Calling All "Bird Whisperers"

[JeffNOK]

I am posting a video of Gracie that I took today and wanted some feedback. Gracie is one year old and two weeks. She is working on sounds and words and this short video kind of represents 80% of her repertoire. The sounds you will hear include her "wolf whistle", blowing kisses (right at the beginniing of the video) and dog barking--slightly later.

 

As far as words, the water gets a bit murky. I think at the beginning of the video you can clearly hear her say "Step up" a few times. As her proud Daddy I hear her say other things too, but I would like the opinion of some unbiased third parties.

 

1. Hi baby--I hear her say this at the beginning after a few "step ups" and then more clearly later. After she says it I repeat "Hi baby" to her. Do any of you hear this?

 

2. Barkley (the name of my parents' dog). After Gracie barks I hear her say "Barkley". Now...she doesn't do her "Ls" that well, so it sounds like "Bark-eEE"

 

3. Doggie--I hear her say this under her breath several times at the beginning. Is it just me? At one point I hear "pretty doggie" but it isn't clear.

 

4. Randomness: She often babbles in humanlike sounds but I have no clue what she is saying. Any ideas?

Thanks for your thoughts.

http://s1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee371/JeffNOK/?action=view&current=chat001.mp4

Edited August 9, 2012 by JeffNOK

[Sarasota]

Jeff,

 

I heard a wolf whistle, step up and hi baby. A few of the phrases definitely have cadence so it sounds like she's going for something - but I can't make it out.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Jeffnok... what do you expect? Nancy

[Timbersmom]

I hear step up (wanna step up), hi baby (thought I heard bye baby once), very possibly barkley or something much like it. Of course, the whistling, clicking and kissing. Not a great ear here and not much volume either!

[CLB]

I also heared the dog barking....and my little guys barked back! lol

[Wingy]

It sounds like she is telling you quite a story. No matter what human words she uses she is relaxed and happy to have a chat.

[katana600]

That was thoroughly enjoyable even though I couldn't be sure what she is saying all the time, there were definitely some clear phrases like when she was barking and saying Barkley and when she was saying hey baby. Her eyes have not even changed color yet and she is remarkably chatty. When you answered her, I loved how she sat silently for a few seconds and I think that is when she is calibrating to your voice and words. Later when she said "hey baby" it sounded like your voice. Isn't it wonderful to be there with her from the beginning and make these videos so you can compare how she speaks as she is learning to when she becomes a right prolific chatterbox in the near future? There is no doubt she is a happy, relaxed companion and she loves you very much. Thanks for sharing this with us.

[JeffNOK]

I do enjoy the growth day by day. She is just such a great little friend, and I am very blessed to have her.

[Luvparrots]

Gracie was a little hard to hear because of volume. But yes she is a talker and I heard that others have already posted.

[birdhouse]

I love how pleased w/the world Gracie looks in that vid! It sounds like there's a fan in the background? Whatever it is, it's making it hard to pick out the words she's not pronouncing well. And she sure had a lot to say at the very beginning. Seems like a shame to have missed it!

 

I think I'm hearing everything you listed. What do you think Gracie's trying to say that sounds like "ice tea" to me? Is it doggie or Gracie, because there were a couple of times I thought it might be either?

 

I know proud parronts do read things into their fid's vocabulary of course. But it really is easier for you to guess, too. Give or take things on TV, you know better what she hears & what you've been trying to teach her.

 

So much fun to listen to her! Looking forward to watching her develop her vocabulary.

[JeffNOK]

I think maybe it's hard to hear because I filmed it from about 8 feet away. I was using the zoom and sitting on the couch next to a portable air conditioner. If I get too close with a camera Gracie clams up. I tend to hear "doggie", but she might be trying to say Gracie or some version of "baby" . It isn't as clear on this video, but she says "Hi baby" all the time these days. Sometimes very clearly and sometimes not.

Edited August 10, 2012 by JeffNOK

[danmcq]

She is doing GreYt and saying a ton of words and sentences she is still calibrating. Some I can clearly hear and others I am not certain what it is yet.

 

What I heard:

 

1) Step Up

2) Hi Baby and also what sounds like Here Baby

3) Happy

4) Ice Tea

5) Pretty Doggie

6) Woof Woof Woof

7) What sounds like Whisper

8) What sounds like "Lets See" then intelligible other words at this time

9) Maybe hearing "Beak"

10) Many various whistles

11) Clicking sounds

12) Kissing sounds

 

She is dong really picking things up and starting to calibrate very rapidly, congrats!!!

[katana600]

I had to come back in to watch Gracie's video again. I've read that the reason greys can mimic human speech so well is that they have two sets of muscles that they use to control the air flow to make sounds. Gracie is already so motivated to talk that when she gets that muscle control I think she is going to expand her vocabulary exponentially. I found myself leaning closer and closer to her while I replayed her video. She is just beautiful. I watched a couple of her videos and noticed how the color on the top of her head has changed. She is gorgeous from head to toe, inside and out. I can see how you feel so lucky to have her. My thoughts were how lucky she is to be with you, she is a vibrant, engaging, confident girl.

[JeffNOK]

Katana..Thank you so much for that. You know before I got Gracie I had only had a budgie as a child/teen, and I wasn't a very good parront after the novelty wore off. As an adult I really wanted a grey but had read over and over how "high maintenence" they were. That's why I joined this forum a full year before I got my grey. The thing I learned here was that the key to life with a grey was to give them lots of attention and love and to give them choices and not force issues. I also learned that keeping them flighted would help them psychologically. That is what I have done, and Gracie is just a joy. I almost want to say she is downright easy to live with. She is quite independent and not a cuddler, but she shows her love in so many other ways. She is always happy and never a grump (at least so far). She loves her toys, loves to fly, enjoys her baths, is a good eater, never gives me issues when I need to put her back in her cage, travels well, and accepts my friends and family. She also likes to sing and whistle and chatter and bark and "talk"--but is never very noisy. I live in a condo with shared walls and my neighbors don't even know she's there. I know that she trusts me which is so great. She knows I would never hurt her or get frustrated with her. As far as her coloring, I also noticed that when she was younger the top of her head seemed almost white. It is different now for sure. The last video was taken after a bath, so her feathers do look a little darker. Anyway--Thanks for your thoughts.

Edited August 11, 2012 by JeffNOK

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

JeffNOK... Gracie is soooo on schedule. She is doing, what Sophie did, when I adopted her at age two.Her speech will come. I feel confident in her. What ELSE she has going on for her, she trusts you, has developed a relationship, that many can only wish to have. The speech will come.Keep doing what you are doing. She couldn't ask for a better dad. Nancy