How smart Green Cheek Conures??

[layla]

So our little Green Cheek Conure Baby is coming this weekend from a breeder.


But I am curious. I have heard they are as smart as other big parrots such African Greys even. But has anyone ever read any research about how smart they are? Or had first had experience of this?


If anyone owns one can you tell me:

-How many word can they learn?
- Can they learn numbers? Counting?
- Can they learn Colors?

I was just curious. Either way, we will love the little guy. But I was just wondering if anyone knows what their potential is, either personally or from research they read.


Thanks!

[pennyandrocky]

my says "i love you" ,"hey baby" ,and "mommy". he was potty trained in a week. so i guess they're pretty smart. he also bangs on his outdoor cage when he wants out and requests birdy videos when he sees me on the laptop he says "baby?" over and over until i give in.

[marie83]

Green cheeks dont tend to be good talkers, I think I read the average was about 8 words.
They are certainly very very smart-too smart at times and can definitly learn to identify but not necessarily say the colour, counting I'm not so sure about but with time and patience it might be possible.

[paper_lantern]

Green cheeks tend to have a raspy/gritty voice, BUT mine has learned a variety of words. He knows;

Allo (Hello in French)
Fais Caca (Go poop in French)
Beau tit bebe (Beautiful little baby in French)
Thank you
Oui (Yes in French)
Yum Yum Yum
Be Good
Whatchu doing?
Love you
Chubby (his name)


He uses many of these words in context. For instance, he says thank you when I give him something he wants. He says "yum yum yum" when he wants supper. He will also say "watchu doing" when he is curious and "fais caca" before he does his poops.


He also mimics the beeping of the microwave and the creaking sound the front door makes when someone opens it. AND he picked up our laughs, so when we laugh he mocks us.

As far as trick training, it does take some time with him because he is super stubborn and energetic, so it's hard to get him to sit still for training. I've taught him to "shake hands" and "turn around" so far though. I've had to get a lock for his cage door because the little bugger figured out how to open it on his own.

So yes, I would say they are very smart, especially for a small parrot. But that intelligence comes coupled with high levels of energy, mischievousness, and sometimes loud screaming. He needs to be watched at ALL times when out of the cage, otherwise he gets into stuff he shouldn't.

I'm not sure if they can learn to recognize numbers and colors. I'm wondering if anyone has ever really tried to teach them these concepts? It would be an interesting research project to undertake

[GnomeKat]

My daughter has a GCC named Landau. He can say his name. He has a 'speaking voice' and his bird voice. He's lived in my house all but a year of his life. The thing is, if you know him or live with him, you can understand most of what he says.

He is a barnyard. He can bark, meow, make parakeet sounds, laugh, make kissing sounds. When our Border Collie had her pups, he would wait until mama and all the babies were asleep and start making those soft, little puppy sounds and wake them all up. Then, he lived around some kittens, and makes their sounds, too. He imitates the alarm system beeps, all these are done in his parrot voice.

In his speaking voice, he's got about twenty words and phrases, maybe more. If you didn't live with him, you wouldn't understand most of them. But if you know him, they are clear and easy to get.

We talk to the birds. That's all I've done to my parakeet, and she laughs like me. Her first real word was uh oh!!! Go Jack! We're still celebrating. We talk to the birds as if they were people, and they are wonderfully social.

Enjoy!!! I remember when Landau came home. Those were special days.


Kate

[LadySaphine]

My GCC, Peanut, talks when she's happy. She says 'pretty girl', 'pretty bird', 'good girl', and 'good bird'. I think she says her name too but her voice is low and gritty, like it was mentioned before.

Peanut only knows two very basic tricks, wave and step up. She is flighted but can't fly very well at all. When I got her she was clipped. So teaching her recall will be very tricky...

Green cheeks are sweet little balls of feathers. She loves to cuddle and in general be near me. Now, when you read GCC's are 'quiet', this is compared to other birds. Peanut can be quite loud, I hear her squawking right now.

[Sean]

My can say 11 words and he's almost 7 months old but they cannot learn colors and numbers

[Victor]

One may prove you wrong one day. Before Alix. Most wold say birds can not count. And only repeat what they hear. I'd say this would be hard to disprove.

[Pajarita]

I beg to disagree, Victor. People who never had a parrot thought they only repeated things, people who had parrots always knew they were incredibly smart and could talk in context -at least, my grandmother knew before I was born and I am almost 60!