"Make him talk!"

[Birdman666]

So, last night I had all the birds in the trees. The local kids are used to it, and they were riding down our little hill on their skateboards. BUT last night they had a friend with them that had never seen the birds before... and of course, Maggie was on one of the low branches out in the open. Sweepea had already climbed down and was on my lap...

So this kid started asking the usual questions, and kept asking over, and over again if I would "make one of them talk." I told him they weren't trained to talk on command they just did it when they felt like it...

"AWWW... I WANNA HEAR THEM TALK. CAN'T YOU JUST MAKE ONE OF THEM TALK?"

As if on cue: Tusk waddles out to the end of the branch above his head, stares down at the kid, and says "GET OUT OF HERE!"

Absolutely in context.

Thank you Tusk!

 

[kodimerlyn]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! That's AWESOME!! WTG Tusk!! HA!

 

[Anansi]

Hahaha! Hilarity! Gotta love Tusk!

 

[labell]

Perfect! Way to go Tusk! I have issues with rude insistent kids.

 

[Solo]

Lol! And what was the "sweet" child's reaction? I had an issue with my neighbors kid bringing her friend to my house one day. I asked her why she came over..if her mom needed something. In response..no I just wanted to show so&so all the animals you have.. My response: my house isn't a petting zoo! Go home!

 

[rope]

smart bird for sure....cool stuff!

 

[Birdman666]

Perfect! Way to go Tusk! I have issues with rude insistent kids.

So do I, but she's my daughter, so what can you do?!

Oh, you meant THAT kid... yeah, him too, I guess.

Tusk actually learned that particular phrase when I chased the neighbor's cat away... The cat charged, and was heading up our tree after my birds, and I let him have it.... and chased him off. "Hmmm... that's a handy phrase to know." I am not kidding you, I didn't have to say that one TWICE. HE LEARNED IT, IN CONTEXT, IMMEDIATELY!!!

Now he uses it any time he sees a cat OR when someone is annoying him...

IF HE DOESN'T LIKE YOU, OR IF YOU'RE BOTHERING HIM, HE WILL TELL YOU RATHER EMPHATICALLY TO "GET OUT OF HERE!"

HE ALSO DOES "KNOCK IT OFF!" IN CONTEXT AS WELL... SOMETIMES YOU GET BOTH, THAT'S WHEN YOU KNOW HE'S REALLY GETTING ANNOYED!

 

[labell]

I must say I am looking forward to that sort of in context talking. Any birds I have had around me for any length of time talk a lot. Mainly because I talk to them a lot. I am quite surprised by Willow chatting away at her age. It has always been my experience that greys don't talk until they are older, over a year or more. She isn't super clear but there are things she is saying that I say all the time that are clear enough for me to tell that's what she is saying. Like when she is waddling away somewhere on the floor she will say "where are you going" or "what are you doing".

Amazon's I have hand fed always talked some while they were still being fed but I have never had a baby grey do this before. Do you happen to remember how old Tusk was when you started first hearing words?

The thing that Willow does right now that just melts me is she walks up to me and presses her head down and against me waiting for cuddles, she doesn't seem to tire of head scratches, the little darling! The thing that is making me slightly crazy is she wants nothing to do with staying on a stand or a boing or any where but on me and lately that has meant she will fly AT me landing literally anywhere she can, mostly my head if I don't see her coming and put my hand up. What that translates to is I am getting NOTHING done! If I absolutely have to do something she has to go in her cage, shut in, she won't even stay on the cage and if I let her down on the floor which she loves she waddles around looking for trouble.

 

[Birdman666]

Tusk began picking up entire phrases at around six months... He was starting to talk IN CONTEXT by one year, and by two years was saying some things absolutely in context.

TEACH a gray. Show them objects. Tell them what it is. They get it.

Use phrases in context consistently with them. They pick it up in context.

And I think Tusk picks and chooses his phrases.

He uses "Knock it off" because that's the term I use to discipline the other birds. When Sweepea is "pushing it" with him, he will use it in context, and get Sweepea to back off...

Same thing with "the cat" phrase... "I need to remember that one."

He was using that one the very next day...

He has also taken commands I use with the other birds, and used them himself... either to mess with them, or to mess with me.

And he has used phrases from one context, in another context. Most famously the "Gotta clean up the poopey mess!" (In response to telling the conures to go poop on me using my voice!) So, YES, that is absolutely demonstrated cognitive speech process...

 

[GreatBlue320]

LOL!

That's how you tell 'em, Tusk!

 

[Doublete]

I do miss my CAG who amused me daily with his speaking. Love my Chiqui but a CAG takes it to another level.

I have a rather funny story from the first year or two that I had him... His cage was in my bedroom because I was a nanny at the time. My boyfriend was over for the night... Let's just say a well timed "good boy" was uttered from under Sydney's blanket. We nearly fell out of bed laughing.

 

[Scott]

Next time the kid will ask "Make one of them bite!"

 

[RebelAngel]

I love it!!! Greys are so darned smart!

 

[Birdman666]

I do miss my CAG who amused me daily with his speaking. Love my Chiqui but a CAG takes it to another level.

I have a rather funny story from the first year or two that I had him... His cage was in my bedroom because I was a nanny at the time. My boyfriend was over for the night... Let's just say a well timed "good boy" was uttered from under Sydney's blanket. We nearly fell out of bed laughing.

That sounds like a CAG'S sense of comedic timing. It's not just what they say, but when they say it... Somehow they just know!

I'd worry about what other "interesting sounds" he might learn under those circumstances...

And under what circumstances he might choose to repeat those sounds...

 

[Doublete]

Lol. He never used anything against me I will say that.

A CAGs intelligence is just astounding that's for sure. It was then I knew he was definitely able to understand.

 

[RebelAngel]

Our boarder/visiting TAG went off one night with quite the interesting set of sounds! Needless to say, his owner blushed when we asked him about it!

Hasn't done it since and, according to his owner, he hasn't done it in years and he was surprised he pulled that one out of his arsenal for us!

 

[Taw5106]

I know kids are curious but WAY TO GO TUSK!!! Saturday at the Vet Venus was Velcro Venus and one kid ran up to her and started petting her. She's very good, but he kept coming forward and pushing himself on her. I told him he needed to stop that she didn't know him and she would bite. THEN I told him I had another parrot and he HAD to respect their space because Buddy would have chewed his fingers off. It didn't register with him. At that point I got up and moved away, his mother intervened, go Mom! But at the same point I kind of wished it was Buddy that was there.

 

[RavensGryf]

Ha! That's funny... He spoke!! What was the kid's reaction? I love how smart Greys are

 

[LeaKP]

Our cag is a recent rescue, still learning what he says...but he does make a sound like someone clearing his throat and getting ready to "hock a loogie." Haha.

 

[RavensGryf]

Our cag is a recent rescue, still learning what he says...but he does make a sound like someone clearing his throat and getting ready to "hock a loogie." Haha.

Hilarious! I couldn't imagine hearing that ALL the time :18:! Although Raven does the never ending coughing spell 'instead' of screaming lol.