African Grey language skills and age

[danmcq]

We are all very well aware of the intelligence level of our African Greys and their speech skills in both speech (saying words) and understanding (applying words properly and in context).

 

Reviewing various sources for the normal development period of Human children and having raised two human children of our own. We have a good grasp of what the "norm" is.

 

From various "expert sources" on Human speech development:

 

"We know that children don't start to put together 2-word utterances until they've amassed a productive vocabulary of around 50 words, and as that vocabulary continues to expand, a child's utterance length grows as well. Some children start to put together 2-word utterances between ages 1 and 2 years, and others closer to the 2-year range, and either is fine. (And some children are slower to get started and even some of these children will catch up). That a baby is between 2 and 3-years of age and is starting to produce some 3-word combinations with personal pronoun ('I') and adjective forms ('sleepy') reveals their developing competence with language.

 

Those of us with Greys that have just begun their true and proper use of speech at 1 - 3 years of age. I believe, see a similar age and speech ability to humans, in them.

 

With that said, I wanted to see what others here on the forum are finding with their Greys at 0-3 years. I am hoping we will also get some input from those with Greys beyond the 3 year olds to see how this speech ability continues to progress as the age well into the 30's and 40's.

 

When you enter information on your Grey. Please include your Greys age, approximate number of words in their vocabulary and if and how the correctly apply or change sentences.

 

This will help us all learn at what age others Greys are speaking, how much and how well. It would be GreYt if this could turn into a source many others would reference. :-)

 

Dayo:

 

At 2 yrs 3mos old has a vocabulary of ~ 150 single words.

 

He has at least 50 phrases he uses and has started "Creating" his own just over the last 3 months or so that are "Correct" usage of the English language, meaning "He gets it".

 

Examples:

 

He knows.... I love you, I love you Dayo.

 

- He has come up with: I love...mommy, I love dan, I love Peekaboo

 

He knows..... I like

 

- He has come up with: I like coconut, I like coffee, I like Cereal, I like Almond etc. You get the point, he differentiates between "Love" and "Like". He also uses the language in correct context.

 

He knows ... Lets make coffee

 

- He came up with: Lets make cereal, Make a Baby (Kim almost fainted) WE DON"T THINK SO . However, to him a "Baby" is the tiny furry porcupine toy he has loved bashing around for a year now, just to clarify, he thinks a new one is needed. :-)

 

So with that said and the few examples I have given, I would like to have others give their examples of their Greys speech development. :-)<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2009/08/06 16:57

[rbpittman]

Not that Dixie's vocabulary is that extensive, but she does know "pretty girl" and "LP wake up". While I'm not sure this fits into Dan's scenario's Dixie now has started saying just LP and putting it with pretty girl. I'm sure LP (my 13 yr old son) really appreciates being "LP pretty girl". He is extremely handsome however.

 

Great question by the way Dan!

 

--

Robin

 

Dixie is 17 months old. I got her in late April (early mother's day gift)

 

When I got her the extent of her vocabulary was:

 

Hello

Gimme a kiss

Wolf Whistle

 

Since then she has added:

 

I love you

LP

LP wake up

WooWhooo

Dog's whistle (my call for them)

Paul

Be right back

Whatever

OK

House

Out

Don't Bite

Don't Bite Dixie

Dixie

Good Girl

Pretty Girl

 

and a bunch of other stuff that is unintelligible.

 

--

 

Robin

 

Post edited by: rbpittman, at: 2009/08/07 01:00<br><br>Post edited by: rbpittman, at: 2009/08/07 01:02

[danmcq]

Thanks for adding Dixie to this Robin. :-) She is one smart Grey from your videos.

 

Could you please add her age, approximate number of words in her vocabulary etc. by editing your post? I modified my original post requesting all commentators include these facts in their posts so we can ll get a good idea of the age ranges and Greys abilities. :-)

[Eckobird]

Well Ecko is 6 months old and the other day he really started to say his name. He repeats a lot throughout the day now and its the cutest thing! But he doesn't really count since he only knows one word lol.

 

Slater on the other hand is 3 years old and is a pretty good talker. He has a vocab of about 75-100 words and phrases(I don't count really but its around there). I think Slater pretty much knows what "good girl" or "good boy" means because sometimes he mixes it up. Like he will say "Good girl Tucker" or "good girl Slater" even though they are both boys and nobody has every said those exact phrases.

[Tycos_mom]

Tyco is 6 years old has a vocabulary of approx 200 words she knows what toys are and and calls them by name she says ring the bell before she rings it she has a bug toy she calls bugaboo that says I love you if we are having chicken for dinner she say yum yum chicken yummy for the tummy. she know what a cherry grape apple water and asks for them by name. she calls to my daughter by her name me she calls mom and she knows all 3of the dogs name and calls them tells them to go lay down and alsotells them no barking when they are barking she knows all the birds name and if one of them is being a pest she will tell them to go away. she also asked for her toys to be picked up if she drops them. Its really quite amazing how much she has learned since being in my home. 2years ago she said hello and made sound effects that she heard outside her window of the room she was in thats all now she talks all the time and everything she say is in context.

[dhorje]

Koko is approx 14 months old. Hello, Good, Good Good and What? are the only words she knows for the last few months. I don't think she knows how to apply those words correctly.

[yoyo1106]

This is kinda fun. Like writing a resume for my bird :laugh:

 

YoYo

 

Age: Approximately 10 years old

 

Vocabulary: About 50 words/phrases (I didn't count by word), not including singing and whistling

 

 

He knows.... I want/I wanna go

 

- He has come up with: I want...some (for any objects he wants, foods, toys, sometimes soliciting a scratch); I wanna go....home; I wanna go....shower; I wanna go....nite nite (these all kind of mean the same thing to him - basically get me outta here and take me somewhere else!)

 

 

He knows..... Let's go

 

- He has come up with: Let's go....home; Let's go....shower (again, he wants to be taken somewhere)

 

 

He knows..... Can I have some?

 

- He came up with: Can I have some....kiss-kiss? Can I have some....yoyo (I haven't figured out this one yet)

 

Other words he knows the context of:

- Hey There (when he sees guests in the house or strangers on the street)

- Hang On (when he needs to steady himself on the perch)

- Come Over Here (he wants me to go to him)

- umm..that looks good (when I'm cooking or eating and he wants my foods)

- Go nite nite (go to bed and to be covered up at night)

- Stick'em Up (when I point my finger at him like a gun and he'll lift up both of his wings)

- Tickle Tickle (he wants a scratch underneath his wing)

- I got you! [followed by an evil laugh - I swear!] (when he fake or, maybe for real, to bite me and I jumped like 3 feet away from him)

- Gotta go bye bye (when we are leaving the house)

- Snowball (when he sings and dance; he thinks snowball means dancing; I'm a bad teacher )

[Luvparrots]

Ana Grey is a year old 08/06/09. When she was about 5 months old I thought I heard her say "hello" but never again. She did a lot of mumbling and such but her first for certain words were at 9 or 10 months old. She now says, "what are you doing" "I love you" and "How are you." I don't believe she understands what she is saying. She does know what come here means, she has said it before but she doesn't say it now. She only always comes to me if I say these words. She knows what want a nut means because she always leans toward in anticipation of receiving a nut (I don't have the nut until she responds), but she doesn't say the words. She is a great wolf whistler and uses it a lot as her contact call (it will be quite interesting if she every goes wandering :ohmy: ) But for sure I will know it's her because she wolf whistles in about four different ways consecutively. (This is due to my poor whistling ability She doesn't say single words. Perhaps because I don't talk to her in single words. <br><br>Post edited by: luvparrots, at: 2009/08/06 22:58

[JungleDreamz]

This is a Great Topic Danmcq! I know it will help me with what to say to my bird to train her Cuz sometimes I am just like, "uuhhh what do I say to her now" lol

 

Well Calypso (formally known as Ecko, Till we found out she was a girl) is 5 months old and now laughs just like me and my husband at least 4 times a day...I thought I heard her say "hello" about 2 months ago, No more though...But The past 3 weeks she has been doing that low mumbling everyone talks about as a first sign of talking...Sounds just like my husbands voice, just not making any words.

[Joolesgreyuk]

Beau is just about 7 months and is only saying 2 things;

"Hello" and "lyboy" which is part of the phrase "lovely boy" both things are not that clear although I know what he's saying because he says it the same way I do.

 

Beau understands more than he says as do children of course before they talk. He knows that when I say "look what momma'a got" he has a treat coming up lol! He also knows that "breakfast" is when he is about to be fed mornings. "step up" and so on.

 

Can't wait for the talking to flow. :-)

[skmunson]

My Benji is four months old and the other night we were sitting in the living room and he "meowed" just like one of our kittens.

 

I jumped up and ran around the house saying, "he meowed, he meowed."

 

Then I saw the kitten come from under the couch.

 

The joke was on me; but, I was psyched for a minute. I guess, in this case, the learning curve is all mine.

[Mistyparrot]

When we had a cat (Jezebel) Misty would call her by name, either "Jessie" or "Jezebel" I also had a particular whistle call that I used for the cat. If I called out "Jezebel" Misty would help out buy calling with the whistle call.

He did sometimes imitate her meow but he preferred to say "meow' in the same way that I would. Sadly she died over a year ago but Misty still sometimes calls her name when we are in the kitchen. She used to spend a lot of time in there.

Mark you she would never come when he called her even when she was alive so I would be quite surprised it she came in now.:laugh:

 

Jez n Misty

 

 

Steve n Misty<br><br>Post edited by: Mistyparrot, at: 2009/08/06 18:46

[cflanny]

ZZero is 16 months old and I would say he knows about 25 or a little more words. He also says some phrases like "what ya doing?" or his new varation "what do you do?" I always try to answer him then ask him the same thing and say your singing or talking or hanging around.

 

ZZero started talking at about 9 months old, then we went thru a phase at 12 months where he was learning somthing new daily, he has not said anything "new" in awhile but we keep trying it seems he really only likes what my hubby says to him.

Whats funny is the things I have said over and over since he was little are not in his vocabulary yet like Bombs Away which he hears many times a day when I take him to his potty place( he will potty when told though)

I also say I Love You a hundred times a day and NOTHING! lol

[she]

Charlie is 6-7 years old and has a vocabulary of about 100-150 words. He has many small sentances, such as hello Cracker,want some,Ill batter ya,shake hands,hello there how are you. He can say many things in the right context . He calls Cracker over to him by saying Cracker come on,come on.I cant let them out together because Cracker is daft enough to go to him.He does appear to understand a lot of what he can say.He will say who made that mess as I am cleaning his cage,Hurry up ,come on when he is waiting to be given his toast of a morning.He does all the usual household sounds,telephone,microwave,mobile phone key clicks,ect.He also whistles the z cars theme tune(everton fc anthum) and whistles lots of his own made up tunes,the McDonalds whistle at the end of the tv advert.He does not repeat words I have tried to teach him.

 

Post edited by: she, at: 2009/08/06 20:49<br><br>Post edited by: she, at: 2009/08/06 20:52

[Lyric]

This is a great post Dan, very informative. I wish I had something to add...Well, okay, I guess I do.

Lyric 3 year old TAG, says his approximation of "Cup" and that is it. If you show him a cup and ask him what it is he says it. If you show him just about anything and ask him what it is he says cup too. He likes to say it back and forth with Sadie.

Sadie Grey, 9 month old TAG, said Pretty Birdie at just a few weeks old. She still says it but only very occasionally. Otherwise she says "cup" just like Lyric...and that is it. I talk to these birds all the time, using words in context and everything. I think there's still hope for Sadie to begin to talk more but I think Lyric may just be saying CUP for the rest of his life!

[Janfromboone]

Tobie is 2 years and almost two months.

 

I have to count phrases and words because he sais alot of phrases that I doubt he understands the individual word to. 35 phrases and words - like whaaat? and Whats up? are two different meanings and count for two. Interesting enough his first words were whats up, so they must learn differently than children. He had no problem spouting out phrases right away. He uses the phrases in a context. He was almost two when I first heard him take a word from one phrase and stick it in a new phrase correctly. (ie. turn off the damn radio - open the damn door) He likes to use new words in all the different phrases he knows now. (ie. red butt, red bird, bad butt, etc.) I think I'm going to have to crack down on his fowl choice of words, or my husband's choice of words. What I'm noticing now is a better understanding of names. He knew all the dogs names but I don't think he could put the name with the dog. Now he seems to do that. He also, at 2yrs, is starting to have conversations and following a simple thought a bit. ( Tobie: "Jan, Jan, Jan," Me: "What do you want." Tobie: "What". Me: "are you ok?" Tobie: "Yeah!")

[Jayd]

Really good and helpful post...Spock first, Don't say a word, maybe says Spock, 6 months old. Since Jim moved in Spock started experimenting with sounds. He mimics some of Jim's sounds and makes up his own, combining sounds all day long.

Jim, around 2 years old, rescued and mentally abused. We have had Jim for 11 days, 1st day he whistled a couple of times, 3rd morning his caged still covered he said "hello" like you said, it was a question, later that day he said when I left the room "Where are you", again as a question. Also as questions he says: Where are you going, Can I have a kiss. He says Jim, and Hello. Around 15 minutes before we uncover the cages each day,Jim says "Hello".Were trying to get him to not only say new things but to say what he already knows and to keep a look out for "negative" words...

[SchroedersJen]

Schroeder is 25 months old, and it's a good thing he is cute because he sure isn't smart (shhhhhhhhh, don't tell him that, he thinks hes a friggin genius) So far, he says

 

ON A REGULAR BASIS

What!?

Good boy

 

WORKING ON

Booger

 

SAYS ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH

boobs

No

Tummy

Step Up

 

He also picks a word of the week, and says a new word each week and then promptly forgets it and 7 days or so later, he will pick a new word. As I am self employed and work from home, I hear him when he is practicing and would know if he is just talking a lot when I'm not around. So far, he seems to have everything he wants, no real reason to learn how to ask for anything else and whistles a lot of complex tunes to make up for it.

[LaceyGrey]

Great post!

 

My Lacey is 17 months old. She started talking at about 10 months. Her vocabulary consists of over 50 words and phrases. I would say that she uses approximately 25% of them in the proper context with understanding. She can ask for specific fruits and vegetables, or if presented with one will oftentimes identify it. For example, if I walk up to her with an apple she'll say, "Mmmm, Apple"! She makes up her own sentences and songs. In the last couple of months she is able to pick up words/phrases after only hearing them once. Prior to that she would "practice" it for a while until it was perfected. I have been working on her annunciation of words. I thought this would be difficult, but it's been surprisingly easy.

[DavidH]

Shanti is 14 months old. He says, "Hello, Hola, Hannah, Eva (family members' names)" and mumbles a lot.

 

As for human and animal sounds he barks, coughs, meows, sneezes, laughs, whistles, and does various bird imitations.

 

He does the microwave beeping, phone ringing, door squeaking and various other mechanical sounds.

 

He seems to understand the names of fruits. He definitely uses Hannah and Eva appropriately as identifiers of the two people. He calls to them when they pass by. He has never said David, despite my wife trying to teach him my name since day one.

[danmcq]

I want to thank everyone that has contributed to this so far.

 

There are MANY that belong to this forum that I see no entry from.....YET. I guess we can all assume their birds only talk when they are away from home. :whistle:

 

Come you guys, post your Grey(s) information!! :-)

[Raposa]

OK, Dan . . .

 

Jenna is a CAG, 20 months old. She started talking at about 10 months. Sometimes she talks in context and sometimes she chatters because she is happy or because it is fun, or for whatever other birdie reason she may have ~grins~ Her morning talk is more consistently in context. I am sure I've forgotten some of her words and phrases, but she says:

Good morning!

Want some breakfast?

Want fresh water!

Want a shower (sometimes a statement, sometimes a question)

What are you doing?

What do you do?

You're a BIRD

You're a good girl (or good bird)

You're the best girl in the WHOLE world (my personal favorite hehehehe) She'll abbreviate that sometimes, and say You are the best girl, or occasionally, You are the best girl in the Whole!

You are so beautiful (She invented you are so Beautigirl but that only lasted a day or two to my disappointment)

You're so pretty

My precious girl

Hi Jenna Hi baby bird Hi sweetheart Hello

You're so good

Where's my Susan?

I love you (I love you Jenna, I love you Susan, I love you little bird, I love you good girl, I love you sweetheart - lots of variations on this one)

You funny bird

Give me a kiss (followed by a kissing noise)

Rio Morgan (the dogs' names)

You funny bird

Stop No

 

She also, like other greys here, does the microwave, coffee maker, squeaking front door, my husband's beeper, and a wide variety of other beeps and whistles, and of course just some happy African Grey songs and noises as well.

 

Wow, now that I am writing it all down, she says more than I realized! ~grins~ I can't wait to find out what will be next

[Char]

Whisper is 20 months old. I keep a list and she says about 70 different phrases. A lot of them in context and sometimes just sounding off. She also has a lot of whistles, bird sounds, barks and little diddies she sings.

 

The most amazing language thing happened the other day, I brought the new baby Amazon home on Sunday evening. Monday evening I was cuddling with the zon and Whisper kept saying, "It's a boy, What's a boy?" She heard me say good boy to the baby but that is it. I have never had any reason before to say the word boy and here she is asking me what a "boy" is. I tell you it was downright freaky. It was like okay I heard you call this little green thing a "boy" but what is a boy?

 

She says just about every phrase I use with her regularly. I can only imagine if there were other people in the house talking to her. I live alone.

 

I find it strange though that she has never used the word "bath" even though I use it a lot when giving her the bath she hates. I think she knows what it is and does not want to remind me of it.:laugh:

 

Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/08/16 05:42

 

Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/08/16 05:44<br><br>Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/08/16 05:48

[Jayd]

{Feel-good-0002006B} Spock here, Jim never shuts up!!!He's been here 24 days now, and he's opened up. He starts in at 5:30am with "Hello" and then he lets a stinker sound and a tinkle sound 3-4 times (oooohhhhh!!!!)

Then he says Good Morning and Good Morning Jim. He goes on for about an hour and he and I whistle back and forth to each other. I will whistle the first half of a wolf whistle and he will answer with the second half, then we whistle back and forth for an hour. Then, my slave, Jay, tells us all that he is taking Maggie to work and Jim says "See you later". As Maggie goes by his cage door, he says "I want a kiss" and leans forward and touches her nose and makes a kissie sound. When Jay gets back, Jim says assorted Hellos and if Jay leaves the room, Jim asks "Are you okay?" and "How are you?". Jim sure knows what he is saying...I am so jealous...I am trying to talk but all I can speak is Vulcan...Yesterday, Jim told Jay "Hello!(to get his attention) I want to go outside". He sure knows what he wants...Wow! I can't even say my name...Besides the microwave sounds and whistles (which I can do!), he makes a sound like an energy weapon. I laugh when Jim does a full wolf whistle when my slave Maggie is bending over in front of his cage, cleaning!! (Hehehehe:evil: )

Spock

Live Long and Prosper