Trained Parrot BlogParrot Wizard Online Parrot Toy StoreThe Parrot Forum

Talk or Not?

Want to teach your bird talk? Learn about and discuss methods for training birds to vocalize and mimic different sounds on cue.

Talk or Not?

Postby ParrotAddict » Thu Sep 20, 2012 5:08 pm

Hello! I have a 8 yr old male TAG. He only speaks when I am not in the room. Needless to say, he is not a big talker, only saying a few words or makes different sounds and whistles. Also lately, I have noticed he has only been saying the word "Birdie" and none of the other words he knows. Does anyone know why he might only talk when I'm not in the room and also why he has stopped saying the other words I have heard him speak before. Is there anything I can do? I really would love to him talk again.

Thanks :gray:
ParrotAddict
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 1
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: TAG
Flight: Yes

Re: Talk or Not?

Postby JacobBird » Thu Sep 20, 2012 6:05 pm

It is maybe that you never say the words to him anymore, making him forget those words. I will say to make him talk to you, bring him to the perch near you and just be quiet (watch tv or something). Then when he say a word, go treat him (:
JacobBird
Cockatiel
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 72
Location: BirdLand
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Blue-eyed Cockatoo
Flight: Yes

Re: Talk or Not?

Postby pennyandrocky » Thu Sep 20, 2012 6:20 pm

mine go throgh this sometimes when they're trying to come up with something new but i always try to answer when they talk to encourage that rather than the screaming. my neighbors who don't know i have birds give crazy looks when i'm waiting for kids to get off their buses and talking back to mya :corella: sitting in the window waiting for me to come back in.
pennyandmya
pennyandrocky
Amazon
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 915
Number of Birds Owned: 2
Types of Birds Owned: green cheek conure,ducorps cockatoo
Flight: Yes

Re: Talk or Not?

Postby Dave & Karen » Sat Dec 29, 2012 3:24 am

Our P-let is still a "closet talker" too where he will chatter and go thru all the words he knows or even chirp out part of a song he heard, but as soon as he notices someone's paying attention to him or walks in the room he goes hush hush but recently he's decided to just perch in his tree or on one of his play stands and just go for it with us in the room with him, still the chatter but with words coming out clearly between chatters and quiet singing.
I have also noticed he'll start his chatters if there's enough background noise like an electric razor or the shower running so I"ll perch him on my shoulder and turn on the razor acting like I"m shaving and he's singing and chattering away. Once I hear a word come out, I repeat it to him and give him tons of praise. He even says words or phrases neither of us taught him so he's getting it from the tv too. I reward it all and repeat anything he says back to him to encourage it more which seems to be working.
Also, I remember reading somewhere that if he has a rival that'll bring him past his shyness so the wife and I will play this role but it didn't seem to be that effective... until we brought our IRN home and I perched Blue in front of her cage and off he went showing off to this female IRN that's 5x his size.. he asked "what are you doing?" perfectly clearly, then firmly told her "gentle beak" a few times and told her "peek a boo" repeatedly... I was impressed with his vocabulary and didn't even know he could say gentle beak etc, but he does now like to chatter in front of us more and more, and of course, this gets him LOTS of attention and praise so he's definitely losing his shyness around us.
Try the background noise thing first to see if you can get him to chatter and reward every word he says while chattering etc, try to do the rivalry skit with your wife or a friend as the bird will get jealous of this person getting crazy attention for saying these words you're trying to teach the bird, or place your bird in the presence of another bird, preferably of opposite sex, even if you have to take him to a pet store and be ready to reward with treats and praise. The bird will talk more and more in front of you after you find which exercise works best.
User avatar
Dave & Karen
Conure
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 107
Number of Birds Owned: 11
Types of Birds Owned: Pacific Parrotlet
Lovebird
Sun Conure
Green Cheek Conure
Indian Ringneck
2 Quakers
DYH Amazon
Cockatiel
2 Budgeis
Flight: Yes

Re: Talk or Not?

Postby Polarn » Sun Dec 30, 2012 7:38 am

another method that some has had success with is capturing the talking, this would require him to be clickertrained pretty much though so that he knows the clicker to be a bridge. and then what you do is lets say you want to capture birdie, every time you hear him say it in the other room you will click the clicker (he will hear it) then rush in to follow up with the treat. if properly done/ he catches onto it, he will start begging for a treat by saying birdie, once he does that you can actually put it on command. like asking "what are you?" then wait for him to say "birdie" click reward and just keep on asking the same question and waiting for a reply... but thats further on.. but I do think clicking rewarding for speech is a good route to get him comfy speaking when your arround since he will know talking=treat.
User avatar
Polarn
Amazon
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 608
Location: Alicante, Spain
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Greenwing macaw
Flight: Yes


Return to Training Parrot Vocalizations

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests

Parrot ForumArticles IndexTraining Step UpParrot Training BlogPoicephalus Parrot InformationParrot Wizard Store