Char

Ah Jen if I lived anywhere near I would indeed come and help you look.

Pat, it is encouraging to hear that she still picks up things easily at 6 yrs.

Good luck on the boing. I have had one in the room for about 3 months with Whisper and she still won't go near it. I think she thinks it is a snake.

That is a wonderful basket. Congratulation on your anniversary with Mischief.

Oh Jen how awful! I know also that you are aware of all the avenues to take. How did it happen? I will be praying for his safe return. Please keep us posted.

Whisper will have a quiet day every now and then but if she had 3 quiet days in a row I would have her to the vet asap. I am a worry wart birdie mom. Birds hide their illness very well including continuing to appear to eat until it is too late. Is there any way you could get him in sooner?

she wrote: Good idea. Let us know how it goes. I started with the new phrases because I realized that the stuff I say every day is just not that interesting and if she was going to have a certain amount of phrases some of it should at least be cute or interesting.:laugh:

Thanks guys for your input. I am hoping others will chime in with their own experiences. Whisper started at about 6 months with just whistling and hello but was trying to talk. By 9 months she was saying a few phrases clearly. She really took off at about 1 yr and it got up to about 15 phrases. I saw another big increase at about 15 months with her learning about 1 new phrase a week. About a month ago it started taking her only a couple of days to learn a new phrase. It was only about a month ago I actively started trying to teach her phrases. Before that I just talked to her normally and she said the everyday stuff that I said just talking and playing with her. I think it is also interesting to note that I live alone and I am gone all day so the interaction she has is limited. I can't help but wonder what it would be like if she had others talking to her also. It is also interesting to note that she does not make any of the noises that you hear of Greys picking up. The everyday household sounds such as phone ringing, microwave ect. She also does not say anything from the television even though I leave it on cartoon channel for 4 hrs per day while I am at work. At least not that I have heard. Since warm weather I have been taking her outside and she does do all the bird calls that she hears out there. She also mixes up these phrases and makes new ones that often make sense. There are also variation of most of them. For instance she says hello about 6 different ways because of course I don't say it the same all the time.

I made a list of the phrases that Whisper says regularly. She will be 19 months old next week. She is my first experience with an African Grey. Is this a large vocabulary for her age or is it typical for Greys. I have heard of Greys having a vocabulary of hundreds of words but Whisper still seems so young to me. Or is it that they do most of the learning during a certain period of their life? 1. GOOD MORNING 2. I LOVE YOU 3. GO POOP 4. YOU WANNA GO BED? 5. YOU READY TO GO TO BED GIRL? 6. WHATCHA DOING? 7. STEP UP 8. COME ON STEP UP 9. BAD BIRD BAD BIRD WHATCHA GONNA DO? 10. STOP IT 11. WHISPER 12. ARE YOU A SMART BIRD? 13. GOOD GIRL 14. ARE YOU A GOOD GIRL? 15. YOU'RE A GOOD GOOD GIRL 16. WANTA GRAPE? 17. WANT SOME APPLE? 18. QUIT THAT 19. HELLO 20. LAUGHS 21. BARKS 22. WHISTLES 23. TRUMPET SOUND 24. WOW THATS AMAZING 25. STAY RIGHT THERE 26. COOCHIE COOCHIE COO 27. WHOOOO 28. PEEKABOO 29. I SEE YOU 30. YOU OKAY? 31. WHAT'S THE MATTER? 32. HEY WHISPER 33. WHAT? 34. OOOPS 35. NO,NO NO 36. GIMME A KISS 37. BE A GOOD GIRL 38. IS THAT GOOD? 39. KISSING SOUND 40. POPEYE WHISTLE 41. WHISPER GIRL 42. I GOTTA GO PEE 43. ARE YOU A GOOD BIRD? 44. WHOOPDEE DOO 45. WHOOO HOOO 46. WHAT DO YOU WANT? 47. MOMS GOTTA GO TO WORK 47. BYE BYE 48. WANTA SCRATCH 49. HMMMM?

I found a good article about dealing with our birdies during their "hormonal" periods. This subject comes up quite often so I thought I would post it. i couldn't link to the article directly but scroll down to the 4th article about Spring Behavior. http://www.flewthecoopaviary.com/parrotbehavior.html http:// Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/06/27 03:52<br><br>Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/06/27 03:53

That's a greyt playstand.

It must be something in the air. There have been several threads lately about this very thing. The rescued Cockatoo I had was acting all sexual and she was only 2 yrs old and supposedly this is young for a Cockatoo to begin. Don't feel bad about the bite. If he thought his reflection was another bird he might have been trying to protect you with a bite to cause you to take flight. Or like you said he might have been so wound up in his courting dance his hormones were just pumping. I would cover that mirror until he settles down.

Congratulations on the new baby.

When I first got Whisper and before I found this forum I subscribed to Chet's newletter. No matter how many times I unsubscribe I am still bombarded with email from him. Whisper is on Harrison's. Which is organic and I think the best out there. I supplement it a little bit with Zupreem. I also give her a tiny bit of seed, a few almonds, carrots and sweet potatoes, grapes and apples.I have tried other veggies but she won't touch them.

I'm sorry Dana but I watched it twice and could not see a head shake. It is too far away. maybe someone with better eyes than me will chime in. Great looking Ekkie. Glad to hear that the feather destruction has stopped.

I think Emma is a little more extrovert than the average Grey.

Not true at all. At least not for a Grey. Whisper could whistle at 6 months old and now at 18 months old she has lots of whistles and sounds but also says over 45 different phrases.

No need to feel foolish. Your heart was in the right place.

I live in Central Kentucky, USA Smack dab in the middle of horse country. Home to fast horses and beautiful women. Oh wait..or is that beautiful horses and fast women?

HappyinGreece: Karma to you for posting that link. Good information there for people considering a parrot.

Azzie, you have my sympathies for the tests you had to go through. Sounds awful! Good luck with the rest of it and let us know how it all comes out.

Welcome to the forum. Those are beautiful photos. I especially like #2. Thanks for sharing.

Wow, how exciting!

Emma is such a greyt grey. Thanks for sharing the video.

What a couple of cuties! It is great that he and the conure are getting along.