I Wonder If Ellie Really Knows What "No" Means?

[Astrid660]

A few minutes ago I was out of the bird room and I coughed loudly. Kato coughed too but I thought it was Ellie... So I said, "Was that you Ellie" and she responded, "NO"
She says it a lot, usually when she goes over to the window to hit her beak on it, or she will go "hey! no!" when the little birds are being bad.
I wonder if she really knows what it means?
They sure are smart. The funniest thing is when I am dancing with my headphones on.. and Ellie can't hear the music but she will start dancing (bobbing her whole body up and down and clicking her beak) and singing her laa laaa's. I think she likes watching me dance

[LovelySydney]

That has to be ADORABLE to hear! Especially when she puts it into context like that, so cute. Id love to see a video *hint hint* = )

[MissV]

that is TOO cute.

I think they get that "no" is a response to a negative stimulus...but her saying no to your question was probably a coincedence. ^^

[jenseits]

I think most birds understand "No" means "hey, stop it" or "I don't like that/I dont' want it", but the leap to "I am answering in the negative, that was not me" would be pretty wild. Wouldn't put it past a bird though.

[Astrid660]

^yes that's what I was wondering, coincidence or has she grasped that concept? Alex (famous grey) came up with the concept of none all by himself...so those Greys can be quite intelligent! *just finished reading Alex & Me *

[becca623]

i think they understand what it means. echo bit me twice today when i tried to look at the barbed spot on his belly. both times he gave me a very stern NO. he tells the other birds no when they act up. blossom is the same way only she laughs when she says no.

[Franciscus]

It wouldn't surprise me. My birds say things and make appropriate sounds all the time. Cute story, thanks for sharing.

[Congobongo]

My Grey, Radar says 'good morning' to me when I first walk in the room in the morning. He says 'good bye' to me when I leave to go to work and he says 'good night' to me when I turn off the TV to go to bed. Now, how does he know what time it is?

[Jag]

That's really cute...and I wouldn't put it past her, either. Rayne tells me 'no' when she isn't going to do something. It's my fault, as I've told her 'no' for various reasons... like nipping, chewing on my laptop...and when she wants to 'step up' when it's bedtime. Sooo... if I tell her to step up and she doesn't want to... I get "NO" and a nasty look. She doesn't do it, either.

Ziva has been picking up phrases so fast it's scary... and it's in context. She tells me to 'Get down here!' after yelling 'Hey!' at me! We're moving her upstairs finally this weekend, which should end that. She also tells my daughter "you're grounded"!! She was taught to say my wife's name (just because Rico and Rayne yell it, too) and she also yells it in a perfect mimic of Rico! I have always been very impressed by greys...but until you live with one...you just can't really get a grasp on how smart they really are!!

The kids have been watching something that I didn't want her to watch... as now she screams and then yells "Help!" It scared the HECK outta me the first time... I thought someone was in trouble downstairs!! Whoever it was that said "Birds are insane" is right... as are their owners!

[Astrid660]

lol Ziva sounds hilarious. do you nickname her ziva the diva? haha because it rhymes...(My birds have all sorts of weird names, Ellie's nickname is Ellie Pellie or Chloe because she says chloe sometimes, so I think that might have been a former name to match with Kato. British lady that gave them to me said she didn't like Ellie's former name so she called her Ellie now. )

The other thing Ellie does sometimes is whistle for me like one would whistle for the dog, especially at night when I come in and don't say good night to her first thing.