Emerald could already talk some when I got her, but she is really slow to say new things. I almost think she practices when I'm not home though, because I never hear her babbling or trying to put words together. There will just be silence and then all of the sudden she will pop out of her cage with "Did you remember my apricots?" or some random thing like that. It always takes me by surprise. She's actually a very quiet bird, and when she does say something, it's almost always something complex. I don't know what her previous home was like, but I do know for sure that she was in a room where music lessons took place, because she will give instructions, and then make a string of piano noises, then critique herself afterwards, lol. She doesn't do that very often anymore, but I love it when she does. That's my favorite thing ever.
Alex is only a year old, but he has picked up alot of words and short phrases. He doesn't produce long sentences like Emma does, but he talks frequently, mostly when he is really happy or excited about something. He recently learned to answer questions I asked him, but he can only answer 'yes', and if the answer is no, he just won't say anything, lol. "Alex, do you want a strawberry?" "YEAH!!! (sometimes with wing action)" "Do you want to pet the kitty?" Ruffled feathers and complete silence, lol. One thing I wish he never would have learned is my cellphone ringtone. He does it just to make me get up and go to him, and then he will stop until I leave, then he does it again once I can't see him. As a result, I take him almost everywhere in the house with me whenever I am home. He likes to listen to the radio / watch TV but he hasn't memorized anything specific from it. I think he just likes the noise. I do leave the radio on whenever I am gone during the day, but nobody is singing so far.