JeffNOK Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 My Gracie is a very chatty chirpy girl. We spend about an hour every morning whistling to each other after she has her breakfast. Sometimes I try to copy her chirps when she calls out. Other times I try to teach her a wolf whistle as our contact call. I started this about a week ago. Well, occassionally she responds with some approximation of the wolf whistle, but I was never sure if it was just a coincidence as one of a possible infinate number of random notes. Well yesterday morning I had some work to do online from my bedroom, and I had to forego the morning chirp ritual. I would come and check on Gracie every ten minutes or so, and we would do a quick serenade, but I had to retreat to my room to get back to work. Whenever I went back to my room, Gracie would seem to vocalize more frequently and more loudly. Then I noticed she got quiet for a moment and I heard a halting hesitant--"whOO--Hwew"--wolf whistle. I immediately came to her and praised her and wolf whistled back to her. I wanted to reinforce our little contact call. After a few minutes I went back to my room to finish my work. In a few minutes Gracie did the wolf whistle again! I again rushed to her and praised her and whistled back and went overboard being excited. I don't think it was my imagination. Now she hasn't done it since, but I suspect we are getting closer day by day. To add to my happiness--she hasn't nipped me in a week, and she steps up willingly without a bribe 80% of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Life is Greyt Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 It's not your imagination, and YAY for the good news!! I'm so glad to hear that things are getting better and better! Chickie and I have a very similar ritual. Our contact call is the whistle that you would use if you were calling your dogs or trying to get someone's attention. It cracks me up when she does it because she is literally telling me to "come here." The very first time that I realized that she was calling for me I felt so special. My breeder told me to always answer her contact calls so she knows where I am. Kinda unrelated-One night I came home from work and was exhausted and as soon as I came up the steps she let out a big whistle-but this one was when you whistle at someone/thing that's pretty-and I almost fell down laughing. She totally cracks me up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thenabrd Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 hahahaha!!!! that's funny! kallie knew the wolf whistle when we got her, but doesn't use it too often. but one time while my husband was sitting in his chair taking off his work shoes and belt (he'd just come home from work) she let out a loud wolf whistle, looking straight at him, feathers all puffed out, wagging her head up and down in a "yes" type movement, LOL!!! the look on his face was hilarious!!! i told him now he knows what it feels like to get whistled at, hahahahahaha!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 JeffNOK... That is GREAT! I always answer Sophies calls with whistling. She loves to wolf whistle as well. I imitate her, as much as she imitates me. It is our special game. We imitate each other in separate rooms. Each whistle gets more and more complicated! One of my favorite moments with her.... she made the whistling soooo complicated, I couldn't repeat it! LOL! That was her goal.I immediately went to her cage, was laughing so hard! Told her she won, gave her a big fat kiss! She was very pleased. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Congrats Jeff on Gracie's accomplishment. Now be truthful, did you teach the wolf whistle as a contact call or so Gracie can attract ladies for you?????? LOL!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffNOK Posted January 28, 2012 Author Share Posted January 28, 2012 Lol--my intentions were pure luvparrots! But if she happens to be a matchmaker more power to her! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Well if Gracie does find you the right lady, we all (Grey Forum family) expect an invite to the shindig!!!!! LOL!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianlinkles Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Jeffnok, that is awesome! I taught Dorothy to do the wolf whistle, well be careful of what you wish for because she did this all day! LOL So I needed to find something else to add to her repitore and I chose the Andy Griffith song. It is so funny to hear her try to master it! She whistles bits and pieces of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerial.2000 Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 thats funny thenabrd!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 My hubby made sure Josey learned the wolf whistle and she did and still does it occasionally, sounds like Gracie likes it too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistyparrot Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Misty taught me his eight note contact call soon after he came to me. I think that sharing a contact call with your Grey buddy is an excellent way of bonding. These days he calls to me as soon as he hears me stir in the morning or if he hears me at the front door coming and I call back to him. We also have concert times together which is mostly me trying to keep up as Misty's calls get more complex. He has learned the signature tune of a radio soap that I listen to ( The Archers, fellow Brits my be familiar). When he hears it on the radio he joins in. I suspect that all Greys have a contact call but if they lose contact with their birth parents , typically when humans take over the feeding job, their personal call may not be established . Research has shown that song birds give their chicks an individual call that in effect becomes their name for life. They also have family calls that they use to keep track of each other. I am quite sure that all parrots have the same kinds of calls. Steve n Misty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffNOK Posted January 29, 2012 Author Share Posted January 29, 2012 Mistyparrot --Lol--I'm not British, but I spend a lot of time in the UK and I sometimes watch the soaps there. Maybe I will teach Gracie the opening theme to Coronation Street! I've always liked that little ditty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerial.2000 Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 maybe its a good thing I cant whistle :-s HAHAHahahahah well I mean I can but not well with a pierced tongue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdhouse Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I can't whistle either, Aerial. My friends taught Phenix. They were all impressed by how quickly he could pick up a tune. It was also a great way to get him to socialize w/them. We managed to get a contact call out of it too. Phenix does an exaggerated first note of a wolf whistle & I do the second. However poorly. lol Unfortunately, Phenix also expected me to be able to play the same game that Misty plays w/Steve. I'm supposed to parrot a series of increasingly complicated phrases designed basically to show off. Phenix, at least, enjoys the heck out of it & would do it all the time if I could hold up my end. I really really try, but... Never let it be said that our birds don't learn & adapt though. He used to get really angry at me. Then he figured out that I'm just hopeless. So I'm still expected to answer. But now he'll do it "right", then do it like me. Then laugh his butt off. Jeff, since you can apparently whistle, this might be a greyt game to play w/Gracie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistyparrot Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 ......................Then laugh his butt off. Hearing Misty laugh is one of my favorite things about living with a parrot. Nothing says more about how smart they are than their sense of humour! Steve n Misty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerial.2000 Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I can't whistle either, Aerial. My friends taught Phenix. They were all impressed by how quickly he could pick up a tune. It was also a great way to get him to socialize w/them. We managed to get a contact call out of it too. Phenix does an exaggerated first note of a wolf whistle & I do the second. However poorly. lol Unfortunately, Phenix also expected me to be able to play the same game that Misty plays w/Steve. I'm supposed to parrot a series of increasingly complicated phrases designed basically to show off. Phenix, at least, enjoys the heck out of it & would do it all the time if I could hold up my end. I really really try, but... Never let it be said that our birds don't learn & adapt though. He used to get really angry at me. Then he figured out that I'm just hopeless. So I'm still expected to answer. But now he'll do it "right", then do it like me. Then laugh his butt off. Jeff, since you can apparently whistle, this might be a greyt game to play w/Gracie. lol that is just funny! omg I just cant wait !!!!!!!!! I just got another 1 week photo update they are still super tiny but she said you can see just a few lil reddish tints of tail feathers coming in! I get to go next weekend and pick up the cage and bring it home to start setting up .... and then course to stare at it blankly until he comes home hahahah *RME Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawL Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Hahahaha! Just wait...in a few weeks you wont be able to get anything done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcusCAG Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 That's awesome! Even the smallest accomplishments can make us parronts so giddy over our fids! It sounds like your Gracie is really coming along, JeffNOK, and that you two are forming a wonderufl relationship together--so cool. It's funny, though, Marcus really doesn't wolf whistle. Tybalt is actually the parrot that has mastered that in our household, and he came to us knowing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerial.2000 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Hahahaha! Just wait...in a few weeks you wont be able to get anything done!LOLOLOL ... you are probably right. I have emptied out one cabinet and have started storing some plastic sealed like tupperware bowls in there that I will be keeping with nuts and stuff for the baby in them and have them all labeled (geeze I have OCD I swear) *blushes* just seems that time is moving so slow, or maybe I just keep finding more things I need to do to get ready That's awesome! Even the smallest accomplishments can make us parronts so giddy over our fids! It sounds like your Gracie is really coming along, JeffNOK, and that you two are forming a wonderufl relationship together--so cool. It's funny, though, Marcus really doesn't wolf whistle. Tybalt is actually the parrot that has mastered that in our household, and he came to us knowing it. giddy is a great word to use too ... Im TOTALLY giddy !!! Next Saturday cant get here fast enough! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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