Talking questions

[Pookamama]

I wasn't expecting Pepper to say much at all. Her previous owner thought she may have heard her say, "hello" once. She is four years old. Her previous home was a family situation. Here, however, she has been making more and more noises and trying to say all sorts of things! She can say a big hearty "hello!" a more muted 'hello', her name and is working on a few more, one kinda sounds like "whatcha doin" and one that is an "Errrr!" This is only after two and a half weeks with us. Introducing clicker training has been a huge hit and we are trying to use it to encourage her to speak but I don't know if it will work that way.

So my questions are-is she going to keep trying to learn new things as long as we keep teaching her things? Do birds get to a vocabulary max and then are done? I'm just excited-I was perfectly ok with having a nice non-talking bird but to find out she actually wants to talk a bit is so much fun! She is really in the center of the house action and everybody talks with her and interacts with her and makes a huge deal whenever she says something or makes any sort of new noise.

 

[DebsFlock]

I think they keep learning, at least for a long time. Scotty is definitely still adding to his vocabulary, although I can never predict what he'll pick up. So is Scooter.

I suspect the more you communicate with them verbally, the more they pick up.

 

[horsesculpter]

I firmly believe that wanting to communicate with the family is what drives talking. Sunny lived in a backyard on a school bus stop and she wanted to talk to the kids. She has a vocabulary of over two hundred phrases and words. I think that is where it came from. Alex continued to learn all his thirty one years.

 

[PortaPerch]

Does she rehearse at night or early in the morning when she is alone? Most greys seem to by shy, and won't talk in public.

 

[Pookamama]

She does have a really talkative period in the morning and right before she goes to bed. The last few days DH has been up early clicker training her and in general making the most of it. We're working on having her say, "Pepper" after we say, "What's your name?"
However, she's not really alone very much unless we're all out of the house, which doesn't happen very often.

 

[wenz2712]

She will learn to say new things all the time! She will totally surprise you with things she will eventually come out with!! They listen and take things in all the time.. then suddenly one day it all comes out

 

[MickeysMom]

As you probably know, we just adopted Junior. He really hasn't said much in the last few weeks....but yesterday he started saying "Hello", "Chiquita"(in a really low man's voice, like he's scolding her), "Pretty Girl"...I was so excited!

Then this morning, I uncovered them and went upstairs for my shower....well he made the sound of a phone dialing...then picking up, the (man's voice) "Hello?" (my voice ) "Helloooooooooo!" (man's voice) "ok" (woman's voice) "bye", then sound of the phone hanging up. I was hysterical... this was followed by a couple of more complete conversations between a man and woman.....

Yeah I think they probably know a lot, and will probably learn more....We are in for an interesting life with these guys/gals