Talk about weird coincidences

[Quirky]

So I was thinking earlier this evening about posing the question if anyone here had an older grey that does not say their own name. Jake has been with us for almost six weeks and never once said his own name. His first words to us were comeer (instead of come here) since then he has said hello in 3 different voices with different pronunciations. Last week he started something that sounds like Are you here? Which I thought was pretty cool. However he has never said his own name. Tonight all 3 of us and my fur babies are in the living room with Jake and he is whistling and chirping a storm so I start repeating his sounds back while surfing the internet. During this at intermittent times he's trying to say something garbled that sounds like an older man with a raspy voice. I keep asking him what he's saying and repeating back what I understand. Suddenly he spouts off a singsongy Hi as clear as day. I'm tickled pink already, when a couple hours later of repeating even more complicated whistles back he says a garbled version of his name. I am so floored, me and the hubs looked at each other to confirm we heard the same thing. After lots of praise he repeated it two more times. It's so funny that he will occasionally say something when we are not in sight; and then one day he goes off on a tangent revealing more words that are unexpected. To top things off for the night he went into a full on laugh when we were laughing at his surprise name drop. For the previous 3 weeks he would only start a short chuckle and stop.

[Ray P]

You are enjoying the experience of living with a grey. (ENJOY)

[judygram]

It only gets better when sharing your life with a grey.

[BaileysPapa]

He's becoming more comfortable with you. I don't teach my birds their name, I want them to say my name! If you say "Hello, Jake", he'll learn to say that to you. Eventually many of them seem to get the idea that their name is their name. Be patient, and the more comfortable he gets, the more he'll open up.

[Timbersmom]

Timber says his name more than he says anything else... He is going on 7.

[danmcq]

Dayo does not say his own name. Well very rarely, he will say it if he is fearful of something and he reassures himself as he SLOWLY approaches it while saying "It's ok Dayo". Just like humans, we don't walk around saying our own names. Dayo will call our other parrot, my wife and I, my sons, grandchildren and dogs by name when when addressing them.

 

Some greys do say their names though as Timbermoms does. But, that does not sem to be the "norm" for a grey.

[Luvparrots]

My CAG, Sterling Gris, says his name. He calls my TAG, Ana Grey, by her name and my ZON, Louie, by his. Of course, Sterling Gris is different than most greys as he repeats phrases I say just because I say them. LIke, "Sheshe loves diamonds" or "Hello Gorgeous" These phrases have no meaning to him, he just says them because I do.

[JeffNOK]

My CAG Gracie is big on names. She uses names for everyone in her life--even my parents' dog. Her favorite name of all is...Gracie! "Gracie want veggies:, "Gracie go sleepies", "Gracie likes toys", "Gracie is a good bird." The one name she has never said is mine. She calls me Daddy, but never Jeff. Sometimes she just sings her name over and over, "Gracie Gracie Gracie Gracie!!". She seems to be quite impressed with herself. They are all so different. It sounds like you and Jake are having fun. That is what it's all about, and there is much more to come.

[Timbersmom]

I don't know why Timber says his name so much, but he has been doing it since I got him. I've noticed he does it when he wants attention. For instance, when I'm feeding the cats, he will say Timber several times (like he's saying don't forget me). Same when I'm handing out treats and he is waiting for his. He will also say his name when I'm in the other room and he wants me to come back (after contact calling several times). If saying his name doesn't get the resuts he is looking for he moves on to "come here" and other things.

 

They are certainly all individuals that way! I'm not sure what saying his name means to him, but I'd sure like to know! I know he associates "Timber" with himself. When I say it, he always looks, comes toward me, or whistles.

[BaileysPapa]

Isn't it amazing how they get a sense of identity? Their own and/or others? Of course, one of the major fascinations with Parrots is their ability to speak our languages, but to be able to put things in context is just so much more. All of my life I have been fascinated by birds, and have spent almost all of that life living with birds. And I still marvel at the things that they do. My Bailey is just beginning to talk, and I love to sit and listen to him practice. His first words are, "Give me a kiss". Of all the things I say to him, he's chosen that because I say that when I let him out of his cage, and he climbs to the top. We touch my nose to his beak, and then he climbs onto my shoulder. I've said, "Hello", about 100,000 times a day for 4 months, but, he wants to say, "Give me a kiss". Which he's only heard a few times a day. I feel that's because he knows that saying that brings interaction between us. And he understands that. Isn't that great?

[chezron]

Even though Brutus knows his name he usually refers to other people or parrots instead of himself. He says, "Pancho is a good boy" or "Bye-bye Mama" or Yeah! Mom's home!"

[danmcq]

Isn't it amazing how they get a sense of identity? Their own and/or others? Of course, one of the major fascinations with Parrots is their ability to speak our languages, but to be able to put things in context is just so much more. All of my life I have been fascinated by birds, and have spent almost all of that life living with birds. And I still marvel at the things that they do. My Bailey is just beginning to talk, and I love to sit and listen to him practice. His first words are, "Give me a kiss". Of all the things I say to him, he's chosen that because I say that when I let him out of his cage, and he climbs to the top. We touch my nose to his beak, and then he climbs onto my shoulder. I've said, "Hello", about 100,000 times a day for 4 months, but, he wants to say, "Give me a kiss". Which he's only heard a few times a day. I feel that's because he knows that saying that brings interaction between us. And he understands that. Isn't that great?

 

It is amazing and a marvel to see it unfold and take place as they age. I find it intriguing as well at the words and phrases they decide are important to them and use them most frequently. I love the "Give me a kiss" interaction, how warming and endearing is that?

[katana600]

Your experience with Jake is very interesting to me. We have had Gilbert going on three years, we think she is close to twelve years old. We only discovered her gender confirmation four or five months ago. She came to us saying her name, as Dayo does, mainly just to reassure herself "Gilbert's okay" or "Gilbert's a good boy". She didn't say any of our names, calling our dog Baxter she might call him "Buddy". She quickly learned the name of our most stubborn little dog Mick and she admonishes him daily using his name. She came up with calling me LuLu last year and that stuck and is what she calls me now. However, she loves traveling and being at my sister's house and learned my sister's name (Marilyn), her dog (Cordell) and my daughter (Rachel). Coincidentally they are all her favorites.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Sophie knows her name, and loves to throw her weight around! She always says " Sophie" say's Hi. Sophie say's out Ollie. Sophie is a pretty girl. Sophie.... Sophie... Sophie! LOL Nancy

[Muse]

Megan says her own name, but usually when she is chastising herself (often for something she is either in the process of doing or about to do). "Megan! No! Get off the door" right before she flies up on the french door and proceeds to chomp a bite out of it before I can get across the room! Her new favorite phrase is "Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy..." usually with a lot of head bobbing. It usually has the desired effect, and she is learning that, so I expect the behavior to increase. Hehehe. The only "mama" I get is "Wanna come to mama?" usually when she wants me to pick her up.

[Inara]

HRH Inara refrains from saying her own name. After she came to live with us and we changed her name to Inara, she initially said it a few times (as if testing it out) and once she figured out that it was attached to her she has stopped using it. She calls Joe by his name, our dog Dezi by her's, she still calls me Woooo (in a lilting voice). She does respond to her name immediately, though, so I simply inferred that she doesn't think it is necessary to say it. I always enjoy reading about the similarities in our fids as well as their individual differences. Nice thread.

[aerial.2000]

Marco says her full name (first and last) and has gotten everyones name in the family down including the dogs. I find that she will put our last name with our first as well when shes calling to us which amazed me and she puts her name on the end of things she says like "Are you hungry Marco" or "Want some dinner Marco" ...

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

I believe Inara will eventually say " Inara" says..... just like Sophie. Sophie has a way of saying... " Sophie says"... pups jump to her demands. I don't go crazy with her demands.She knows I will roll my eyes, don't give in to her demands. Nancy

[Quirky]

Sorry for the late reply, last week was a crazy work week for me....

 

Anyhow I did enjoy very much reading all the comparisons between our fids. Jake only said his name two more times the morning after my initial post. Unfortunately we had a little bit of a set back after that... so it was a full week before he said anything to us again. I do think he said the name of one of our dogs this weekend, but it was while saying hello a few times. I'm unsure if he really associated it with the dog as his name is Halo (we pronounce it Halo and Hay-low) so when he said it I couldn't tell if he was just repeating what he may think is yet another way to say Hello.