pumpingironchef

My Grey is an older bird (will soon be 17) and they truly are amazing birds. He's no Alex but he has context down quite well - he's not just a repeater. Some examples are: When watching TV at night with us, when he is tired he will say "time to go goodnight." In the morning before I go to work I have my first cup of coffee he will say "smell the coffee - I want some." When I am eating my breakfast, depending on what I am having he will say "I want a bite." When the plates are pulled for a meal, he will call out to everyone "dinner!" This level of speech doesn't happen overnight but Grey's are capable of much more than repeating what you say. It makes for one cool bird and for me, a bond that is difficult to describe.

My CAG is a very good talker but even as well as he talks he does most of his talking when we are in the other room. His house is in our kitchen and you can see him from our family room. When we go in the family room he loves to talk to us. One of his favorite thing to do when we leave the room is he will ask us "are you all right?" Many times he will duplicate the phone ringing to get us to come back into the kitchen. When he sits with us to watch TV, he seldom talks at that time. One more thing, depending on who teaches him the word or phrase, he speaks in a male or female voice. If your daughter talks to him in a high pitch, that's how he will talk. If she speaks to him in her normal voice, that's how he will sound. It is remarkable how they can imitate the exact tone. When Pascal makes his telephone ring, you cannot tell the difference between it and the real phone. The only clue we get is that when it is the real phone, he will say "hello." When it is him, he doesn't say hello.<br><br>Post edited by: pumpingironchef, at: 2008/08/07 21:48

My name is Ken and I am the caregiver for Pascal, a Congo who will be 17 soon. I look forward to participating in this forum and sharing experiences with other Grey owners. Pascal is an awsome companion who fits in with the rest of my family (wife, three daughters, 2 dogs, and a 200 gallon saltwater tank).