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Post by cnyguy on Feb 17, 2023 20:46:31 GMT -5
This morning Ralph was patiently waiting for me to come over and give him some scritches. His head was tilted and he gave the gentle squawk he uses when he wants something but isn't being too demanding. I went to his cage and asked if he wanted a head scratch. Ralph said "head scratch," quietly but distinctly. He's never said that before. It's always fun when our parrots have something new to say. I tried to get him to say that again but nothing doing. Maybe tomorrow.
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Post by Caseysmom on Feb 17, 2023 21:30:30 GMT -5
Good job Ralph! Never to old to learn!
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Post by heatherg on Feb 19, 2023 5:42:28 GMT -5
Way to go, Ralph! It’s so much easier when you can give orders.
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Post by heatherg on Feb 20, 2023 23:46:10 GMT -5
Willow was whispering to himself when we had bird time this afternoon. I’m not sure what he was saying but I notice he does some whisper when I’m near HIS cage.
Probably because he’s imitating me, his talking is high pitched and “piping”.
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Post by cnyguy on Feb 21, 2023 20:20:39 GMT -5
Ralph sometimes whispers words along with me and most of the time I can understand what he's whispering. Most of the things he whispers he never says out loud. Ralph has a somewhat lower pitched voice that is sort of gruff too. I don't think he sounds like me. Scooter sounded exactly like me and also spoke in the voices she heard in her former home.
Ralph still hasn't said "head scratch" again even when he's wanted some.
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Post by biteybird on Feb 25, 2023 2:28:14 GMT -5
This made me laugh, because Bonnie said something new a few months ago..."What's that?".
Usually when wild cockatoos fly overhead (when I have Bonnie outside in her "poolside leisure cage", as I call it) I say to her "Listen, Bonnie, listen! What's that? It's birdies!".
This time I said "Listen, Bonnie, listen!" and she said "What's that?" really clearly.
You could have knocked me over with a feather! She said it again very clearly a short while later - but never since. Hmmm.
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Post by Lorelei on Jul 7, 2023 10:37:33 GMT -5
I'm so lucky that Pippin's turned out to be an amazing talker, and it is so fun when a new phrase comes out  Pippin's latest one is funny, but slightly embarrassing for me as it's something he's picked up himself, so I must say it a lot, it's "Get down a minute"  |
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Post by cnyguy on Jul 7, 2023 19:21:33 GMT -5
Pippin must be lots of fun, being so talkative. People who don't live with parrots probably wouldn't understand why we get so excited when our parrots say something new.
Parrots have a knack for learning to say the things we don't necessarily want them to. My old YCA George learned to say "What a slob!" because I used to say that when I would look at the messy floor around his cage. So far, Ralph hasn't repeated anything unwanted.
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Post by Lorelei on Jul 8, 2023 17:50:09 GMT -5
Pippin must be lots of fun, being so talkative. People who don't live with parrots probably wouldn't understand why we get so excited when our parrots say something new. Parrots have a knack for learning to say the things we don't necessarily want them to. My old YCA George learned to say "What a slob!" because I used to say that when I would look at the messy floor around his cage. So far, Ralph hasn't repeated anything unwanted. I will say, I have gone out of my way to repeat phrases for Pippin to learn; I would, of course, have loved him just as much if he'd never spoken, but I was, after studying linguistics, and teaching my three children to talk, especially keen on having a talking bird, it's why I decided on a quaker, but he has totally exceeded anything I expected! It's honestly getting difficult to remember what he says now, it is SUCH a long list! I should probably start a thread to help me remember |
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Post by cnyguy on Jul 8, 2023 19:29:58 GMT -5
I like the idea of a thread listing Pippin's vocabulary.
Of course, a parrot's ability to imitate speech and learn words and phrases is "the icing on the cake," to use an old cliche. For most of us who live with companion parrots, it isn't essential to our enjoyment and appreciation of our parrots. It is a lot of fun when they have that "extra" ability.
Ralph knows a lot of words but he isn't that talkative most of the time. He likes to say words along with me, speaking them barely above a whisper. I can hear and understand him, but if there were anyone else in the room, they couldn't. I don't consider that a problem.
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Post by Lorelei on Jul 8, 2023 19:48:26 GMT -5
One of the things I find most fascinating is the way Pippin learns speech. It is quite like a toddler 'babbling', in that I often hear the rhythm before the actual phrase becomes intelligible. It took me few days to recognise "get down a minute"; I heard Pippin saying something, but it took a few days of us chirpping at each other, before I happened to notice myself saying "get down a minute" one day and recognised the rhythm, it was such a great moment |
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Post by Lorelei on Jul 8, 2023 19:59:33 GMT -5
I like the idea of a thread listing Pippin's vocabulary. I will start one; I'm worried that Pippin is learning things so fast that I'll forget how it happened |
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Post by heatherg on Jul 10, 2023 22:50:49 GMT -5
Lucy talked A LOT, too. She kept learning new things until she was very old, maybe about 20.
Willow talks a little in his cage but it seems to be for him, not for me. I e made out a few short phrases. I wish I could figure out a wary to reward him for talking but since it’s so rare I have but.
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