Issac - Talking

[Elvenking]

Hello all. Been a while since I have been on fawning over my love for my baby Issac. Rest assured, he grows closer to me every single day and another thread of his life is woven into the fabric of mine. Now on with the news and questions.

 

With the new addition of a Dyson and a Bissel to my bird-mess-fighting arsenal. Managing poop stains and bird cage fallout has become a most efficient activity and it doesn't drive me nearly as crazy as it used to. I am my own Santa, and that is what i brought myself.

 

I gave Issac birdie dreads for Christmas, his favorite toy. Pedro my conure got a little bell toy as he loves to shake bells.

 

Now, about talking. Issac is super funny in this area. It appears as if his tries are getting more deliberate, but I am not sure if his progress is the same as others have observed. He has not outright just come out and said a word, but I can tell what he is trying to say. He does a kind of whistle that sounds like, "Lil Boyeee" and just this morning, he started saying what sounds like the beginning of a better 'Hello'. Is this the way others have observed the evolution of talking. I praise him wildly when he makes an obvious attempt. Just wondering if other greys just started talking and sounding like their owners on the first words. I still feel he is going to get it, he works so hard at it.

 

Other than that, he is just as sweet as a Grey can be. We still play some games when it's time to get in the cage. But it is cute the way he does it. He will not let me get him below my shoulders because he knows I can put a hand on top of him and guide him into the cage then. Other times, I just tell him that it's time to be a good boy and go in...and he will allow me to gently lower him into his cage on his perch.

 

Sometimes, he get's really into playing on his swing ropes. For those who haven't seen...there are two ropes that hang down from his atom and he loves to spin and swing himself around. He gets going and starts that pterodactyl cry...then flies to my shoulder. I cringe and wonder what is next...because often it's a brief tweak to my ear and then shooting off to repeat the whole thing over again. I get a bit nervous then.

 

That's all for now, any thoughts on the talking for those of you who have talking birdies. Thanks for reading.

[judygram]

Oh Issac will be talking soon, they all have their own way of managing it, they practice a lot and that is what you are hearing now, he has to get a feel on making the sounds and words he hears and when he gets it down pat you probably won't be able to shut him up, any day now.

[Luvparrots]

Congrats Issac on finding your voice!!!!! Can't wait to hear more!!!

[Elvenking]

Awe thanks for the words of encouragement regarding my lil friend. I just adore everything he does. My daughter and I both heard him say hello this morning. It was cute, my daughter got all excited. She is still a little afraid of him. He is getting more curious about her and wants to actively come see her when she first arrives now. She is the only 'little person' he really gets to see a lot. And she has been around more than others. He is soooo curious. That is quite an understatement.

Edited December 27, 2010 by Elvenking

[Ray P]

Yaaaa Issac on your first word.

Corky was two before she said her first clear word and now we can`t get her to shut up.

[Elvenking]

I would love it if my boy would say a word...and not shut up. He goes a lil. Bring it on baby boy...I love you.

[danmcq]

Thanks for the update. That is exciting news and as others said, the words will flow. You've done a great job in raising Issac and knowing how you have interacted with him, I have no doubt he will be all that a Grey can be.

 

There is no secret or time schedule to when they will start speaking or how fast the will progress from one to two, three words etc. and then on to phrases and making up their own sentences. My personal experience has been the first 3 years are very similar in language abilities to a human child's.

[birdhouse]

Phenix didn't talk before I got him & he was "many" years old . After a couple of years, he started to sit in the corner & sing bird songs to himself. Not that greys really have a birdsong. I started to think I could hear "almost words" in his song. But he'd actually get mad at me if I tried to encourage them & he'd just quit vocalizing. I really didn't know he could learn words at that age so I stopped.

 

A few weeks later he popped out with his first totally clear word. A couple of days later, 2 more. Within a couple of weeks he was using simple sentences & I saw the first time he used words correctly... he gave the vet a little attitude Then he came home & started calling the dog. It was stunning to see & so-o-o much fun.

 

Sounds like Issac is going to start blowing you away any day now.

[Elvenking]

This morning he was trying even harder it seems. Repeating the efforts of yesterday morning over and over. I actually took a much longer shower this morning because he was so entertaining and was a little later to work that usual. Ha. He is so funny.

[katana600]

When you are not around, Isaac is practicing everything you say. He is lulling you into a sense of security with his "practice" word in your presence. He is waiting for you to have a full audience and then will say every word he has heard and keep people talking about you for months. LOL. I can barely stand myself waiting for the day you are having regular conversations with him, it is coming. Only a man would be so excited about Santa bringing him appliances, LOL. Small wars were started in our marriage when my husband presented me with a vacuum cleaner for my birthday, LOL. I just love to hear how devoted you and Isaac are to one another. He is both blessed and a blessing.

[Birdnut]

It sounds like Isaac is doing the same thing as our Moussa. Moussa is 10 1/2 months, and he's doing the same kind of experimenting with voice-like sounds. Sometimes we almost think we hear an attempt at a word, especially "Hello." I just love to listen to him experiment with sounds.

[Elvenking]

Yes. I too love all of the sound experiments. He does them the most when he sits on the shower curtain rod in the morning while I get ready. I can always count on an update as to what sounds he has been working on there. What amazing birds.

[Elvenking]

Thanks for the update. That is exciting news and as others said, the words will flow. You've done a great job in raising Issac and knowing how you have interacted with him, I have no doubt he will be all that a Grey can be.

 

There is no secret or time schedule to when they will start speaking or how fast the will progress from one to two, three words etc. and then on to phrases and making up their own sentences. My personal experience has been the first 3 years are very similar in language abilities to a human child's.

 

It is funny how Issac's progress in the vocalization area is very much like that of a child. Baby steps. I swear this mornig he was trying to put some stuff together. I was laughing the entire time I was showering.

[Elvenking]

When you are not around, Isaac is practicing everything you say. He is lulling you into a sense of security with his "practice" word in your presence. He is waiting for you to have a full audience and then will say every word he has heard and keep people talking about you for months. LOL. I can barely stand myself waiting for the day you are having regular conversations with him, it is coming. Only a man would be so excited about Santa bringing him appliances, LOL. Small wars were started in our marriage when my husband presented me with a vacuum cleaner for my birthday, LOL. I just love to hear how devoted you and Isaac are to one another. He is both blessed and a blessing.

 

I have been meaning to set up a voice activated recorder to see if this very thing is true. I have come up the stairs a few times to hear chatter going on from him before I come into the house. He is sooo sweet. It's rediculous how much I love this bird.

[chezron]

I love that perfect description of "pterodactyl sound." Mine does that too when he is really excited!

How old is Issac? My grey started talking at about 11/2 years. And he has never stopped!

[Elvenking]

I love that perfect description of "pterodactyl sound." Mine does that too when he is really excited!

How old is Issac? My grey started talking at about 11/2 years. And he has never stopped!

 

Issac is a little over 13 months.

[kellync]

Isaac is well on his way! My CAG, Georgie, is 1 1/2. He is a quieter Grey, but talks very well when he gets on a roll. Katana600 is exactly right: He practices when you aren't around. Some Grey's are more inhibited than others. Georgie likes to have his words perfected before throwing them on us. I have heard him in the early morning hours talking oh so softly in his covered cage, quietly repeating a word over and over. Then when I, bring him out, he acts as though he never said a thing! A month later, he might surprise me with the word- perfect and clear. My mom's CAG, Kyah on the other hand... Well let's just say we ALL know when she is going to have a word learned. For months, she lets everyone (even the neighbors) hear her attempts, no matter how awful, at her word or phrase. By the time she gets it, it's no surprise! They all have unique and charming personalities. You and Isaac are going to have so much fun growing on one another.

[Elvenking]

LOL...that is funny. There have been times I have thought that I heard things coming from the kitchen area in the morning. I wonder about the little guy. At any rate, he puts on quite a sound display when he is sitting on the shower curtain rod in the morning, and the floor lamp at night. I always get a kick out of the things he picks up. This morning, I was closing a cabinet and he timed the 'sqeak' noise so perfectly, I don't know if it came from just him or both.

[Barbara2]

Neo talks the most when we are in another room and he can't see us. I swear he was making the noise of our back door opening yesterday evening. I was in the living room with my granddaughters and I was expecting my daughter to come pick them up. Three times I thought I heard the back door opening only to find no one there. Just a bit a go I was in the kitchen putting a dinner in the crock pot. I clearly heard him say "good boy". He also says "Hi Paco". I think he's repeating that because the macaw (Paco) says that most often. Neo has yet to say his own name.

[Elvenking]

Neo talks the most when we are in another room and he can't see us. I swear he was making the noise of our back door opening yesterday evening. I was in the living room with my granddaughters and I was expecting my daughter to come pick them up. Three times I thought I heard the back door opening only to find no one there. Just a bit a go I was in the kitchen putting a dinner in the crock pot. I clearly heard him say "good boy". He also says "Hi Paco". I think he's repeating that because the macaw (Paco) says that most often. Neo has yet to say his own name.

 

Lol...Issac says my green cheek's name just like my green cheek, Pedro, says it. If I am in another room..I can't tell them apart.

[reggieroo]

Again Stephen, Murphy seems to be on the same path as Issac. I've been hearing the attempts at speech for months now with nothing being very clear at all but you can definitely tell it's an attempt at human speech. I even posted a while back as I thought any day now he will be talking proper words.............but not so & still not. The funny thing is even when we brought him home at 12 weeks old he was making what sounded like attempts at human speech & I thought wow this bird will be talking before long but now he is just over 12 months old & still trying to say a clear word.

 

Lately though it has been very few & far between as he seems to spend more time trying to get my attention with a kinda squeaky baby sound constantly, more on that in another post.

[Elvenking]

Yep...exactly what Issac was doing at that same time. Around 11-12 months i would hear the occasional, really close, attempts at saying words...especially hello. Now this week, he is saying 'Hello' in the best way he knows how and he seems so proud of himself. He must have said it about 50 times this morning sitting on the curtain rod. Other times clearer than some. But it is soooo cute and I praise him for his efforts. After I all...I can tell it is a hello. I am sure both of our babies are going to get there.

[Elvenking]

Issac is blowing me away with his sounds. He does one that I soooo love now....he does this little low "Whooooo". I love it when he lands on my shoulder and does that one..its so quiet and pure. And the way he looks at me when he does it is like a child asking for approval or praise. (And of course I do). Now when ever I go to pour myself a cup of water, he starts gulping like I do. The other day I opened a cabinet and he squeeked instead of the cabinet.

 

Lately, he seems to be trying to copy everything around him. Water pouring, various cabinet creeks, dogs barking, spaceship laser noises, every noise my conure does to a perfect tee. I don't have names for some, I usually figure out where they are from in a suprising sort of way. Man, he is becoming the little entertainer. I am hearing a better 'hello' in between ones he tries to sort of yell out. He is really in experimental mode lately. Charming little guy.