Whistling and Talking

[Zoom]

I was at a meeting of the local Parrot Club last night, and the general consensus was that greys who are encouraged to whistle are far less likely to ever talk.

 

Simon's eight months old now, and he whistles. He hasn't started talking yet. His contact call is a whistle, so I always whistle back when he whistles for me. Now I'm wondering if I should stop whistling to him.

 

Any thoughts?

[katana600]

I think your decision to whistle or not to whistle should depend on whether you find joy in hearing the whistle returned. I have a bird that whistles and talks. I can't speak for all parrots, I have heard that theme of not whistling so they will speak but it has not been the case with three greys I have had in my home. However I just particularly like to hear whistling or any other form of communication, so I wouldn't care so much. There are people who just hate to hear whistling, but they wouldn't be likely to teach it anyway. I'm not sure how a whistle is different than a microwave beep or other sound effects. It would be interesting to hear from others on this topic based on experience with their own greys. Great thread, thanks.

[birdhouse]

Nope. No way. When Phenix is whistling up a storm it means he's really happy. I would never discourage that for an-y-thing.

 

I also like that he knows he'll get an answer if he whistles his contact calls to me. Makes me feel better about if anything happened.

 

I also feel a little obligated to try to "talk" to him in his own language, because he makes every effort to speak mine.

 

... and does a way better job, I have to admit. He's been trying to teach me to whistle for years. He really seems to enjoy laughing at the way I can't whistle for the life of me. Which I think he already knows, but now it's become a game. He also has a game where he makes up his own tunes. He's always so proud when he's showing them off.

 

Of course, sometimes I think he's just plain showing off. lol Another thing he can do that I can't. As if flying weren't enough!

 

And for the record, Phenix not only talks quite well & often in context, but he learned to talk as a fully grown, wild caught adult.

Edited September 19, 2011 by birdhouse

[Eshana]

The only bird I've heard of that with is Cockatiels. It is said that if you teach a tiel to whistle, it will NEVER talk. Mine does both with joy.

 

Simon will talk if/when he wants to talk, I believe.

[Kaldi0143]

I honestly find myself whistling at Willie all the time. When I leave the room, we whistle back and forth to each other in different tones or tunes. He's just now starting to talk around me, but he's 17 years old. Could be just a matter of getting settled in.

Of course I'm no where near a parrot expert, but I've had little talkers in the past, and they always said things they heard in repetition. Give it a little time and encouragement. Your little guy will probably pipe up soon enough. I wouldn't think whistling would negatively influence their talking really.

[Eshana]

Not only repetition (which is important) but also feeling! I have found with my birds that when you say something with enthusiasm (such as the curse you let out when you stub your toe), that's what the bird is going to want to copy.

[Ray P]

My grey Corky my amazon Cricket and my boy cockatiel Willie all enjoy whilstling and talking and they do it all the time.

 

 

P.S. Corky never said her first word untill she was 24 months old. Now can`t get her to stop.

Edited September 20, 2011 by Ray P

[danmcq]

I was at a meeting of the local Parrot Club last night, and the general consensus was that greys who are encouraged to whistle are far less likely to ever talk.

 

Greys whistle and make sounds by instinct starting when they are very young. Whistling back to them as a contact call so they know your still around is what they do in the wild as well. I did start whistling tunes to Dayo from the time we brought him home at 16 weeks old. It did not retard his speech abilities at all. He started using words at 12 to 14 months old. He now has a vocabulary of over 400 words and phrases and picks up a new word in 1 day if it's important to him. I love hearing him just sit, fluff his feathers up and make up his own whistle tunes he made up and also others he has memorized I have taught him. The most hilarious tunes he made up have sound effects intertwined in them as well.

 

The down side? Well I don't think Dayo would be a good candidate to ever live in an apartment complex. Unless the tenants next door, above or below like listening to pretty loud whistling.

[Greywings]

Agree with the consensus here, at our house the two Greys that whistle the most also talk the most.

[Zoom]

I'm really happy to hear that your experience is that whistling doesn't preclude talking. Especially since it gives Simon so much joy to whistle for me and have me whistle back. His contact call has changed several times since I got him. At first it was a chihuahua bark (I was glad to see the end of that one), and then it was a lovebird call (lovebirds have many wonderful qualities, but their vocals aren't among them), and now it's whistling, which I like, and which I can respond to.

 

I'll still love him even if he never talks, but I really hope he talks.

[Stevie]

Hi.I have an amazon who whistles her head off,and thanks to that,we found her after she had been missing for 3 days.She just whistled her greeting till we found her,some 2 half miles away.So a whistle to us is fantastic,my Grey ,jess,she can do so many things ,as we are finding out now,she is 10,we have had her for 8 weeks.Her previous owners said she didnt say much,well they should hear her now.Talks,whistles,and does the best telephone answer machine you have ever heard.As somebody previously said,if they whistle and talk and make lots of sounds,they must be so content,and happy.

[abbie21187]

Eva is about 7 months now and while she mumbles unintelligibly all the time and clicks, but she doesn't talk yet. However, she loves to whistle! She does a couple as contact calls, one is a two note whistle a room mate does when he comes home to call everyone. She learned that in about two days. Then we taught her the pretty girl whistle as a contact call she picked that up as well. I don't think whistling stops them from talking, she coos and mumbles all day in my tone of voice it just doesn't make sense yet.

 

One thing that kills me though is we had a mouse in the house and put glue traps under the cages we woke up one morning to hear a mouse screeching under the cage stuck in the trap. Well long story short, my birds compete to see who can do this squeal louder back and forth all day! It's literally the sound of nails on a chalk board! I hope they forget it soon.