How well does you Amazon talk?

[denmor55]

My pair of Lilacs say very little they make a lame attempt at Pretty Bird and that is about it but there are 5 CAG's in the same room maybe they just can't get a word in edge ways

[Dayna]

Maya my blue fronted amazon has a huge vocab. She talks in context.

My favorite line from her was when the kids at the pet store were trying to teach her "polly want a cracker?", well she knows her name is not Polly!

One night she said "maya want a cracker?" and I told her crackers make you fat, and she yelled out "whhhaaatt!?".

It was priceless. She talks, sings, dances, makes up stuff all the time. I can't even count what she can say anymore. :) She is only 3 years old.

[RMSacha]

Popeye, our BFA, has a great vocabulary! He also uses words in context and has a great singing voice--he does a great Bette Midler! "Do You Wanna Dance" is his favorite!

Bob

[kathyellen]

I love these!
My yellow naped amazons name IS Polly LOL and she also has an extensive vocabulary and sings and talks in context ( sometimes )
some of what she says:
hi Polly, hi polly pepper ( she came up with that on her own..)
Hi polly red pepper
Polly want a Peanut
Polly Polly Polly Polly
Hello, Hi, how ya doing
how y'all doing
hi big birds
hi Bodhie
oh my god ( that would come from me)
she crows like a rooster...
she came to us calling me mom..and she definately calls my husband by name, they carry on converstaions....
she IMITATEs the other birds so well that sometimes I don't know whos talking to me.
she sings the Star spangled banner ( kinda :)
whistles the Andy Griffith tune
and much more
and I just love her to death...

[David S]

Marley, my BFA, is going to be a good talker, I think.... she was saying Hellooooooo at 3 1/2 months!!!!!!!

Joanie's Rosita is the funniest bird... she sings like an opera star but my favorite thing I heard her say is "Bikers go Vroom Vroom"...... sooo funny!!!

[Dayna]

I am boarding Cassidy a DYH amazon at my store. He is such a talker! His vocab has to be in the 100's!

Yesterday, he put a new phrase together that I had never heard before. He was sitting on the stand behind the cash register. 2 kids came in with their mom and yelled "look at the baby mice".

Cassidy did that famous amazon tail display and yelled out "Look at the parrot!".

I about died laughing.

[Bluebird Hill]

My DYH Grumpy came to us six years ago at the age of five. At that time he had about 80 words and has continued to expand his vocabulary. He's liable to come up with almost any phrase, most of them in perfect context. He doesn't sing, but loves country music. He spent his first years with five small children and loves all the shows they watched, with Rugrats and Dora the Explorer being the top favorites. His favorite phrase is "Crackerbreath."

[Joanie Doss]

It is hard to compare birds talking. Some people count words even when no one else can understand it. My birds do not have that large of a vocabulary as I only count words that they use often and not the once in a lifetime speaking.

My oldest bird, BFA Pepper once did a TV commercial for a phone company. The advertising agency thought he did not sound like a parrot (too human) so they hired an actor to talk over his lines to sound more like a parrot. Pepper hit periodicals all over the world with this. He was on CNN Headline News, Paul Harvey News and other TV programs. He also did a couple of live
radio broadcasts....one via telephone. Pepper does not speak that much but what he says is very clear.

My BFA Kodiak was a late talker but realized their was a reason for talking.
My Nape Sidney likes the sound of his voice and talks nonstop when excited.
He has very little idea of the purpose of speech. My Nape TJ is a closet speaker and I have tapes of him of speaking 1/2 to 1 hour nonstop. He has a pretty large vocabulary.....just doesn't use it in public. Maggie was a good talker for performing as he has limited volume control. He speaks loud and louder.

Environment plays a big part in the bird's ability to speak. All birds can talk.
You just need to find something to motivate them to want to talk.

Joanie Doss
The Amazing Amazons
http://www.parrothouse.com/jdoss.html

[Cyd'sMate]

Hey Everybody! My OWA Cyd is going to be a great talker I think because he says several phrases and words and has been saying these since a very early age (around 6 months old) and continues to add more to his vocabulary. I know the OWA is not reported to be the best talker but Cyd is shaping up to be a real conversationalist! I did notice that he is happier when my children (Jessi-13 and Tanner-7) are home and are their usual noisy selves. Cyd is only 1 1/2 and when the kids were out over Christmas he just loved getting loud with them. Since they have been back at school he seems to really miss them because he is so excited when they get home and starts talking and whistling and laughing. He doesn't sing yet but he is a great dancer when I sing! He is just so precious!
Donna

[Alibluemoon]

My Yellow Nape is 9 months old. I think she must have hatched talking...she rarely stops. That's how we named her Gabbi. LOL. She is picking up a word or two every week...and I really have to pay attention to what is said around her. I don't want a small green dock worker in a cage.

I also have two Great Danes, Dobby and Mr. Filch, who love to wrestle in the house during the evening news...and, let's face it, no house is big enough to let two dogs weighing almost 300 lbs combined wrestle and jump on anything and everything in the room. So usually there is the standard: "Alright, all dogs get out of the house!" as I boot them outside so they can continue their shenanigans. Although, now, I don't even have to say it because Gabbi has taken up the mantle of "dog police" and she'll even yell at them to get out even when they come to sniff at her food. She's a kook.

Someone mentioned that they would like to be able to get their amazon to use a quieter voice...(that may have been another thread?)...but I have taught Gabbi to use an "indoor" voice. Actually, "indoor" voice is relative...but at least it isn't a glass shattering decibel. I make a hand gesture like I'm squeezing a sandwich between my thumb and my four fingers. Then I whisper "We use our indoor voice." So far, she understands that she should be a bit less vociferous and lowers her volume.