Conure talking abilities

[TexDot33]

Wow, first let me say everyone on here must have great lives, cause the weekend around this place is dead ...

Anyway, I was just wondering if those of you who have conures could give me an idea about there personal vocal abilities. When did they start, how did they start, how did you get them to start, ect. ect. Hamlet is almost 5 months old now and I was just kinda courious as to how to foster the talking ability out of him and when I should start to look for some results ...

Ok, I also know that I might never get results ... but you know, if I don't I don't really care as long as the reason that he isn't talking isn't because I didn't try ...

 

[Tracy842]

Hey,

I don't have a conure myself, but I can tell you what I do know about them and their talking abilities.

Firstly conures do not have great talking ability. A sun conure could probably pick up a vocabulary of 5-10 words. Of course it could be more or less, it depends on the bird.

From personal experience, smaller parrots like conures that don't have a talking ability like a grey, will probably pick up something you don't intend for him to start saying. For example, my senegal, Popsicle, learned to say step up from me always asking her to. I never intended for her to learn to say it but now that she does it is quite funny. She only wants to say that now to everyone and everything, nothing else.

The best way of course to teach a parrot to talk is to talk to it.

How long have you had Hamlet? Sometimes it takes some parrots a while before they will start making noise and talking. I know with Popsicle she would never make a sound, then one day out of the blue she could make all kinds of new sounds. I guess her shyness just wore off. Now she don't shut up but I love it, with the exception of her sea gull imitation.

Good luck with Hamlet, I hope this helps you out a bit. You never know he might have already started talking but never heard him over your own voice. Popsicle likes to talk while I'm talking so I can't make out what she is saying, probably just step up.

 

[Peta]

Great advise from Tracy and can't add much more to it. As Tracy said, just keep talking to him, and he should pick up some words. My little ones only say 2 words, but they are the best words ever.................................. Love you. It is also said very quietly you can hardly hear them. So keep listening to Hamlet real close. Not sure what age they start talking.

 

[birdcrazy]

When I say things to sidney he quaks back but like a quak for every silible I say and he jabbers all the time to me! I don't care if he ever learns to talk but of course I will do all I can to encourage it!

 

[NJAngel]

It might be after he is a year old My sun conure used to say words underneath his breath untill he felt he had it also he only speaks for me on a far fetched day my husband will hear him say chili or what's up or love you but mostly its me or my mother. If you keep saying one thing over and over again he should be able to pick it up as long as you say it the same way over and over. Chili is now two and can say good morning,kisses,what's up,
love you,good night and his name and is always working on new words.

I think once they get into talking they don;t second guess themselves as much as they do to start. Good luck and I hope this helps

 

[Cagzo]

I had Connie when she was 17 months old,her owner had to work nights and she wasnt being paid much attention.
I got her in December 2019 and she has just started to say "Good girl Connie" I never expected it,knowing that Conures werent good talkers,but shes such a sweetie,sits on my shoulder and says it right in my ear! She can also swear in "Conure speak" if theres nothing left in her treat/chop dish!

 

[Alembic772]

River is about 5.5 months old. And when he goes to bed we swear he says a bunch of things, like River, step up, good boy, goodnight river. The problem is he mumbles and we haven’t quiet caught it in a recording yet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[T00tsyd]

Syd talks all the time. Some words are very clear others I recognise from the inflection although he also has 2 voices. The one is a fairly loud whistle/chirp and clarity gets lost. During the evening and when he goes to bed another voice appears, the vocabulary is much larger and as clear as a bell. His evensong is littered with English words at random. I was just adding up and I think he is on about 12 which he can interchange into different phrases. When learning a new word he sits very still and I can see him concentrating hard. He watches my face and replies each time I repeat it with sounds as if he is getting the sound right to himself. Like a small child he will practice them before sleep. I had him at 14 weeks and word practice has always been high on the agenda.

 

[Boki]

My conure never spoke a word until after a year and I think it was a guest that got her going. My guest was always saying "Give me kiss" and now my conure now says it often. I recently was playing some Bob Dylan and my bird loves the high pitched sound of a harmonica. She goes running over to the speaker saying "Give me kiss, give me kiss" but I am sure Bob Dylan has heard that many times before.

I will also add that she practices new words in the evening right before she goes to sleep. I hear her practicing "peek a boo" then but she never says it during the day. I recommend practicing words right before she goes to bed.

I recently saw a cockatiel saying "wtf" unabbreviated when riding in the car. The parront confessed that he doesn't hold his temper when people cut him off. So be mindful what your bird hears.

 

[SandieV]

Our Pineapple Conure Rin started talking right after he turned one. He says Thank You, Hey Baby and Baby. I can also hear Rin Rin go poo poo under his breath sometimes as well. My 13 year old daughter also taught him to kiss on command and if you make kissing noises he repeats it. If she tells him to kiss something, he will. Its fun interacting with this little guy! Good luck to all of the Conure parents on this site, in the hopes that yours will also learn to speak!

 

[Caitnah]

My Pineapple said his first words at around one year (2 1/2 now). But what amazed me was WHAT he began saying.
His name is Buddy and I would joke with him sometimes and say, “Where’s my Buddy?”
He quickly started saying that back to me. Obviously they’re pronunciation is not as good as other parrots but is discernible.
He now says Nite Nite, and just started saying Peek A Boo. He does say other things but cannot make them out. He makes kissing sounds also and microwave beeps, washer beeps and some other odd noises.
About a year ago, I had to go on a business trip and was forced to board him for three days. When he returned he was clearly whistling the Wolf Whistle which he picked up during boarding since there was a Cockatoo next to him doing it constantly.

Point is, they will make sounds and words that appeal to them WHEN THEY ARE GOOD AND READY TO DO SO. And most of the sounds come early in the day. After about 3:00pm he quiets down but will say Nite Nite when HES ready for bed. I could be watching a movie in his room but about 8:00pm he starts saying Nite Nite. If I don’t move, he repeats it over and over and over which tells me I am NOT going to be able to finish watching the movie.

As you know, it’s THEIR house. I pay the bills and by the food but I am only a boarder.