thing. When it comes to talking, most people seem to focus on the bird's ability to learn the words. But there is actually a whole other component. It's also a matter of what sounds interest them. I know for a fact that both Jolly and Maya (my eclectus parrots) are both "conversational mimics". Meaning that both can learn words that they pick up from casual conversation. Or sounds. Jolly, for instance, once perfectly mimicked R2-D2's chirps and beeps after hearing them once while watching Empire Strikes Back! So why did he learn that right away, but has yet to master, "Help! I'm a human trapped in a parrot's body!"? (Yeah, Terry. I stole that idea from you. Lol!) It's simply this: R2-D2's sounds fascinated him. That plea for help, while endlessly amusing to the kid inside me, held absolutely no interest whatsoever to him.

Same deal with Maya. Like with Jolly, I am her favored person. But she indubitably finds my wife's voice more interesting. She perfectly mimics her tone, and copies words that she says. It's not that she can't do deeper voices. There's one version of "Hello" that she does in a voice disturbingly reminiscent of Wolverine, for instance. But my wife's voice is just the far more interesting of the two, far as she's concerned.

Now, the whole talking thing is cute to me, but not really a big deal. When they say new things, I think it cool... but that's about the extent for me. I'm far more interested in communication. What's the difference? Well, much talking by parrots is simple mimicry. But when they speak in context? Ah! That's something else entirely! This communication, however, is every bit as fascinating to me when it's non-verbal. It's not so m much their ability to speak as their ability to communicate with me. To get an idea across. To deepen our relationship by enabling a rudimentary level of said communication between us. This is huge, because it bridges the inter-species divide to a certain extent.

Anyway, before I get too amped and go bounding farther down that road, I merely bring the interest part up to you as another path/hindrance to his learning to talk. There may be certain tones of voice that he finds more compelling. Or certain volumes. Was the previous owner's voice on the softer side? Deeper? Melodious? High-pitched? Anything might make a difference to his interest level. But for now, the advice you've received is quite sound. It could take weeks or even months for him to acclimate to his new home to the point that he feels comfortable. It's only then that you might gauge just how swiftly he's picking up new words.

 

[CasKreie]

This thread got intense. I have found with my macaw, Roxanne, that she picks up words and phrases without me even knowing it. For example, she thought a mole on my arm was a bug that NEEDED to be removed. I told her to "stop it" and nudged her beak away. About a month later, I was rearranging some of her toys to put in a new one, and she out of the blue said "stop it!". Our feathered friends learn and pick up more than what we think. She mumbles random things she hears all the time too, even if I don't emphasise them. Give your little friend time, I think you'll be in for a surprise.
Love and light to you from Roxy and I!

 

[DRB]

Perjo has really started to come into her own with talking. She started saying "what are you doing" about 4 mos ago. Now when I say "whatcha you doin" she replies "what are YOU doing" putting a bit of emphasis on the YOU. Meaning she understands the relationship of YOU being me as relative to me asking HER what she was doing. It blows my mind.

And the r2d2 sounds, OMG she adds them almost in a contextual way to stuff that goes on in the house everday.

 

[bigfellasdad]

Perjo has really started to come into her own with talking. She started saying "what are you doing" about 4 mos ago. Now when I say "whatcha you doin" she replies "what are YOU doing" putting a bit of emphasis on the YOU. Meaning she understands the relationship of YOU being me as relative to me asking HER what she was doing. It blows my mind.

And the r2d2 sounds, OMG she adds them almost in a contextual way to stuff that goes on in the house everday.

The way Enzo puts emphasis on her 'come here!' astounds me too. She also makes clattering noises when we are washing the dishes, chats away in context during phone calls, 'ok, yeah....hhhmm, ok bye', there are several things she will say but only in certain circumstances, I think the number of things she has learnt to say since joining our family is very low though but she has learnt lots of games and of course how to be very cheeky!

 

[Mark51]

Hi, everyone I have been reading all your posts but unfortunately I had a busy two days and therefore I was unable to reply. And there are so many replies that unfortunately I don't have the time now to reply to each individually. However, I would like to say to each and every one of you that I have taken every word you said to heart and I respect all your opinions and views. I just want to reply to the question about whether I would give away my child if he was mute. OF COURSE not!!! I would love him with every ounce of my heart no matter what. But there wouldn't be a day that I wouldn't wish that he/she could talk because I know that his/her life would be so much easier and so much richer with the ability to speak. But to me there is no comparison between a human child and a pet. However, for those who feel their pets hold an equal place to their children, well as they say: to each his own. I read about an Indian guy who divorced his wife and married his pet cobra.... To me (being a medical doctor and having studied human psychology in medical school) this is an action that points to psychological issues that this man has . But some may argue that this is a valid life choice. Again I say: to each his own.
I feel from many of your replies that I was misunderstood. I am not being impatient and I am fully aware that these things (building a bond and Timmy feeling comfortable enough to learn new words and phrases) will take a lot of time. The one week that I have had him is a very short time compared to what it will take for these things to happen. My question in my original post were simply an attempt to understand what to expect and how to approach the issue of talking in the best way (based on your experiences with your parrots). At no point did I ever consider giving Timmy away. I am excitedly at the beginning of a long exciting journey and I simply posted my questions to try to start it on the right foot and to approach the issue of talking in the most effective way alongside all the other things (building a bond, converting to a healthier diet...etc..) Did i chose this specific parrot (Timmy) because he possessed a good history of talking? Yes I did. Was that the only thing I looked at? Of course not. I looked at his temperament, his relationship with his previous owner, his physical and behavioural help... and many more things. That is how I chose Timmy. If Timmy never spoke would I have continued my search. Yes. Not because I was looking for a 'robot' that could mimic. But rather because I wanted the next 30 or 40 or 50 years (I hope) to be spent with a companion that has the ability to communicate through speech. I say this knowing fully that African greys are very intelligent and can use human speech intelligently. To me this drastically enriched the experience of spending what may be the remainder of my life in the company a companion bird. To me this verbal communication was an important factor. And just for the record from the second I got Timmy, I have been littereally spending every free second I have interacting with Timmy and working on building a bond. And I am happy to say that with each day that passes we are making progress Today I was able to use treats to get him to come off his cage onto my lap and eventually to step up from my lap to my hand I was able to reproduce that several times but still he won't step up from his cage to my hand. But I am working on it
Back to the topic of talking. Just one last thing I would like to say. My desire for a talking parrot is not for me only. It is also for the parrot's sake. I mean I think that a parrot that is able to 'say' what it wants and what it doesn't want would be much happier than a parrot that sits there frustrated because it is trying to convey a need or a desire but can only whistle and therefore can't be understood by its human 'flock'. You see my point? At no point did I mean to imply that I want a 'robot" that simply mimics. I want a companion that 'communicates'. That is what I meant when I said I wanted a bird that can talk.
I also just want to take this opportunity to voice an idea that has crossed my mind many times. However, before I do, I want to to ask every reader to PLEASE keep in mind that i will always be saying "us" and "we" (not "you") because I am one of you and I mean whatever I am about to say NOT as a criticism of "you" but rather a criticism of "us" (bird owners). I am one of you. Well to get to my point: birds are wild animals. Some species are solitary animals, but African greys are flock animals. And no matter what we do, and no matter how hard we try and no better how strong the bond with our African greys, we will NEVER be able to replicate the natural environment and happiness of an African grey in the wild. So no matter how much we care about and love our african greys (or any other bird we have in our homes) we have to admit (at least to ourselves) that each and every one of us is guilty of comminting a selfish act. We took a bird out of its natural environment and 'robbed' it of it's life as a 'bird' and 'forced' it to live it's life in our home. Not because we wanted to give it a better life, but rather because we wanted to fullfill a 'selfish' desire to own a bird and make it our companion. We will NEVER be able to give it the happiness it would have had if we let it live it's life in the wild as a 'bird' and not a companion. Some may say, but Mark we rescued an abused bird and gave it a better life. Yes. That is true. But if we TRUELY cared about giving that bird the best life possible we would keep it in a big outside aviary designed to mimic it's natural habitat and we would provide it with others of its kind (A true flock). And we would not put it in our home and ask it to accept us as it's flock and ask it to do all sorts of unnatural things like step up and do tricks and eat all sorts of unnatural foods like bird smoothies and baked bird bread and pellets.. ..etc... I believe that no matter how much we think we care about our bird companions, we care more about ourselves. We all have heard the horrendous stories of how birds and caught and shipped to us (many times illegally). I believe each and every one of us has some 'blood on our hands'. For there to be a supply there has to be a demand. If we did not create this demand (by buying pet birds) there would be no supply. Some may say: But, Mark, we did not get a wild caught bird. We got a bird from a local breeder. Well if you read the posts on my other thread "An observation about plucking" you will read a lot of interesting theories about how we are breeding birds with all sorts of behavioral and emotional 'defects'. Again here I believe if we did not create a demand there would be no supply.
I just thought I'd share my thoughts on this topic. Again, I repeat that I am one of you and therefore I am guilty of this too.

Thank you.

 

[Violet_Diva]

Hi, everyone I have been reading all your posts but unfortunately I had a busy two days and therefore I was unable to reply. And there are so many replies that unfortunately I don't have the time now to reply to each individually. However, I would like to say to each and every one of you that I have taken every word you said to heart and I respect all your opinions and views. I just want to reply to the question about whether I would give away my child if he was mute. OF COURSE not!!! I would love him with every ounce of my heart no matter what. But there wouldn't be a day that I wouldn't wish that he/she could talk because I know that his/her life would be so much easier and so much richer with the ability to speak. But to me there is no comparison between a human child and a pet. However, for those who feel their pets hold an equal place to their children, well as they say: to each his own. I read about an Indian guy who divorced his wife and married his pet cobra.... To me (being a medical doctor and having studied human psychology in medical school) this is an action that points to psychological issues that this man has . But some may argue that this is a valid life choice. Again I say: to each his own.
I feel from many of your replies that I was misunderstood. I am not being impatient and I am fully aware that these things (building a bond and Timmy feeling comfortable enough to learn new words and phrases) will take a lot of time. The one week that I have had him is a very short time compared to what it will take for these things to happen. My question in my original post were simply an attempt to understand what to expect and how to approach the issue of talking in the best way (based on your experiences with your parrots). At no point did I ever consider giving Timmy away. I am excitedly at the beginning of a long exciting journey and I simply posted my questions to try to start it on the right foot and to approach the issue of talking in the most effective way alongside all the other things (building a bond, converting to a healthier diet...etc..) Did i chose this specific parrot (Timmy) because he possessed a good history of talking? Yes I did. Was that the only thing I looked at? Of course not. I looked at his temperament, his relationship with his previous owner, his physical and behavioural help... and many more things. That is how I chose Timmy. If Timmy never spoke would I have continued my search. Yes. Not because I was looking for a 'robot' that could mimic. But rather because I wanted the next 30 or 40 or 50 years (I hope) to be spent with a companion that has the ability to communicate through speech. I say this knowing fully that African greys are very intelligent and can use human speech intelligently. To me this drastically enriched the experience of spending what may be the remainder of my life in the company a companion bird. To me this verbal communication was an important factor. And just for the record from the second I got Timmy, I have been littereally spending every free second I have interacting with Timmy and working on building a bond. And I am happy to say that with each day that passes we are making progress Today I was able to use treats to get him to come off his cage onto my lap and eventually to step up from my lap to my hand I was able to reproduce that several times but still he won't step up from his cage to my hand. But I am working on it
Back to the topic of talking. Just one last thing I would like to say. My desire for a talking parrot is not for me only. It is also for the parrot's sake. I mean I think that a parrot that is able to 'say' what it wants and what it doesn't want would be much happier than a parrot that sits there frustrated because it is trying to convey a need or a desire but can only whistle and therefore can't be understood by its human 'flock'. You see my point? At no point did I mean to imply that I want a 'robot" that simply mimics. I want a companion that 'communicates'. That is what I meant when I said I wanted a bird that can talk.
I also just want to take this opportunity to voice an idea that has crossed my mind many times. However, before I do, I want to to ask every reader to PLEASE keep in mind that i will always be saying "us" and "we" (not "you") because I am one of you and I mean whatever I am about to say NOT as a criticism of "you" but rather a criticism of "us" (bird owners). I am one of you. Well to get to my point: birds are wild animals. Some species are solitary animals, but African greys are flock animals. And no matter what we do, and no matter how hard we try and no better how strong the bond with our African greys, we will NEVER be able to replicate the natural environment and happiness of an African grey in the wild. So no matter how much we care about and love our african greys (or any other bird we have in our homes) we have to admit (at least to ourselves) that each and every one of us is guilty of comminting a selfish act. We took a bird out of its natural environment and 'robbed' it of it's life as a 'bird' and 'forced' it to live it's life in our home. Not because we wanted to give it a better life, but rather because we wanted to fullfill a 'selfish' desire to own a bird and make it our companion. We will NEVER be able to give it the happiness it would have had if we let it live it's life in the wild as a 'bird' and not a companion. Some may say, but Mark we rescued an abused bird and gave it a better life. Yes. That is true. But if we TRUELY cared about giving that bird the best life possible we would keep it in a big outside aviary designed to mimic it's natural habitat and we would provide it with others of its kind (A true flock). And we would not put it in our home and ask it to accept us as it's flock and ask it to do all sorts of unnatural things like step up and do tricks and eat all sorts of unnatural foods like bird smoothies and baked bird bread and pellets.. ..etc... I believe that no matter how much we think we care about our bird companions, we care more about ourselves. We all have heard the horrendous stories of how birds and caught and shipped to us (many times illegally). I believe each and every one of us has some 'blood on our hands'. For there to be a supply there has to be a demand. If we did not create this demand (by buying pet birds) there would be no supply. Some may say: But, Mark, we did not get a wild caught bird. We got a bird from a local breeder. Well if you read the posts on my other thread "An observation about plucking" you will read a lot of interesting theories about how we are breeding birds with all sorts of behavioral and emotional 'defects'. Again here I believe if we did not create a demand there would be no supply.
I just thought I'd share my thoughts on this topic. Again, I repeat that I am one of you and therefore I am guilty of this too.

Thank you.

Thankyou for such an all encompassing reply. It is hard to keep up with replying to everyone, and so a good chunk of text that touches on everything is always appreciated. Your clarity has definitely set the record straight - I'm MORE than relieved you wouldn't consider giving up Timmy. I guess you were talking hypothetically or theoretically with regards to that aspect.

I do wish to say that I'm sorry if I sounded harsh in my previous comment. It's just that you mentioned some of the 'usual' comments that you found in other threads and I saw it as an opportunity to address some of these in a direct way. If you have searched for specific threads on the topic of talking, you won't be the last, meaning someone else is likely to stumble across this thread in future and (hopefully) find some food for thought in it.

I'm so pleased you are making progress with Timmy. Some birds can take a long time to trust, so the fact that you were able to get him to come over to you for a treat and even step up is AMAZING progress.

I got my female eclectus (Bella)at the age of 3 months (she will be 2 at the end of May), she didn't say a word until "Hello" when she was here for several months. She now has quite a few words and phrases, and still works on learning more (she'll mumble stuff until it's perfected).

My second eclectus (male called Dexter) was already a talker with his previous owner. When we first took him home, he would run through his verbal repertoire late in the evenings (this was him 'flock calling' saying all the things him and his previous human used to.) As we were unable to replicate the responses, he eventually stopped saying the phrases he used to. He is only now starting to copy phrases from our household. We aquired him in Nov 2016, so it's taken quite a while for him to start talking his 'new words'.

My third eclectus (Gerry - another rehoming) had an existing mumble repertoire, but like Dexter, this is almost completely lost, and he may start to learn some new mumbles or words in the coming months / years.

When interacting with with my birds, I tend to always use the same words in a contextual way. So they start building associations. This makes communication between us much easier it helps them to know what to expect. So I'd definitely be an advocate for always describing things that are happening, or what food is being given etc. Hopefully you'll be sharing Timmys progress with us soon