Can you actually speak and understand bird? I just realized I can.

[clark_conure]

I got off early and was chilling with my baby birds when I just realized... I actually understand them.... I mean not in a crazy way, but I actually get even the little nuanced expressions and chirps and grumbles they make to themselves. I guess it's like immersion learning where you go to France to learn French. The budgies the Quaker the conures....I am picking up all their comments.


No i've never done drugs and I'm not high......I just have been around them long enough in enough situations; I get what each sound really means. Even the ones we would consider as just noise.

Anyone else feel this way?

 

[Laurasea]

Sure I recognize many. The special thank you noise i always get if I give them something extra yummy by hand. The happy purr. The hello chirp, the I'm just checking on you chirping . The annoyed squawking, the pure mad squawking, tge happy squawking, the alarm call, the im I little worried call

 

[texsize]

Basically yes.

I know what some of the body language is meaning more so than vocals.
But when Merlin is screaming because Luna is not where he wants her it's obvious.
So is The Look when you are eating and your birds are expecting you to share.

And Bingo's way of telling me he wants to go sit in the window.

Or the way the Tiel's run back and forth to get attention and scratches.

Of course Bella mostly just askes for what she wants. In English.

 

[Rozalka]

I've realized it few years ago. It's not hard to learn their language living with them. I still remember the moment when my grandma wanted to pet Zenek but I knew it was a terrible idea because I could understand his language - he hated something about my grandma - so any touch would finish being bitten as strong as he can. I warned her, she ignored (because she thought, she knows better than me-Zenek's owner), tried to pet him was strongly bitten, like I predicted (note: my grandma is immune to small pain, so looking at her reaction, I know, it was strong). So, knowing fids' language is very useful

 

[cnyguy]

Over the years Ralph has been with me, I've learned to interpret many of the different inflections he puts into his Quaker parrot graaaccckkks. It's fairly easy to distinguish the irritated ones from the happy ones and the "I want out" ones. Some aren't quite as easy to figure out though. Body language often helps, such as when Ralph's graaaccckkk is accompanied by a glance at the popcorn bowl. That one tells me he's ready for his favorite treat.

 

[StormyPica]

Well, budgie language is pretty straightforward in terms of vocalizations. Body language is also pretty easy, but since budgies are just happy, beautiful little beings, they will sing even when sad or scared.

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

Yes! I swear up and down I can have complete conversations with my birds just by the chirps and chortles they give me. This is especially true with Charlie, my Peach Front Conure. He may say 'Hello Archie', but he says them different ways. One might be a 'Hello there', another might be a 'COME HERE!' or he'll squeak that says 'I am feeling unhappy right now'. Charlie frequently asks me what I'm doing just by chirping his conure squawk. SO I respond in turn, telling him What I'm doing, whether it be cleaning his cage or feeding him,etc. It's surprising how fast those little minds can pick up information!

 

[HeatherG]

Yes, I can definitely speak bird, but I’m much better with Quaker parrot and those species I’ve lived with. I’m trying to learn Meyers parrot but unfortunately mistakes are pricey.

In college zoology-animal behavior lab or field work, I had an advantage when we worked with birds. I find that understanding parrot body language and vocalizations helps with understanding birds in general. I seem to have had an easier time handling raptors, too.

People have told me I “look like” a bird. Being an anxious, super-alert person, that is probably true.

I wish people were as easy to read as parrots.

 

[wrench13]

I'm fortunate that Salty has very easy to understand body language, most of his body language is about stuff he doesn't want to do or eat. He does talk a lot, and is not shy about saying "Don't Do That" when I do a boo boo. He has this whole speech he gives when its time to put his harness on, all in Amazonian, but you'd swear it's English. And when he is happy, he is more then glad to give his famous Salacious Crumb laugh. He calls Tinker and says "C'mere puppy" and the dopey dog listens to him and starts looking around for her treat. And we get the full throated Amazon raucousness every day for about 15 minutes, when Geri, Erik or I start to prep dinner, because he knows his dinner is about to be forthcoming, one of the downsides to having him eat the same time as we do.