Am I wasting my time talking?

[AmazonServant]

My bird hasn't learned any of the phrases I've intentionally tried to teach her, although she talks up a storm. She's just learned to pick up the things I say frequently without realizing it. There are lots of phrases you don't realize you say so much, until your bird picks up on them! In my experience that's what makes parrot talking so amusing and special - the fact that they choose what they want to say, and pick the phrases that they associate most with love, attention, and treats. In that way it's not just robotic mimicry as people tend to think, but really a much more meaningful form of communication. So with that in mind I think that a good way to "train" your bird to talk is to give him or her lots of positive verbal reinforcement. Talking enthusiastically and in a high pitched voice helps. Changing the pitch around helps too. Be goofy and try to get their eyes dialating with excitement (but be careful not to get too close when your bird is so excited, he may bite). Giving out a treat as you say a certain word or phrase should help too. Try just fitting phrases into your daily routine. So whenever you approach your bird's cage to take him out, say "Hello!" or some other greeting. Even though my bird loves food more than anything else, the phrases she's picked up are mostly greetings and things that I say to her when she's about to get attention - things like "Hello?" "Hi!" "Step up!" "Good girl!" "Wanna come out?" "Go see mommy?" etc. All those exclamation marks are in there because she mimics not just the words, but the tone they were originally delivered in - so it seems to be no coincidence that she learns things I say in an excited voice, when I am about to give her attention.

Waiting for a bird to talk can make you impatient or concerned you're doing something wrong, because you're so excited and it seems like it's taking too long. It's the same way with lots of elements of your bird's personality. It can take a long time for your bird's personality to really come out, and talking/vocalizations are a big part of that. But it's kind of like having kids - their personalities have to grow over time. So my advice to you is just to enjoy yourself with your bird and have fun with him. Be patient and let him show you new parts of his personality when he's ready. Because being worried and impatient is no fun for you, and also because if you don't worry about doing the "wrong" thing to teach your bird to talk, you'll enjoy yourself more with him, and that enjoyment really seems to be what makes birds more expressive.

 

[CAGLulu]

@Nakiska: It was a pleasure reading your post! Chicken Little must be the cutest thing ever! When you mentioned that you was listening ½ to Chicken Little and ½ to your husband while Chicken Little was chattering, it made me laugh, because it happens to me as well. When my mom, dad or anyone is talking to me, and Lulu is chattering with her self, I pay more attention to what Lulu is saying LOL .

@AmazonServant: Just like I've written above to Nakiska; it was a pleasure reading your post. When I approach her cage or anything that makes her excited I try to say a word/phrase that fits to the situation. I've read some place that almost all birds know how to say "hello", and that is because it is often said when your bird become excited, like entering the room, or taking the parrot out of its cage.
You're so right about how it can make me be impatient and feel frustrated waiting for the bird to talk, but again, it's not because their talking ability I've bought the parrot. People should know that .

- From now on I'll just talk to my parrot, repeat things I would like her to say a bit more often, and just enjoy my time with her, which hopefully will be the next 50-70 years .

Lulu and I say thank y'all for all your good suggestions. We appreciate it a lot!

 

[LakotaBeauty]

With my little guy Squeakers, he picks up on things when I do not do it deliberately... For example "Swiper No swiping" compliments of Dora the explorer. We have compiled a book each time he learns a new word, he is currently up to 400... I learned with him if you deliberately try he does NOT pay mind, but unintentional like "Ah S**t it's the Mother In Law" when the phone rings is first on the vocabulary list..

with that I started making it a game, each Morning a phrase out of habit just once,"Good Morning squeakers" then at night "Night Squeakers Mama Loves you" but no repitition several times, after a week he would repeat.. Someone here mentioned making an exciting voice and it works! My Gray who is a Congo does the exclaimations as well he also does my voice calling the Husband, can mimic my Mother in Law, Does My Husband My Father... in all honesty I think that late doesn't do much if you want to learn earlier in the day or make it routine as you put him to bed... remember these guys are like 5 year olds so the attention span is just as long

I used to think birds just mimiced....For example me cooking "What cha doing?" I reply "Cooking dinner" "Oh, don't burn it" I recently had to put a horse down and was on the couch crying when he walked across the couch put his head in me..."Don't cry Mama I love you" taking various words and forming sentences at to me was either REALLY conveniant timing or he knows... my word of advice heh watch what you say THOSE are the words they pick up then like to say at inappropriate times when company comes!

 

[Abzeez]

If this was already covered let me start by saying sorry, I didn't read every post response...

Isn't your grey a baby yet? From what I understand it can take a year for them to start talking. My Ida is almost 5 months old and is just starting to whistle some things. I am really not that concerned about teaching her to talk. She will pick it up in my active household, but if she doesn't talk well thats ok too. Enjoy your grey, don't worry about the talking part. One day you'll wake up and say, "Good morning." and you'll get a "good morning" back.

 

[AmazonServant]

"Don't cry mama I love you" - That is amazing! Greys are so fascinating. I'll probably never get one because I tend to go for goofier creatures instead of the more intelligent ones, but they sure are fascinating, I love hearing about other peoples' greys.

 

[LakotaBeauty]

Amazon it floored me... I was always under the impression they mimic, we have been trying to get him to mimic the Andy griffith theme song and left it playing any time we left... waste of time! Now its Nicktoons if I am gone the one writing this thread (I do NOT want to hijack lol) seems to have a sweet baby but personal experiance they are like lil kids I have learned from my Grey they return the love you give, they DO pout, and they have as much attention span as my husband (haha thankfully he is NOT on this forum) I now have a NEW experiance and 4 days ago brought in a Green wing Macaw both are first BREEDS for me, but not bird wise Lost my U2 a few years ago (Old age) He belonged to my Grandmother HE was goofy but Squeakers personality is...just out of this world (So aptly named because my puppy chewed a squeaky toy 1-2 times and he picked up on it and now does it incessantly) I LOVE the idea of teaching the bird to say where they live though...could you imagine teaching a phone number? so if they get out and someone finds them? and that goes for any bird.. come to think of it can you microchip a bird??

 

[CAGLulu]

@LakotaBeauty: I love the "don't cry mama, I love you" part. That is the cutest thing I've ever heard! 400 words?! Squeakers must be very intelligent and must also enjoy talking. You must be very proud .
Regarding your question about microchipping a bird - here in Denmark you can microchip a bird. I don't know if it's possible where you live .

@Abzeez: Lulu turned 5 months 18th. June, so yes, she is still a baby . I know that some birds may never talk, and if they do, most of them will begin when they are about 1-2 years old. I enjoy every secound with Lulu, even though that she's not talking. My love to her won't change, I will always love her just as much as if she did talk .

 

[antoinette]

CL here is video below, showing you how a bird learns all the time
Mishka asked me where had Sean gone, I said to Dee's (his gf) listen how he has cleaverly added on other peoples names, using different phases as well. Keep the Lulu in your everyday day conversation.



[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RKTJZ9QOzo"]YouTube - World's Amazing Talking African Grey Parrot "MISHKA" WHO HAS GONE TO DEE?[/ame]

The video below is a great example of how birds listen to everything we say.
We were busy discussing Sean's car, I mentioned that I loved his car. Mishka sitting nearby heard every word. I videoed him, this is what he had to say about Sean's car.
I must admit I am so fortunate that when Mishka likes what he has heard, and begins to say it he practices and practices for hours on end, on his own, till he gets is correct.


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xHo867cN-A"]YouTube - World's Amazing Talking African Grey Parrot "MISHKA" Loves Sean's car[/ame]

 

[CAGLulu]

Mishka is just so cute! He must be one of the smartest birds I've ever seen and you can see how much he enjoy to talk. I keep Lulu in my everyday conversation ALL the time. When I do something, I tell her what I'm doing, maybe I twist a couple words so when she say it, it mean something. I've heard Lulu practice before, but she do not do it often at all. I must keep in my that she is only 5 month old, and has actually already learned to say "hello", "hello Lulu" and other some other funny noises, including the fart noise you do with your mouth LOL .

 

[antoinette]

You go girl, keep talking and talking and talk more and more 24/7
I tell Mishka everything, (well almost anyway) haha he has got to the stage where I am pouring water and he says mommy water (and makes the sound) then says mommy is cleaning with water.

 

[antoinette]

Your wasting your time. The best time is in the morning or later afternoon when they are most vocal.

No one is ever wasting their time talking to a bird, whether it be in the morning, afternoon or evening. Birds listen and learn all the time.

 

[CAGLulu]

Thank you and I will keep on talking! .
Everytime you tell me one of your/Mishkas story about how smart he is, I begin to think that parrots really is little humans. Mishka is a perfect example on that.
When I give something to Lulu that she really enjoys, like carrots (she don't eat them, but LOVES to tear them apart), I will say to her: Can I have a carrot? That way she will be saying stuff which makes sense and hopefully she will be understanding what she's asking for .

 

[CAGLulu]

That was exactly what I thought hehe .

 

[CAGLulu]

Your wasting your time. The best time is in the morning or later afternoon when they are most vocal.

No one is ever wasting their time talking to a bird, whether it be in the morning, afternoon or evening. Birds listen and learn all the time.

That was exactly what I thought hehe .