Sabina Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Hi, iv owned Rio going on 4 month now and from first getting him he would say something at least every day but as the months have gone on it has got less and less and now he might say something once a week,his favourite word was 'come on' which when he does say it now it's not in his previous owners voice but more ours, he does communicate by whistling and he does all sorts of noises old and new and he learns them in a flash lol. I don't think he was very talkative anyway but I'm puzzled why it's got less is it possible he's still adjusting after 4 months? It must be hard also not only new home but we got him a lovely new big cage and new toys which he seems to like. Any advice on how maybe to get him to talk more if not it's fine I love him to bits all the same but would be nice, he seems happy enough and swings upside down in his cage and eats fine, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Grey time is slow time so maybe he is still adjusting to his new home but the important thing is not to stress over it, maybe he doesn't have much to say at this point which can be a good thing sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inara Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Inara will sometimes stop using words and phrases that she knows, so I reintroduce those to her when she is just chattering away by herself. I will say them to her from another room, and eventually they work their way back into her talking "rotation." You're probably already doing this, but if you aren't, be sure to chat back to Rio whenever Rio does say something. This lets Rio know that talking is a good thing. Often the way to extinguish words/sounds we don't want to hear is to not respond to those. It's just as important to respond to the things we do want to hear so that they get reinforced Again, you probably already do this, and as Judy said, Greys have their own ways and time frames. It's great that you are enjoying Rio even during Rio's more quiet times Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabina Posted February 19, 2014 Author Share Posted February 19, 2014 Thanks for the replies, he's such a good laid back quiet bird really and I understand he might not be bothered about talking much but to communicate with sounds which is ok it would just be nice for him to talk more. If I say I'm going to work now he will do the squeak of the front gate and things like that I suppose I was worried he wasn't happy but he shows very good signs that he is happy and settled to our routine so I suppose it's just time and if h wants to talk more he will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 My CAG is the talker in my parrots. All the time he is talking (except if a camera is present; oh well); or singing or rooting for the California Giants. Ana Grey, TAG, talks now and then; and Louie, the ZON, speaks Hindu and English when he wants. Perhaps because Sterling Gris never shuts up the other two feel they do not need to talk????? Enjoy your grey and just relax and wait to see if he finds something he wants to talk about. Talk to him and let him know what is going on and perhaps he will decide to do the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabina Posted February 19, 2014 Author Share Posted February 19, 2014 Thanks, I do talk to him all the time and everything I do I tell him but he relates these things to sounds so I'm hoping he will just blurt it all out one day LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerial.2000 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 How old is Rio? I can remember thinking as people would be posting that their baby said their first word at like 9 months old that Marco was going to be the one parrot that was just not gonna be a talker because she took her sweeeeeeeeeeet time before the flood gates opened up. Now that shes like 2.5 yrs old holy smokes she is a jibber jabber and frankly picks words up quick quick quick now. But she has her more chatty times during the day and then course right before bed then the rest the time shes a very quiet bird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 I also would like to know how old RIO is!!! You have to watchout for those quiet ones, They are learning and absorbing! Contact calls, whistling to each other with a room separating is always a great start. I believe this is a great way to start a conversation. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quirky Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Sabina you've had Rio about a month longer than I've had my little guy. I find Jake is the same way, he was slow to say anything and periodically he will go a week or two without talking to me. What I've found that works for us is that I will wait for signs Jake is wanting to make consistent contact with me in the form of whistling. For whatever reason after we whistle back and forth for 10 or 15 minutes he will suddenly start spouting out Hello, hi, come here... He becomes a Chatty Cathy. I know it goes against some advice out there but it seems to make him want to talk more. I have no doubt that even though Rio may not be talking he is most certainly listening. I've read about greys that don't talk much to their parronts for the first year or two and then start letting open the flood gates of all the words they've been absorbing all along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 Quirky... excellent advice! Contact calls back and forth, are a very important form of communication. I feel they are the " building blocks", to communication, developing trust. Of course, their maybe a time, when the " pupil", far exceeds the " master". Sophie is 14 now, and it is her favorite game. She says something, I repeat, add something else. We go back and forth... she eventually starts rapping which I can't do, and I go pick her up telling her she won. She is pleased! As far as talking, greys are similiar to children. Babbling, some words, terrible two's. Serious talking begins after the age of two, in my opinion. Ability to make decisions and understand expectations, is after the age of two. Sophie was a joy after four. Aren't most kids? Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabina Posted February 23, 2014 Author Share Posted February 23, 2014 Hi all, rio is 6 years old and he can talk he says a few things that he already knew but I was concerned that it has slowly come to a stop almost from saying something almost every day to maybe once a week and I understand he may be just a quiet bird but I worried he wasn't happy. He does all the normal stuff like eating and swinging from the top of his cage and he has toys but doesn't bother much with them apart from jingle the bells a bit which he loves.i talk to him all the time and tell him everything I am doing and everything I am giving him and we play the whistle game which he always wins and I tell him mum can't do that one LOL.he is certainly listening because he will pick up new sounds really quick like burping! Oops... And I taught him the wolf whistle and he does the McDonald's whistle he has heard,When we talk to him or play music he does the shake of the head what I have read some do when listening, he is just choosing not to repeat the words at the moment but he can be random also, just sitting there one day and he said 'what's new scooby doo' and we all burst out laughing thanks everyone for the advice also Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabina Posted February 23, 2014 Author Share Posted February 23, 2014 He has also started copying me when I laugh or cough and his favourite game with the kids is he will do a trump Noise then laugh and that has us all in stitches LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Sabina... Rio sounds happy and content. Some talk alot, some don't. One suggestion I would offer, is have a play gym in the kitchen and have bird on it when you get home. Most of our family activity resolves around the kitchen, and Sophie always wants to be a part of the activity. Six, is still a youngster, and I am sure Rio has alot more to learn and say. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabina Posted February 23, 2014 Author Share Posted February 23, 2014 Yes I agree 6 is still young so he's most likely got plenty to give, I have one of those stand perches on wheels but I wasn't sure it was a great idea letting him on it in the kitchen, I take him in with me sometimes on my shoulder and he likes to be nosey, he's not a big fan of the perch stand and wants off most of the time but he won't fly off it so I encourage him to stay on it, he has a toy rope thing attached to it also but won't bother with that at all lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Whatever stand or gym he likes, he needs to be in the area where the family interacts. Your bird is at the perfect age to learn what " family" means. I wouldn't let your bird decide on those terms. As a parent, we decide on our expectations, and plans for bird exposure. If I listened to Sophie, she would be on a gym, all by herself, having nothing to do with our family.Our greys don't get to make the choices. We are their parrents, and have chosen then to be our children. WE make the decisions. African Greys, don't do well under captivity. I have NEVER closed my birds cage. She has her own room. She has always been treated like just another family member. Sophie has always loved our dogs, as well as kids. Sophie loves everyone in our home.... but I do get upset with kids, when we are watching a movie, Sophie is hanging with us, throwing popcorn, kids get annoyed with her. I do comment.... "Do you know how many parents of a grey,would be thrilled to have this experience?" Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabina Posted February 23, 2014 Author Share Posted February 23, 2014 Haha they are so funny aren't they and its true what they say it's like having a 2 year old around lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 They are always like the age of two... happy that Sophie is now more like four! When I am doing dishes, and I see her walk up to the coffee table ready to take a chunk out of it... I just have to say " Sophie NO!" She runs away knowing this is a no no! I always thank her for listening. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murfchck Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 My boy stopped talking when we brought him home. He is 7 now or 8, dates elude me. He said step up on the first day and then just this summer said Bongo Bongo but that is all. My hubby laughs at us because he does use sounds like words and i understand his meaning for them. I will speak the word or words he should use in those cases but he just turns his head sideways and makes the noise again. One day he may say something to me, but if he doesn't i still understand him! Then we have another one who will not stop talking, she speaks alot of Spanish so i don't know what she is saying most of the time, she doesn't care too much for me and the words she chooses to use for me are not nice like, dork, weirdo and just this week i got a "hey stupid". LOL She has taken up with the hubs and when he is around she tells me she loves me... They are such smarty pants! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 So true! Our flock all have their own ideas of human interaction sometimes funny sometimes painful but always learning and entertaining for humans and Greys. Joe has such a sense of comic timing with his words and sounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 In general... never give up. They are always processing, and though it may take alot of time ( birdie years), we owe it to them to let them decide on their time to start talking. Doesn't mean they never will. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabina Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 Thanks again everyone! Yeah rio communicates with sounds and I know what he wants also by his body language, he gets frustrated when he wants something like my tea I'm drinking what I don't want to give him even though I have given him a little bit, now if I don't give him what he wants (even if it's chocolate or something iv never given him)he will go to the top of his cage and grab his red tail and start shredding the ends the little bugger! Iv just never seen anything like it he's hanging with one foot while grabbing hold of his tail with the other and it does look funny but I distract him straight away to stop and he will come down but now his tail looks tatty he knows exactly what he's doing to get me to give in but I won't I know I can't but now iv got to stop him with this habit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabina Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 LOL sorry but it is funny isn't it what they come out with you can't help but laugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Sabina, be careful you don't take Rio out when you see him chewing his feathers out of frustration. That will reinforce the habit! Sophie learned quickly I wanted nothing to do with her if she was chewing her feathers out of frustratiion. I would tell her " NO CHEW", walk away. She learned I wanted to be with her when she wasn't attacking herself, and didn't like it when she did. Of course, keep in mind if they are chewing their feathers due to dryness. Important to establish baths and spritzing if you can. Greys do dry out easily. I have been blessed that none of my birds chew their feathers. Its a terrible habit, and needs to be addressed if they do. Always ruleout medical reasons first. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabina Posted February 28, 2014 Author Share Posted February 28, 2014 He doesn't get to come out I do same I distract him and tell him to stop then I walk away and he does not get what he was wanting even if it is something he could have I don't give it to him to make a point, I mist him maybe twice a week with Luke warm water and I spray his tail area well and his feathers are good, he doesn't do it any where else just his red tail and it is only when food is about that he wants but sometimes it's stuff he can't have but he doesn't understand that LOL and if it is something he can have I don't give it him when he does that. I can see me having to eat my forbidden food and drink my tea in another room LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray P Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 My grey Corky never said her first word until she was 25 months old. NOW !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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