Avian Vocalisation & Gender Bias

[Ian]

Hi Guys & Girls

 

Well a sunny rain free day here in Swindon........what a rarity, these incessant downpours really are unprecedented. We have had the wettest three months since 1766!!!!!! :(

 

Ahem any way..

 

George (at least to he is DNA`d) has commenced mimicking various kissing noises during the last few days as a direct result of my wife blowing kisses at him in conversation (I guess she has to blow them at somebody! :dry: ). I naturally welcomed this as a further addition to his expanding vocabulary, however on later reflection it dawned on me that most of his vocabulary has been gained from my wifes conversations with him rather than from his primary caregiver (read me)! It seems that he is much more responsive to my wifes female higher pitched vocal recitations than my own gruff masculine cave man utterings! I recall having read a similar article about `Grey talking` which highlighted a possible fact that they are more responsive to the female vocal range. Im sure there was a case of a non talking grey that resided with a lone gentleman for numerous years who subsequently became a great talker upon the acquistion by his primary caregiver of a `female` living companion. Being George`s primary care giver I spend a lot of time in conversation with him but I am beginning to think that with regard to increasing his vocabulary range I should encourage more daily converation (whilst I am working) between him and my wife. Have any of you Guys experienced similar sexual bias with regard to your African Greys recital preferences.

[judygram]

I haven't, Ian, I am the primary caregiver of Josey, but then she is my bird not my hubby's, and she says words that she has heard me speak. Really the only thing she repeats that my husband is responsible for is the wolf whistle, he made sure she does that and she does often.

 

George probably likes the sound of your wife making the kissing noises so that is why he mimics them. Maybe when you get more responses to this thread, a pattern may emerge but I assume it is just what the bird finds pleasing that they repeat.

[dblhelix]

Kip is a DNA sexed female. She seems to have a pretty large vocab already now at 1 yr 1 mo. She uses many voices, mine, my wifes, our friends. We were away in Europe for 2 weeks and had some friends stay at our place to care for the animals...When we got home Kip has several new phrases in both of the caregivers voices. There was a male and female here (couple)...I am not sure this info helps, but really think it is dependent on the individual bird, not so much sex dependent etc.

[Toni]

Yea, I hear you have to look out what is said. I own a daycare so this is gonna be fun for me on what mine will pick up.

[Ice]

Hey Ian.

 

That is 100% the truth. Roxy picks up Sonja's words much quicker than mine, but make no mistake, but she does copy me and learn from me.

 

They make the high pitched sounds easier than the lower ones, but cause they love us so much, they really do try their utter best to say what we do.

 

Thanks for this post.:whistle:

[Ice]

Hey Ian.

 

That is 100% the truth. Roxy picks up Sonja's words much quicker than mine, but make no mistake, but she does copy me and learn from me.

 

They make the high pitched sounds easier than the lower ones, but cause they love us so much, they really do try their utter best to say what we do.

 

Thanks for this post.:whistle:

[ecodweeb]

I've noticed a few biases with our parrot.

 

The first is he only likes right hands and the right side of his swing. He will destroy more blocks on the left side of his swing, cage and he will bite left hands that issue a step up command.

 

He also seems to like women a bit more than men. Living with two men, he mimics us just fine, but he'll mimic a females voice faster. I don't know why.

[domyoburk]

Ursula (DNA sexed female) is 6 mos. old and working on vocalizations but doesn't say clear words yet. However, if anything she is more responsive to my husband's deep voice (he's a classical music radio announcer) than mine (an emotive female voice). Amidst her whistles she's frequently practicing low grumbly sounds that sound like rudimentary masculine hellos. My husband John almost always talks in fairly quiet tones to her, often holding right near his face and almost whispering at times (I've read they are soothed by whispered tones). For what it's worth!