Baby grey learning to talk

[pikachu]

Hi, I have an almost 6 mo CAG who has been talking for a couple months.

 

My question is this: when they are learning new words/phrases, do they use a different "voice" than when they have perfected the word? When my girl talks, it is low & sounds like a robot. That is definitely not what I sound like.

 

Is this what you all refer to as mumbling? Because it doesn't sound like mumbling, it is quite clear what she is saying.

 

Anyways, I'm just wondering if her voice will change or is this just her "voice"?

[Luvparrots]

My Ana Grey has a couple of voices. Some things she says are very "mechanical" sounding but very clear. Some are in a high pitched voice which is also clear. My male zon has a high voice. I don't believe either of my parrots sound like me as most people in the telephone ask if they can talk to the "lady of the house" as if I were a child. My 7 month old CAG is making sounds but they are more middle of the road. So I am also interested in what others have to say as my fids to me do not sound like me. And no one who has been here when they do talk say they sound like me.

[pikachu]

But then birds like Dayo sound exactly like their owners.

 

How is Sterling Gris doing? I am enjoying watching my Maui develop every day.

[Luvparrots]

Yes, Dayo does sound like Dan. Perhaps some of our members with older greys can answer this question for you Pikachu. I too would like to hear what others have to say about this.

 

As for Sterling Gris, he is a very sweet grey. He is quiet and very gentle. He reminds me of a gentle giant as he is so big but very sweet. He will be the "boss" of the roost as soon as he gets older, the other two know he will not back down now and are having to respect his grandness.

Edited October 18, 2011 by luvparrots

[MarcusCAG]

Yes, Dayo does sound like Dan. Perhaps some of our members with older greys can answer this question for you Pikachu. I too would like to hear what others have to say about this.

 

I don't know how applicable my input will be, since we adopted Marcus at eight years old and he came to us with a number of voices "under his belt" already, so to speak. But he has a number of different voices now: an older man who coughs and grumbles about things about Earl Grey tea sometimes, as well as an older woman who speaks sweetly and calls him by his former name (obviously the older couple who had him before us). Then there is a younger man, who is a bit abrasive and who is demanding--presumably the son of the older couple who owned Marcus originally, and through whose aggressive attitudes we believe Marcus developed some of his behavioral problems. (Those issues have essentially been worked through by now, he is generally our golden boy anymore.) It is like Marcus has certain sayings that he loops through his personal 'downtime' that I hear when he's just hanging out on his Boing, or resting in his cage. They were things he certainly must have heard in his former home and that he has retained and now repeats often, for whatever reason. But they are not used for communication with us.

 

Then, there are the voices that Marcus has learned from my husband and myself. He will call our dog in my husband's voice, and will use a 'harder' version of that when he says things he's miffed about (like calling my hubby from the shower: "Ross, COME HERE!"); and those very few times he said his new name, the one we gave him--which I haven't heard from him in quite a while, actually--that was said in a very sweet and almost childlike version of my voice. He uses this version of my voice to say my name, too (it melts my heart to hear him call me that way!). BUT. I will say I do believe that Marcus has his "own" voice, too. He uses this tone when he puts thoughts together that, to us, are completely spontaneous, such as when he pops out a sincere question or a comment regarding his surroundings, all of those things that are generated at that moment with the distinct point of communication. Sometimes he uses a lower tone, kind of mumbly, but it is still Marcus' voice. When it is not mumbly and garbled (I presume because maybe he is self-conscious about an answer? his other voices are generally very loud), then it is not really my voice, I think, but it sounds more female than male. And sometimes it can sound very goofy, like he is a little kid hyped-up on sugar and everything is all strewn together and said very quickly (actually, he used to draw out some of his syllables more, but I haven't heard that in a while). So perhaps Marcus just uses my voice as a template for his own, the one that he chooses to use for himself... or maybe I'm overthinking it all. But that's the impression I've received from him, and that's how Marcus shares himself with our family.

Edited October 18, 2011 by MarcusCAG

[Gwen]

Very interesting !!!! Roscoe also came to us with about 4 different voices. In the almost 2 yrs. w/ us, he HAS ADDED both mine & my husbands.

He had two different male voices, a female, and a child. I never expected, or even thought he would learn, many new voices or sounds.... With my 10 yr. old grandson staying over this summer, he has "taught" Roscoe probably 10 new noises to mimic.. My daughter also says he sounds just like me when he says certain words. He greets me w/ a distinct hello in my own voice and will turnaround & greet my husband in the morning w/ a sing songy hello in my husband's voice. I think he has at least 7 or 8 different ways he just says hello !!

Also, I've noticed Roscoe knows the different ring tones on both our cell phones & will say hello in the appropriate male or female voice matching the ring !!!

 

There are probably lots of things I haven't even thought of... Oh, add 1 more male voice he came to us with: a deep sothern accent!!

 

 

 

P.S. BTW, to Janet... It would be cute that in a few months your big boy, Sterling Gris, started talking in your feminine voice !!!

[danmcq]

But then birds like Dayo sound exactly like their owners. How is Sterling Gris doing? I am enjoying watching my Maui develop every day.

 

Ah, but Dayo did not speak until 12 to 14 months old and had been "Calibrating" under his breath and we would "Think" we heard him say something.

 

They always calibrate words until they get them to where you don't know if it's the bird or the person talking. It was not until Dayo was about 2, before he sounded just like me, rather than sounding "Muffled". Thats how much of a perfectionist greys are about anything they decide to learn, whether a human voice, sound or whistle. I guarantee they will perfect it to the nth degree.

Edited October 18, 2011 by danmcq

[pikachu]

Thanks, Dan, you answered my question.