What to expect

[Omar81]

Ok, thanks, Tami I posted then saw you have posted a reply while I was typing mine. Thanks. Charlie's favorite is peanuts but unfortunately those aren't healthy to give (I read a lot of warnings about them).

 

[LeaKP]

Give it time and your Charlie will begin settling. It can take a long while or just a few days. All greys are different.
I, too, politely voice caution with cats and birds being together. Cats are amazing (I love them) but they will be cats and we can’t be mad at them for their nature which is to hunt. Please keep him separate from your birds. Even caged, a bird can be frightened and injure itself if a cat makes a threatening move.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Loganscott]

All my birds talk and mimic. Never encouraged it or tried to teach them anything. My Greys never shut up and pick up everything. It’s starts slowly with them doing this mumble thing that sounds sort of like a record playing backwards then out of no where their first word or phrase, once they see your reaction to it they start to experiment more.

The funny thing is what they choose to say. It always surprises me, it’s never what I’m expecting. I say step up 100x a day, none of my birds say that. However one of them whistles and says “ Yoo-hoo I’ll make ya famous “ which he heard off Young Guns 2 years prior. Just popped off with it one day and blew my mind, then didn’t repeat it for like a month to make look crazy.

The first think my CAG ever said was “don’t be scared’ was something I used to say when I brought her home. Of course she said it under her cage cover at like 2am when I was sneaking by to go to the restroom, scared the crap out of me! They are so funny!

Once they get comfortable and confident with their surroundings they start to experimenting, I guess some don’t talk but I feel confident that they will 100% pick up the microwave sound, text message sound and the smoke detector battery low sound (which ends up getting super old really quick) those seem like ones the Greys love.

 

[Omar81]

Thank you, Loganscott, for your reply. Yes I have read about the 'mumbling' at first, then clear words. But is this only when the bird is young and is learning how to mimic (learning its first words or first sound imitations)? Or is this also true for an older parrot that already speaks many words clearly and is learning a new word? I mean, does every additional word start as a mumble or does an experienced talker say new words clearly from the first time it says them?
Thank you.

 

[Omar81]

Hi. There is something I would like to get some opinions on. I have read many posts saying that their African grey is rarely loud...etc.... Reading this really surprizes me and honestly makes me feel a bit unlucky... Charlie is LOUD!!! As you may know from my previous posts, I've had Charlie for approximately 2 weeks. I was told by the guy I bought him from that he is 3 years old and that he used to talk and say human words in his previous home (No proof just the guys word on that). In my home he has not made a single mimicking sound (no words, no animal sounds, no machine sounds...etc..) Only natural 'wild parrot sounds'. I have been reassured in previous replies that it takes time for a CAG to adjust to a new home and that I should be patient and he will surprise me one day by talking. In hopes of maximizing his exposure to his new family I have him in the living room where we spend most out time. He seems to have adjusted very well. The past few days I have let him out of the cage and he climbs up to the top and has been much more confident and come forward towards me when I am standing next to the cage and bows his head down for me to rub his head/neck. To me he seems to have made a LOT of progress in terms of trust and adjusting. But still not a single attempt to mimic any sounds. I can be patient, but the problem (and the reason I'm writing this post) is that in the meantime he is be VERY VERY loud!!! When we are at work, my mom (who lives in the apartment above us) says she rarely hears Charlie. But during the morning before going to work and afternoon and evening after work Charlie is almost non stop vocalizations. The problem here is that these vocalizations consist of probably 25 % medium volume coos and chirps and whistles, but approximately 75% consist of earsplitting (almost physically painful to the ears) screams and whistles and screeches!!! Whether we are in the same room or other room or ignoring him or talking to him, this is how is vocalize. Also I have read that I should not respond to screams..etc because that will reinforce this behaviour... But this makes me really confused. How am I supposed to 'interact' with him without reinforcing these vocalizations?? Any word i say to him (even during a period he is quiet or silent) get a reply from him consisting of these LOUD ear splitting vocalizations! I really don't know how to proceed... On one hand I don't want to encourage these LOUD sounds but on the other hand I want to talk to him and encourage him to talk....
I would really appreciate your opinions and input on this. Do you think it is just 'bad luck' that Charlie happens to be this loud (I'm taking about the EXTREMELY high volume of the sounds he makes). Or is this normal for every African grey? Also do you think this will change with time? I mean for example if after a while he gets more adjusted to his new home, will he start quieting down? If he starts mimicking household sounds and words, will these replace these LOUD sounds he is constantly communicating with? It is obvious he is using these LOUD sounds to communicate with us because he is quiet when we are not home.
Unfortunately today I had to move his cage to the kitchen (where we spend less time but is next door to the living room so he can hear us) because my wife, son and I were littereally getting ringing in our ears and physical ear pain from being so close to him.
And I'm very confused as to how to proceed in order not to encourage these LOUD vocalizations but still spend time interacting with him and talking to him, at a time when each word or verbal interaction from my side (or other family members) is replied to with LOUD vocalizations (Again only wild parrot sounds) from Charlie's side.
I would REALLY appreciate your opinions.
Thank you.

 

[bigfellasdad]

Hhhm. Enzo can be loud but generally when she is not with the flock. She is no where near as loud when she is with us. Maybe in a precious life she was left alone a lot or in a loud busy environment.
Continue speaking to her at the volume you normally use and may e she will learn over time she doesn't need to shout... I'm guessing here of course

 

[LordTriggs]

remember that the morning and evening is when all parrots can get loud, giving the call for either "Bed time!" or "Wake up!" you can slowly train it out of them but it does take time, patience and consistency

As for mimicking, it could just be part of settling, or they only did it to their previous favourite person, or the person was lying. Ultimately it's not exactly a major thing, at least in my eyes it isn't. They're still the same creature if they mimic or not

 

[Loganscott]

Omar81,

The only consistent thing about my birds is they are never consistent. Sometimes you catch them mumbling something, like their working something out, other times it’s just out of the blue a really clear like they’ve known it all along. My older bird still does that mumbling, though not as much as she used to when she was younger.

As far as loud;

I wouldn’t say my Greys are loud, they will make a ruckus in the morning or around dinner but it is always whistling, talking or imitating something, it’s almost never “Parrot-Bird’ noises. I would consider my Amazon loud, she can let out a widow rattling cawing type noise when she gets excited.

It might be a bias of mine because the my Greys noises are less “annoying ‘ or easier to tune out? But I don’t think they are that loud.

 

[Omar81]

Hi. Thank you very much to all those who have replied to my posts. I would like to give an update and also I need some advise. I have had Charlie now for approximately 18 days. I am very sorry and frustrated to say that I really feel we are making no progress. On the contrary, I feel we are going backwards. Still no signs of mimicking/talking. However, the past few days, I have noticed that the LOUD ear piercing sounds (whistles, screams...etc...) are a bit less in frequency and I have noticed (mostly when I am in another room but can hear Charlie, that he is making mumbling sounds... I don't know if 'mumbling' is the correct term.... It is more like a throaty deep gurgle or grumble.. very short in duration (equivalent to one word not a phrase)... Do you think this is encouraging that he may start talking/mimicking soon? If so, then this is actually progress. However, when I mentioned 'going backwards", I am referring to Charlie's trust level and comfort with me. As I mentioned in previous posts, the first day home, he was obviously scared and was silent... but starting the second day onwards he really warmed up to me. And in a few days I was able to stroke his head and neck and he was acting more confident by the day and seemed to want and enjoy these head scratches/strokes. I would say: wanna scratch and he would climb up to the side of his cage and let me stroke his head for as long as I wanted. Also from the first day he would come to the side of the cage and take seeds from my hand whenever I offered. If something in the room was making him nervous (like an unusual level of activity..etc) he would drop the seed and not eat it and I could tell it was because at that moment he was nervous. Also I have been letting him out of his cage and he seems to be very excited to come out of his cage because then minute I open the door towards the top of his cage, he climbs right out. When out of his cage he seemed more cautious and nervous, but still was very willingly allowing me to stroke his head. I tried several times to start working on stepping up (both with my hand and a perch) but it became very obvious to me that he was not ready for this because any such attempts on my side always made him very nervous and about 3 or 4 times he flew off the top of his cage to another part of the room when I tried. The other times (that he did not fly off his cage, he would move away from my hand and become more 'scared' of me and after these few times I attempted this, I would notice a regression in the level of 'comfort' he would have with me (for several hours or even till the next day)... So I decided to wait a bit longer before starting to work on stepping up again. As I said he seems to want to come out of his cage, but never goes back in easily... I have tried using a treat to encourage him to go in, but that never works.. and since he does not let me hold him (the only physical contact he allows is head/neck strokes), I am really finding it difficult to get him back in the cage (without scaring him or making him uncomfortable).. My only way to get him in is to gently and slowly move my hand close to him and since he moves away from it, I try to use this to guide him in the direction of the door and I finally get him to go in... but this sometimes takes quite a bit of work... I mean, he keeps moving away from my hand but then avoids the door and climbs down the opposite side of the cage, so then I have to go around to him and try again..etc... but it end up being a long process of me (very gently and calmly and slowly) chasing him around the top and sides of his cage... Each time he is out and I get him back in, I can tell he goes through a period where he is more nervous around me and will not let me even stroke his head... I think the process of getting him in is scaring him and making him less trusting of me. To tell you the truth ever since I have gotten Charlie, I feel like I am bending over backwards trying to do everything right and never do anything that scares him...etc.. in order to gain his trust.. I have been letting him out because I assumed he would be happier getting out of his cage and therefore it would help in building the trust. However, in the recent days I have really noticed that this 'trust' is actually decreasing instead of increasing!!! Now he rarely will take a seed from my hand. And I really have to spend a long time trying to 'convince' him to let me stroke his head (for both these things he used to come right up to the side of the cage and press his head against the bars to get the seed or the head rub.... Now he simply backs away from he and moves away from the side of the cage that I am at.... And when he does take a seed from my hand he drops it and does not eat it... as if he is very nervous...
I am VERY frustrated and VERY confused..... I really don't know how to proceed... I am honestly doing EVERYTHING I can to try to build this 'bond' but it seems to be regressing instead of growing!!! Note that I have literally had every kind of pet you could think of, (snakes, lizards, mice, hamsters, rabbits, turtles, rats, chickens, pheasants, sheep, a donkey, many dogs and cats, an owl, and the list goes on.....) And objectively speaking I am very good with animals and I know how to read their body language and how to calm them and make them feel at ease.... all of then EXCEPT for Charlie! I really am not understanding Charlie.... I make a step forward and then he takes me ten steps back.... I am very frustrated and I really don't know how to proceed from here... It seems that in my active attempts to gain his trust, I am actually losing his trust. Honestly where we are today is actually worse than the day after I brought him home. For example today he was really showing signs of being nervous about me just being in the same room, while on the third day home he was showing such confidence and comfort that he would ignore me next to his cage and eat out of his bowl with his back turned towards me and he was even taking naps and closing his eyes with me next to his cage, not really feeling threatened by me. However, the past few days I have really noticed that he tenses up and keenly and nervously looks at me every time I enter the room or get near his cage... and if he is eating he drops what he is eating and moves away!!!! I can't even begin to tell you how frustrated I am.... I don't know how to proceed.
After seeing all of this, I am coming to the conclusion that maybe this 'active' approach is actually going to be detrimental to building trust. Maybe I need to take a more 'passive' approach. I mean, simply put food and water and clean the cage, but other than that not attempt any physical contact and not let him out of his cage (due to the difficulty of getting him back in). And just try to talk to him as much as possible and be near him as much as possible. So that hopefully he will get more relaxed around me..
I would really appreciate as many opinions as possible on the best way to proceed from here. Do you think my plan to 'back off' and give him space is a good idea?

Thank you very much.

 

[Omar81]

Hi, everyone. I have been checking the forum every few hours hoping to get some opinions and advise to my previous post, but still haven't gotten any. Maybe it is because my post was so long. I'm sorry about that. I would really love to get your input.
Thanks.

 

[bigfellasdad]

simply put food and water and clean the cage, but other than that not attempt any physical contact and not let him out of his cage (due to the difficulty of getting him back in). And just try to talk to him as much as possible and be near him as much as possible. So that hopefully he will get more relaxed around me..

Your posts just look like a wall of text and I for one switch off entirely. Try and add some paragraphs or bullet points to keep it concise and readable. The phrase TL;DR comes to mind

I really would not get hung up over talking, really, it will very likely come. For now i really would concentrate on building the bond and both getting comfortable together. My CAG knows how I am feeling in general so maybe your CAG is also picking up on your frustration.

Just chill out together for now, be happy