I have an IRN that’s about 3 and half years old, and which I think is a female. Quite a while ago (probably two and a half years ago) I taught her to say “hello”. She learnt to say it but it was never very clear. Also, I could never get her to repeat it after I said it, she only ever said it at random times. Now days she doesn’t really say it anymore, and I think that’s because I eventually stopped repeating it to her regularly. What I’m wondering is if anyone has any tips on how to get her to repeat the word after I say it, or if anyone knows if there is any way of helping her to speak more clearly. Any tips on how to teach a bird to talk in general would also be very helpful.
I've been googling this one, and haven't really found much specific info... I'm really interested though! Maybe bumping this topic will get a response?
Our 9 month old bird has been vocalising heaps over the past few months, he hasn't got many words in there though. I usually put music on for him when I leave him in for the cage and he will practise his words, interspersed with birdy noises and contact calls. He talks and wolf heaps when I play stray cat strut, but just screams along if it's guns and roses (it's not at all pleasant). No ideas on how to get him to do it on command, but he now has gibberish conversations with me sometimes, with the odd intelligible words thrown in.
I believe there is a book called something like 'training your parrot the Alex way' which is an explanation of how to use model/rival technique for vocalisations. I haven't tracked down a copy yet, and my boyfriend never has time to fit in training sessions on a regular basis, so we have only tried once...
I posted a thread about this a few weeks ago too. I was frustrated that my boy would mutter gibberish and whistle but had made no progress on talking. I posted an update on that thread that one day out of the blue all the words and phrases that I had been repeating to him came tumbling out of his beak. To keep him talking, when I give him neck scratches he tends to mutter to himself. It's at that time that I repeat the words to him and he repeats them back. If I hear him talking while in his cage or on his play gyms, I call out the same word so he remembers it. The only advice I can give is to be patient, don't give up, and be consistent. Soon you'll have a bird that won't be quiet of course there's always the bird that will never talk so they say. But I choose to always remain positive.
I am owned by my birds...and I wouldn't have it any other way
Something interesting happened here. Rocky has a few words, and mostly I don't pay much attention to the talking because it is a low priority for me. So Rocky's speech is not reinforced and he doesn't talk much. I took him to my bird club meeting on Sunday. He hadn't left the house since his first trip to the vet almost exactly a year ago. While we were traveling to the meeting, Rocky was necessarily bumped and swung around in his travel cage. We were also taking a large "Bird Day" anniversary cake.....
When the "cage-quake" started, Rocky pulled out all his words. It was almost as if he didn't have bird noises equal to this novel event. This was just during the walking part of the trip. He wouldn't talk to the people in the club at all.
On the average, how long will it take an IRN to mutter its first word from the time you teach him/her to talk? and considering too, that the IRN is at a young age, say less than one year old? Also presume that he/she is a talker (coz some say there are IRN's who never talk at all)
of course there's always the bird that will never talk so they say. But I choose to always remain positive.
