Times when our parrots understood us

[StormyPica]

Here's a recent incident where Stormy understood me:

Stormy is a HUGE seed-brain, and he'll usually eat all the seeds out of his chop, then go foraging for more on the ground. This time, however, he had done it one too many times. I turned to him, and told him "Stormy, please eat your chop. Please. I spent about 10 minutes preparing that for you, and I have not yet eaten, because I wanted to feed YOU first. There's also really expensive meds in that chop from the vet that'll make you feed better, so please, PLEASE eat your chop for once."

He INSTANTLY flew up to his chop bowl and started eating away with a very guilty look on his face! I never expected it to work, but parrots are smarter than most of us think!

 

[Rozalka]

It's just an accident. Maybe this chop looked more delicious or something... parrots may understand our speech only if we use words we use during teaching them

 

[StormyPica]

It's just an accident. Maybe this chop looked more delicious or something... parrots may understand our speech only if we use words we use during teaching them

I'm not sure that they understand what we're saying, but they probably understand our emotions pretty well.

 

[Ria.345]

Yeah I really think your bird just saw the look on your face and was able to somewhat comprehend that "hey maybe Im doing something wrong..."
But you're so right. Birds may not understand our words most of the time, but they are very very smart creatures. They are also emotionally aligned with us and sometimes know how we are feeling even if the concept of emotion is nonsense to them lol.
I really like this post. Shows that a parrots intelligence should never be underestimated.

 

[Rozalka]

I'm not sure that they understand what we're saying, but they probably understand our emotions pretty well.

It makes more sense. Sorry, I thought you are like my grandma who thinks that animals understand human language

 

[StormyPica]

It makes more sense. Sorry, I thought you are like my grandma who thinks that animals understand human language

Oh, no, I don't think they understand our spoken language, but I do think they understand a lot of our body language.

 

[fiddlejen]

Welllll... I think Stormy probably understood. I bet you've used the word "chop" before when talking to your birds about their food. And, he certainly understood that you were twittering & tweeting at him impassionedly about that chop. Birds feed each other, share food with each other, it's hardwired. You were talking about chop, passionately, more so than normal. I'm quite sure he understood you were requesting him to eat the food you had provided for him!

I will tell you, for maybe the first year or so with my Sunny, she would always helpfully try to Remove the feathershafts covering the ends of my fingers. (AKA, fingernails.) And I would work to Not over-react while pulling away. Then one day -- ONE day, ONE time only -- as I pulled my fingers away yet again, I said to her something like, "look, these are Not feathers. I use them like your Feet. These are like claws! Please don't pull off my claws..." Something very much like that.

And she responded --- by looking at me, and then LOOKING AT HER FEET. I had Never used the words Feet or Claws with her before. Yet she knew the words! She looked back and forth a couple times. And since then, she has Almost Never tried to remove my fingernails. (Every now & then, maybe once every few months, she'll tug one of my nails, like to double-check, and that's it.)

Now, I do not believe this was entirely out-of-the-blue. She came with one non-working toe, which I theorize was probably some hatchling-injury, that maybe got treatment of some kind in her babyhood. So probably folks who handled her at that time, quite likely made use of the words "claw" and-or "foot" while treating her.

But I can tell you, I had never previously spoken to her about claws or feet. Yet she clearly understood what I was telling her!

So likewise, I'm sure your bird knows your word "CHOP," meaning this particular vegetative food, and (not needing to know any of the other words) recognized that you were pleading with him to eat it -- and, did so!

 

[GaleriaGila]

I am a very mystical, spiritual, oddball person, and I believe all sorts of stuff.
The Rb and I share 37 years' of communion.

Another thing... parrots see ultra-violet light, so their experience of color and sight is a whole 'nuther extension of the spectrum. Who knows: maybe we emit light displays of emotions (think auras...) and they experience and understand them.

Anyway I'm a free-lance nut, that I admit, but...

Religion and faith and spirituality are all very unexplained. My arms are open.

 

[HeatherG]

I know that Lucy could communicate very well what she needed almost all the time. She had many words and phrases and combined and used them appropriately.

For example, when she was 20, I took her in her carrier to the radio station block party five blocks from my house. We had water and treats with us, and listened to the world music stage. After a couple of hours, I thought “poor Lucy is probably tired. I will take her home and then come back.”

We walked home and I brought the old lady bird to her cage and set her inside as I usually did. Closed the cage door and thought she’d have a bit to eat and a nice nap. Oh no, Lucy was NOT done with the party. She stood on her perch flipping her wings and screaming like a raptor, the angry Quaker parakeet scream. And then Lucy glared at me with her one beady eye and said very definitely, “Out. OUT! Ack ack ack ack ack! Out!”

So I got her out of her cage and we went back to the block party for a couple more hours.

Lucy loved music and attention and sunshine. Willow does not care much at all about it but Lucy sang along. I’m sure she knew what she was doing and saying. And yes, we had 22 yrs together so we understood each other well.

 

[MayMaroa]

Hhahhahahhah
sky just understands me the most when i say lets play catch i run in the house she follows me she just comes fly attacks me and we also play catch with my hand i move my hand on the top of the cage and she has to bite it and get it she would literally just run after my hand i will try to get a video but she is still a sweetheart i love her!!!

 

[MayMaroa]

And also one time sky was eating chop and making A BIG MESS As always i said sky i make this chop for you and have to do the dishes that i used for doing the chop then now you are making a BIG MESS and the vegetables get stuck on the floor and your just licking the vegetables and throwing them and wasting them so please stop and eat your vegetables properly!!! she just stopped and flew to me and literally just was wanting to kiss me A LOT and just become more clingy LIKE LITERally

 

[HeatherG]

Hhahhahahhah
sky just understands me the most when i say lets play catch i run in the house she follows me she just comes fly attacks me and we also play catch with my hand i move my hand on the top of the cage and she has to bite it and get it she would literally just run after my hand i will try to get a video but she is still a sweetheart i love her!!!

That sounds like a fun game, but might be confusing sky a bit about whether it’s ok to bite. What do you think? Does she bite more after this game? Just an idea.

 

[MayMaroa]

No she doesn't she is the biggest cuddler after the game we usually have a cuddling session after the game and also sometimes when I scream(not at the birds) sky screams with me she doesn't chirp just scream she just screams with me I die from laughing when she does that

 

[HeatherG]

No she doesn't she is the biggest cuddler after the game we usually have a cuddling session after the game and also sometimes when I scream(not at the birds) sky screams with me she doesn't chirp just scream she just screams with me I die from laughing when she does that

Ok. Well, that’s good. I couldn’t recall if you were one of the folks being randomly bitten by your bird.