Parrot Talk

[Spiritbird]

I have been searching for a good CD to play and help my birdie to talk. I do not want to make one myself and I have seen many out there but would like a suggestion from the forum members. Please share with me your experiences in this effort. Thanks

 

[Auggie's Dad]

I know I will be overruled by others on this, but I'll still throw in my two cents.

If you just want your bird to mimic human words playing back a recording will lead to quick results. If you want them to actually understand what they are saying though they must learn the words in context. The context gives meaning, and the social interaction of you saying things to them speeds learning.

Playing back a recording will habituate them to the word so they may repeat it but it will be even LESS likely to ever mean anything to them.

Auggie says very few words (though duskies are not known for talking) but every word he uses he uses properly.

You have to consider whether you want your parrot to learn to communicate or just to make sounds like humans. The latter seems too much like a parlor trick rather than a benefit to a relationship.

But I'll get off my soap box now. If your goal is to have him learn some words you could just leave on a talk radio station - that would be the most diverse exposure.

 

[wuvzbirdies]

I agree with AD, my Russell is only going on 9 months and he is saying some words in context. now when i leave for work i say bye bye baby, he says "love you" back to me. when he is naughty and he knows he is and he sees me coming to get him for a time out he says good boy over and over, but he doesn't say it any other time. he has many other words of course but just through patience and consistancy he has learned to use those few in context. continually talk directly to Rosie and she'll talk soon, start with one word and when she gets it praise her and slowly move on to other small words, i started with hello just bombarded the poor thing with the word then it was like he wouldn't shut up. Russell learned the words he knows not by me trying to make him learn but just by constantly involving him in our household conversations. Slow and steady wins the race!

Good luck...... April

 

[wuvzbirdies]

I just wanted to add to my previuos post. You have to remember Greys have the intelligence of a toddler, you wouldn't pop in a cd to teach them how to speak would you? having one is literally like having a 5 year old for the rest of your life, i know mine will out live me, not that i'm old or anything (28 and a little bit!) since they are a life time companion don't you want results so you both can enjoy each other.

 

[antoinette]

Hi there.
Hope this little bit of info will be useful to you.
My African Grey Mishka is almost two years old. She started talking very early and learnt very quickly. I made a CD with small words, Hello bye bye very basic words. I am with her all day, so chatting is on the go all the time.
As she learnt new word, I made a CD with the words, adding in new words.
She know that she is saying, and now has started putting words together that make sense.
Look in the African Grey Corner, where I have explain how I taught her.
Good luck
Take care
ANToiNeTTe

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Thanks for defending the other view

While I may not see this as the best way for them to learn to talk I hope no one ever feels like they can't present their own views and tell me that I'm full of crap.

 

[Spiritbird]

Thanks for your thoughts on this subject. I think AD is right on target with the birds learning words along with the action of the meaning. Perhaps I am getting anxious to hear the words I say with every day life such as "I love you" "Goodnight, Goodmorning" and such. So far we have lots of whistles and I am trying not to whistle back to encourage them. Maybye it is a little of both worlds when you make your own recordings to play.
Thanks again

 

[antoinette]

Hi there.....
Auggie's Dad no no no ....you are not full of crap. Different strokes for different blokes.
Teaching Mishka the words first, then making a cd, and adding in more words (words which she hears all day, works for us.
Many people have such different ways to teach, this method definitely works for us).
Attached below is a video link where you are able to see and hear Mishka chatting away.
ENJOY
Take care
ANToiNeTTe

MISHKA AFRICAN GREY TALKING Video by Antoinette - MySpace Video

 

[Auggie's Dad]

I have brown eyes for a reason..... and brown hair, I must REALLY be full of it

 

[antoinette]

Hi Auggie's Dad

Hey there guys,
I taught Mishka to say pick the ball throw the ball.
Made a CD saying the same.
Placed 3 table tennis ball in her cage. When cleaning I rolled and threw the balls around and said "pick up the ball throw the ball"
Whenever I clean her cage, she goes to the bottom picks up the balls and throw them around. How cool it that !!!
PLEASE GO INTO VIDEO'S, and see how she follows a command.
ENJOY
Take care
ANToiNeTTe

 

[Spiritbird]

Antoinette I think the video is adorable. At what age did Mishka start saying words? I know it takes a while. I do have a recording of people saying the same words over and over but as AD says, this is just a mimic and not the meaning. Perhaps it means more to them to have the words said in your own voice. Seems as though we have some "agree to disagree" going on with this topic. How about other forum members!!

 

[wuvzbirdies]

Seems as though we have some "agree to disagree going on with this topic. How about other forum members!!

I think Antoinette is right when she said different strokes for different blokes! while her method obviously works for her my method worked well for me, we got Russell when he was 3 months old and he was saying hello by 5 months. i have 6 people living in my house and i have a rule that we focus on one word at a time when we are trying to teach so doesn't get confused. we do have regualr conversations with him but if there is a specific word we want him to learn everyone is on board and once he masters it we move on and we only speak these words in context. now when i come in the door from work he is full of hellos, and when he is naughty and knows he's on his way to time out he says good boy Russell. last night i didn't realize that we as a family were wrapped up in something and weren;t paying attention to Russell and all of a sudden he was yelling "hello Russell" over and over and when we realized what he was saying and why we started talking to him. so you can play round with your own way or one of the members or combine some of them, i am confident Rosie will speak as she seems happy. I was the same way in being quite anxious to hear him speak and now it's all the time. good luck!

Antoinette: I'm impressed with the ball thing you taught Mishka, I'm going to have to try it. good job!

 

[Spiritbird]

Thanks so much for answering Wuvz. The birds may talk at a younger age with more people in the home to work on it. Rosie has only me so it will be a little slower I guess. She sure meow's well.

 

[wuvzbirdies]

She sure meow's well.

Yeah Russell was meowing like a kitten for awhile, it confused us because we don't have a cat, it was cute though, he still purrs.

 

[WolfmoonCT]

My grey Leo, every morning when I take his cover off I would say goodmorning to him a couple times. Now when I take his cover off, he says goodmorning, and only says it then. He does not say it the rest of the day.

 

[antoinette]

Hi guys. Mishka started talking at about 2 months. Remember I am home with her most of the day. I started with small words like hello, bye bye, love you. At night I sit with her for about an hour on my lap. Saying all the words she has learnt. I then added words on like hello mommy, love you mommy. When she started saying love you mommy I added it on the CD which is in my voice, which I think helps tremendously. Mishka has probably got more Cd's than my two teenager sons LoL.
This morning I recorded her on my cell phone, this will explain how much she has learnt and understands. I say what does Mishka do? she replies poppies in the potty.
Sean? Poop all, what is mommy? cuckoo. Whistle and she whistles. Sneeze and she sneezes. Train? she says poo poo. Knock on the door, she says knock on the door and makes the sound of someone knocking on the door.
I will try upload it later, I hope this is possible.
Take care
ANToiNeTTe

 

[Orbitee]

wHEN YOU SAY EARLY, what age

Thanks

 

[antoinette]

Mishka started blabbing and mumbling etc, even when I got her at 6 weeks old. Mishka is with me 24/7 so we started very early. Even though when she was so young, I talked all day, telling her what I am doing, sounds crazy I know, but spoke to her continuously. As I mentioned she started talking +- 2 months old. She was saying ello ello, luf you. When she was about 3 months she was saying hello bye bye love you, properly and very clearly. She was potty trained at 3 months old.
When I teach her a new word, she sits on my lap, faces me and just stares. Her pupils go big and small, that how I know she is interested in the word and learning. Even when teaching her sentences, I repeat the sentence over and over again, not leaving out any words, make a CD just with the sentence I am teaching her and eventually she just repeats it.
Will try upload Mishka and I chatting early this morning.
Take care
ANToiNeTTe

 

[wuvzbirdies]

wHEN YOU SAY EARLY, what age

Thanks

Greys are known to start talking after 1 year old, anything before that is considered early.

Antoinette: You had Mishka potty trained at 3 months old!!!! WOW, are you for hire???? I can't get Russell potty trained, I've just made up my mind it's never going to happen. She's very lucky to have a Mommy like you. I hope the audio works I'd love to hear her.

 

[antoinette]

Hey there...... it's not hard to potty train a bird at all. With my other bird (unfortunately she died) I used to take her out and place newspaper on the floor. Such a mission to clean.
When I got Mishka, I thought why not a potty.....
Whenever I took her out, she sat on the potty, sometimes for ages..... When I saw her squatting, I said poppie in the potty.
Now when she comes out, she sits on the potty and says Mishka poppie in the potty. When she sits on my lap (an hour every night) I place her on the potty about every 15 minutes. If she wants to go earlier, she starts picking on my hand and I know she has to go.
I believe no matter how old your bird is, it is never to late to potty train.
Try it, it makes life so much easier and cleaner haha
I am having trouble uploading the audio of her and I chatting.
I am going to open up and e-mail for her LoL [email protected] you guys can leave your e-mail address on there and I could forward the audio to you.
Will let you know if I am successful.
Take care
ANToiNeTTe