Parrots - Baby Senegal

Hughesy84

Ha thats nuts Yorkie!!

What type of Parrot have you got? Get him recorded and stick it on youtube for us to see.

You think something really lyrical like Eminem would help a bird? He must say thousands of words in a rhyme (not all good), so it could help the bird pick loads up maybe?!

YorkiePud_3

*LOL* at you two!! ... I would, but every time I try, he clams up!!

I am going to get one of those hand held tape recorder machines and set it on the table beside him to try and record him! If I go anywhere near him with a microphone he blooming well knows what it is and will go into the corner and sulk!!

Hughesy84 it's an African Grey ... a lot of people get them because they are said to be the best talkers but I know some who don't make a peep ... *L* I've been lucky with mine though ... Elvis has just gone 3 years and is a real chatterbox!

He whistles the Adams Family tune, Laurel and Hardy, Half a Pound of Tuppeny Rice and the do da do da dooooo one that is on the McDonalds advert ... (the "I'm loving it" one!) ... tunes he does all the way through (don't think it's beyond em when you are trying to teach em ... some people just stick to whistling one line of a tune but nope, do the whole thing otherwise you'll only ever get the one line repeated and if you then try teaching them the rest of it, they may not associate it as being the same tune to tack onto the first line if you see what I mean!

He does the doorbell, the phone, the noise of pouring water from the Brita Filter jug, but because my fridge door makes a noise when I open it to get the jug out, the second he hears the fridge door he will do the pouring water sound.

It's just uncanny how they associate things ... sometimes my Mum has phoned me and asked if Dad's called in, so I say nope, haven't seen him, then Elvis will pipe up saying something in Dad's voice (that can be a bit weird at first!) and I can tell Mum doesn't believe me when I say he isn't here!! *LOL*

We get ooohhhs and aaahhhhs, hello darling, I love you, thank you, be careful (usually said when he is swinging from a leather strap hung from the top of his cage cos that's when I say it to him!), what ya doing, what are you like, bad dog Dylan (if I say that to the dog, Elvis does a pityful whine ... he knows who's getting told off!) ... he does the dog's bark, the neighbour's dog's bark and even a squeak made by a calendar I have hung from a wrought iron shelf in the kitchen.
Each time I pass it, I knock it and it squeaks a few times, so of course, Himself decided that was a good one to keep doing!

We're currently on with learning Happy Birthday to you ... he can do the first and second line then he just erupts in cackling laughter (my laugh ... you'll end up saying, "My God, do I REALLY sound like that?" so many times!!)

I've just shouted at him because we've had the train noise for the past ten minutes or so ... you know, the "shu coo, shu coo, shu coo" then the "wooohooohooo" of the whistle blowing at the end of it. God knows where he's got that from!!

But as I say, he's only a baby yet so I think in the next few years he will really get going with his talking. Oh .. and he does an absolutely fabulous Janet Street Porter voice ... then he will do "Hello" in a Mr Bean voice ... *L* anyone who comes to my house can tell what I watch just from listening to him .. so I dunno if I would go with Eminem myself!!!
Besides which, you need something clear for him to listen to ... if your bird is anything like me, he'll not be able to make out what Mr Eminem is saying!!

PS .. sorry to go on!!!

funky_snow

Wow - your parrot sounds fantastic - definitely need to record or webcam him and share with the world!!!
(but don't worry - it doesn't make me want one as I now know how dedicated you would need to be - and that ain't me!!!!)
In fact off to search you tube!!!!

YorkiePud_3

Thanks ... I reckon he is ... *S* ... and I applaud you saying that ... I don't work (disabled) so I have all the time in the world to devote to my bird but if I did work, there is no way I'd even consider having one ... they really do take up your time!!

Someone told me there were some fab youtube videos of Greys .. might go take a look later myself!!

PS ... noticed the Trippin Nomad icon ... I went on there the other day, first time ever, and won some posh shampoo and conditioner .. I just want a kite and whale bag and I'll be a happy bunny!! Ha ha!

funky_snow

Found this one... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rfGEtALHYs
But there are loads - definitely a good way to waste some time!!!1

(Yep - Trippin Nomad is my venture - still new but am really enjoying getting it up and running - really glad there are winners from this site... hope you like your win - was speaking to Simon from Sisu and the prizes are being sorted out and address details have been passed on - unfortunately we're probably going to be affected by the postal strike :-( on some of the prize distributions over the next few months...)

YorkiePud_3

Aren't they fab?! I lost count of how many animals she mentioned ... but there is no way he could have remembered all those and just reeled em off in perfect order .. they really can associate words with sounds!!

The only thing is that the parrot on the tv show was totally food orientated ... he (or she) never took his eyes off the treat that the handler had in her hands .. did you notice that?

Most pet parrots don't need treats as rewards because they do like to talk and laugh and sing ... they don't need prompting. Obviously she trains hers by giving it treats (bad idea ... you get overweight parrots who sulk like hell if they don't get a treat then!) ...

If you keep looking on youtube, you will find videos people have made in their own homes and the birds are just having a really good talking or singing session without having to be prompted with treats to do it!!

They are so comical dancing though ... I sing "Dance, dance wherever you may be" to Elvis and he does a bit of head banging and wing flapping ... yet sing another song and he won't dance!
I used to say to him, "shall we dance?" and I used to bop around like a mad 'un, so he has associated the word "dance" with that action ... they're so amazing!!

Ah right, well all the best with TN ... (if anyone doesn't know of it, it's kinda like a spot the ball competition!! But there are lots of them you can do and there are some amazing prizes!) ... and don't worry re the postal strike .. I'm sure people will understand!

YorkiePud_3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg-Jbt34njE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC1cDL0P3xs&feature=related
sounds like a man has been doing most of the talking to her in this one .. most of it is copying a man's voice!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyx_dk9ZIWY&feature=related
this one's good ... watch out for what it says when it sees the cat in the bottom right hand corner!

dianetheartist

Our Jake is so funny-hes an african grey -he can say loads but wont speak if someone is in the room-or if he sees the camera come out! I put the phone/camera on the fish tank next to the cage and leave it recording.He is learning twinkle twinkle little star at the moment bless him.If he sees the cat he shouts ''come on Sparky,good cat,quick quick'' I loves Bill, I loves Di-- Hiya Di-how are ya? and the funniest which he has made up all on his own from several phrases is ''bill, bill-stop it-get off her--you naughty boy '' he has picked up the different things and put it togther--almost fell off the sofa first time we heard that one-as Yorkie said you dont need to give treats-they love it when you laugh at them.Jake was3 years old on 5th oct, says loads more stuffWe also have an orange tipped amazon who dosent talk at all but hes comical-both birds hate each other though and both hate us wearing anything red!
Jake is on You tube-the videos are not brilliant cos I was hiding the camera-but he speaks very clear-look for Jake the Clever Talking parrot on there.Ive got some newer better ones to put on.
He makes the phone off the hook noise a lot which is very anoying, microwave, trains, hoover turning off,engine winding down-and when ours hears the fridge opening he makes the noise of wine gluging out of the bottle!
He whistles the good the bad and the ugly, the macdonalds tune
They make a tremendous amount of mess and dust-lots of work but wouldnt be without either of them!

YorkiePud_3

Awww he sounds a real cracker!! I shall have a look for the vid later! It is brilliant how they put things together themselves though ... *LOL* ... Elvis went through a phase where every time the dog ran past his cage he would shout, "You bad good boy!" ...

Ahhh, so we all know what you have in your fridge then! At least mine is only filtered water *grins* ... I have a friend who comes round and I usually do him a meal but he ALWAYS get the hiccoughs ... as soon as he walks into the room does Elvis start off hiccoughing!! He doesn't do it when he sees anyone else, but there again, no one else has hiccough attacks (and it's nowt to do with my cooking, either!! Ha ha!)

If your boy is doing the glug glug sounds, try making the pop of the cork by putting your finger into the side of your mouth ... you know, like on the Birdseye peas ad all those years ago .. fresh as the moment as the pods went pop .. are ya with me?! If you do that first then pour the wine he might then do the cork coming out of the bottle and then it being poured ... hilarious!

The Good, bad and the ugly ... never thought of teaching Elv that one ... I'll get on with that one tomorrow!!

Btw, I usually give Elvis a spray with those bottle sprays you get to spray houseplants (he won't have a bath in a shallow dish ... he's like a teenage boy: allergic to water!!) ... you can turn it so it is a very fine mist so it isn't too wetting but I've found a daily mist with that really keeps the dust down so that it isn't a problem. I have asthma too and I find doing that every day means I don't get troubled at all with it.

I feel I ought to apologise to the OP ... us Grey people have kinda hijacked the thread a bit!! Sorrrrryyyyyyy!!!

tealady

Please don't be sorry , it is lovely to read about people who really understand their pets needs and love them very much.