Senegal Parrot: How well do they talk?

[BlondeCorinne]

I'm planning on getting a Senegal Parrot in the near future. I've done so much research and I'm in love with them! I've heard they are talking birds. That is defiantly not the prime reason why I want one (so don't get your panties in a bunch haha x) But I was just wondering if they can remember and speak as clear as some of the other parrots such as Yellow Ring-neck Parrots or African Greys? Just out of curiosity.

[Nir]

just google and you can see. senegals are horrible talkers in my opinion. when they do talk, only you will really understand it and no one else will. i think u can find just 1 youtube of a sennie who talks well and all others just says hi or hello but like i said its hard to understand them. so if talking is important for you then look else where.

[greekparrotlover]

Hello, i have 3 senegal parrots, They are BEAUTIFUL parrots...one of the best.
I have 2 females and 1 male.
As a talking spiece and as i have seen from mine, they can talk really good for the medium size.
Me one female talks clearly some words and the other female now tries too.
The male still does not talk.
In general you must know that adopting a talking parrot spiece, there is no guarantee that shows it's sure talking ability.
But as far as senegals are concerned as talkers, they are being considered good talkers, not such as african greys or amazons, but good too.
Hope i have helped.

[BlondeCorinne]

so if talking is important for you then look else where.

I appreciate your apply, but like I had said, It's not a huge priority for me. I fell in love with the breed before I knew they could talk.

[BlondeCorinne]

As a talking spiece and as i have seen from mine, they can talk really good for the medium size.
Me one female talks clearly some words and the other female now tries too.
The male still does not talk.
In general you must know that adopting a talking parrot spiece, there is no guarantee that shows it's sure talking ability.

Thank you, I appreciate it!

[Pajarita]

My male sennie is not only one of my prolific and clearest talkers, he speaks in context. He knows exactly what he is saying and will use it to communicate. I'll give you four examples:

1. When he used to preen and kiss his first mate (RIP Tobita), he would say to her: "You are such a pretty bird!" and that was the only time he would say it, never in any other circumstance.

2. He hated my guts because Tobita loved me to pieces so he would fly around the room following me wherever I was working and, perching in front of my face, would look into my eyes and say: "Good night, byebye, see you!" over and over (he was throwing me out of the room -LOL)

3. When I bring in a new bird, I do the 'conditioned response' bit I use with them to get them used to eating new foods. I would offer a piece of whatever it is that day and say: "Apple. Apple is good, it's good" and eat one myself. And, as he would follow me around trying to throw me out, he would be perching next to me and, of course, next to the new bird I am trying to get to eat the food he has not eaten before and, looking at the new bird, he would say very firmly: "EAT IT!" Now, the thing is that I never say this to my birds so this was something he must have learned in his previous home but he figured out on his own that the "it's good" of mine actually meant the same as "eat it"

4. He knows his name and would often refer to himself as Sweet as a way to call my attention to him (we are now friends) so when I take too long to serve the a small plate of food he gets for himself in a particular spot he likes and it's something he particularly likes, he questions me by calling his own name out: "Sweet - Sweet!" and when I turn to look at him (sometimes he just wants me to scratch his head -he puts it down and scratches it with his own foot to let me know) he goes: "What's the matter?!" And, again, I don't use this phrase in this context. I only use it when a zon hen I have screams as in pain (she lived with an old bed-ridden lady who complained loudly every time they cleaned her) but he figured out that this means I want to know what is wrong so he uses it accordingly.

Sweetpea is a regular genius but I've also had three sennie hens and, of those, only two talked and both just said a word or two only.

[ceruleansilver]

I have found that Tengu, my three year old sennie, amazes me not with his clarity of speech, but with his grasp of meaning. I would say that Tengu is obviously a better learn then the gold and blue macaw. Jack, the macaw, is very cute, but I never got the feeling he understood what he said besides that you seem to like it when he says it. Webster, the african grey, has a very expansive vocabulary and she often comes up with unique ways to express herself. A senegal falls somewhere inbetween, with a lot of similar mannerisms as a grey. His vocalizations are far from perfect, but there is no doubt in my mind what that persistent whisper of "Tory, Tory, Tory, Tory..." means when he has a empty food bowl. He will also use the same word in different ways.

For example, he uses his own name, Tengu, with varying emphasis. Sometimes it is a battle cry, and sometimes he is trying to get a conversation going. Conversationally, he makes it sound like a question, drawing out the vowels as he gets more impatient for a response. At the end of the day, it is not what a parrot says, but how he says it. I promise you that even if there are no words said, a senegal is always trying to talk. The language you create between yourselves is also largely dependent on how you first try to communicate. Tengu seems to accidentally pick up words, where as the majority are kiss noises and whistles, the sounds I make to him. I'd be wary if you do really love senegals, to keep in mind that they communicate through body language that you might not always pick up, and the parrot might not always give you a second chance to fix your mistake. Tengu is very bad about giving a strong "warning" bite if I've missed his cues. Just something to think about.