Birds talking anyone listening??

[iggysbirds]

Hi!

This is something that really annoys me. We have people that bring their birds to our rescue or even ask us to help in training them (that's not the annoying part LOL). They will say we work with this bird all the time and it just won't talk. We think it might be trying to say something but it doesn't say any real words. After spending a little while with the birds I think my gosh is the owner that deaf or that dumb??!! We have a sun conure here who the owner said that exact thing about. The first night here we covered him at bedtime and he sat in his cage saying "Is Mango asleep snore snore snore" Is this nothing or did I imagine it (LOL). We also have a green cheek conure in the exact same thing except the owner did say well she says a couple words like hi and thank you. THis bird is amazing it learns so quickly and already knew a lot. It will say You're a pretty bird, Stephan's pretty bird, She's leaving she's leaving she's gone. I kissed you Ha Ha Ha (after she nips) Love you give me a kiss (before she nips) and so many other things I hadn't yet seen a conure with as big a vocabulary as hers and she could say a "Few words!"

Now I know sometimes especially when first trying out words or different sounds their voices can be quiet and even scratchy but if you listen even a little you can hear that they are talking and what they are saying.

Our CAG could talk a little (according to previous owner). He repeats everything. He sounds like a drill, a hammer, the microwave the phone both cell and regular, the piano, the clarinet a police scanner codes and all, a semi backing up and the list goes on. That is just his "sounds" he also can say so many things I would find it hard to list. And at least once a day he goes through them all. He starts at one sound and does not stop until he has finished almost every sound or word in his vocabulary and believe me this can take a while. Now we are working on saying them on cue. He will but it is still a work in progress!!

Stephanie

[Monica]

It is possible that many owners cannot understand their birds when the birds speak, or the birds are closet talkers and don't talk when the owners are around.

I took this cockatiel that I had known for two years and within weeks of him being in his new home he had changed dramatically!!! This bird use to sit in his cage with his mate (now gone), maybe a few chirps, hope for a bit of food or water. He lived in a crummy place and had no personality what-so-ever. Brought him on over to my home, once he got over the loss of his mate, and accostomed to new surroundings and a REAL cage and NOT a prison, he started singing, and mimicking the other birds! He has even slightly learned how to bathe now!!! He doesn't even look like the same bird any more, as he sure doesn't sound like it!

A new environment may change a birds personality quite a bit! I've seen this in most the birds that I have received, or even birds I currently already had changed when a new bird entered that interested them!

[Beaks]

Its called selective hearing.

Some people (the majority) only hear what they want to and nothing else, i have a U2 that will talk to you just like a little kid and that includes answering questions and some people that meet him will hear him talking and myself answering him and then ask (does he talk?) i just want to kick them in the teeth when they ask a question that is so moronic.

They must think i am talking to my invisible friend or something like that LOL

People are just stupid and there is nothing you can do to cure them (my mother and older brother are some of "THOSE" people where my younger brother will talk to the birds and understand them)

John

Originally Posted by Monica

It is possible that many owners cannot understand their birds when the birds speak, or the birds are closet talkers and don't talk when the owners are around.

I took this cockatiel that I had known for two years and within weeks of him being in his new home he had changed dramatically!!! This bird use to sit in his cage with his mate (now gone), maybe a few chirps, hope for a bit of food or water. He lived in a crummy place and had no personality what-so-ever. Brought him on over to my home, once he got over the loss of his mate, and accostomed to new surroundings and a REAL cage and NOT a prison, he started singing, and mimicking the other birds! He has even slightly learned how to bathe now!!! He doesn't even look like the same bird any more, as he sure doesn't sound like it!

A new environment may change a birds personality quite a bit! I've seen this in most the birds that I have received, or even birds I currently already had changed when a new bird entered that interested them!

[mamalovesrico]

I just read an article yesterday by Liz Wilson about birds talking. She had said that some people will turn their birds over to a rescue just because they don't talk. How pathetic, go get a plant! Anyways, she said a lot of birds will talk when their owners aren't around. She said they do this because they don't feel very comfortable with their owners. Pretty sad.

[Vankarhi]

I have to say when I got Skye, she was saying hello, and I wanted to tape her saying hello and hello Bo, to prove to people on another bird forum site thingy (which I am not a member of anymore) that ekkies can talk, because I had only had Skye for 3 weeks and I could hear her say those things. Anyway, I was totally mind blown, by what I heard when I checked the video tape. Not only was she say hello and hello Bo, she had learned many phrases that I say on a regular basis (mainly when chastising kids and dogs) and that was only after 3 weeks in our house. She was only 4 months old when i got her. Now I can hear her say new things almost everyday and I find myself talking back to her too. You do have to listen, but i find now I just can "hear" her now.

[The Outlaw]

I have only had 2 little budgies that didn't talk. All of the other birds, including the ones that I've boarded, talk. Some better and more often, but all do. I agree it is about comfort and your reaction. I usually make such a big production about anything new they say, that they literally get competitive.

If everyone treated their birds like their favorite grandchildren, we'd all be happier. When I think of how many spankings I delivered to my daughter's tush and how few I ever placed on Miss Lily (only one comes to mind in 7 years) and the difference in the two, it makes me understand the difference between MY reactions to the exact same behaviours. Maybe that's why even when the birds are acting up, I still try rewarding good behavior and ignoring the bad stuff for as long as I'm able. My birds WANT to talk to me. Its how WE communicate.

THE OUTLAW

[Stacey32]

yes, i'd have to say that the first question i get asked, when people find out i have a bird, is "does it talk?". it drives me nuts. sometimes i lie and say no, just so they don't think it's "cool" only for that reason and go out and buy one!

[Monica]

Stacey, I know how that feeling is all too well! That and also Noel being called ugly because she is different and doesn't have any stomach feathers?!?!?!?!

[iggysbirds]

I think I have to agree with the selective hearing theory. I know they only talk when happy, comfortable etc. But we have been in peoples houses who say no their birds don't say anything or they might say a word or two and while we are in their house with the owner the bird will start talking away. Hi, Hello, Are you a pretty bird and the list goes on. When we point this out the owner will say oh well I thought they were just chattering so I kind of ignore them. I also know the birds probably do this hoping to get a reaction from someone else since their owner doesn't react.

Either way it is still annoying that someone who has a bird in their home so should like/love their "friend" and they can't even tell they are talking!!

We do have three birds right now that will not say any words at the rescue but these birds do kiss, click, chatter and ring so that kind of makes up for the no words don't you think??!!

I was mainly just complaining on the first post after we had dealt that day with someone who did the same thing but I' m glad to hear I'm not the only one who has this experience with others.

Stephanie