Marvin speaks!

[Strawfrawg]

At 17 weeks, Marvin the Sennie has suddenly found his (quiet little) voice. I was about to ask the forum here how old he would be before he started speaking...if he would at all...but he has already answered me. The other night I put a blanket over my head and shoulders while I was watching TV...he likes to snuggle my neck and chirp to himself under cover. I was saying "Good baby" and suddenly he said what was clearly an attempt at "Baby". It was super quiet and sounded less than confident. Of course I went nuts praising him, and he got shy and didn't try again. UNTIL, that is, yesterday afternoon, when he clearly said "Hi" and "Nite-nite". I can't get him to speak on command, but I hear him practicing when he's playing on his own. Marvin will be a talker!!!

I hope he doesn't go silent at his first molt. My cockatiel said a few words before then, but never spoke again. He would imitate whistles and melodies, but no more language. I still wonder why.

[Eric&Rebecca]

awwwwww! Our cockatiels are talking up a storm at the moment i'm so glad marvin started too!

[Pajarita]

One of my best talkers is my male senegal. He doesn't only have a large repertoire, he knows exactly what he is saying and I'll give you two examples:

- When he first came to me, he hated all humans equally (he had been in a cage for 11 years) but he hated me even more because the female he had fallen in love at first sight during his quarantine (Tobita, his first mate) adored me so he regarded me as competition and lost no opportunity to attack me. But, when he was not actively attacking me, he would follow me around the birdroom (25 x 13 ft) and perching in front of me, he would look into my eyes and say: "Good night, bye-bye, see you!" over and over and over - he was throwing me out! -LOL

- Every day, when I serve them breakfast, I say the name of the fruit and veggie they get in always the same way: "Banana. Banana is good. It's good" and I eat it right along with them. This works very well when you are introducing new foods because the phrase creates a conditioned response after a while and they would try new things without questioning. So, whenever I get a new bird, I do it in front of him/her and repeat it several times (to create the conditioning). Sweetpea would look at the bird and say: "Eat it! Eat it!" which is obviously something he was said by a previous owner but the astonishing thing is that he made the connection in his mind that my phrase actually means that I want the new bird to eat it!

He also asks: "What's your name?" and answers "Sweetpeeeeeee!" among other things. But, of the three female sennies I've had, only one talked and she just said her own name so I don't know if this means that male sennies are better talkers (like female YCA talk better than the males) or if he is just unusually smart.

[Strawfrawg]

I love your stories, parajita! My boyfriend's Sennie, Akeyo I, was always a very thoughtful talker. No imitation...she knew what she was saying and even understood abstract ideas like "I don't know" and zero. The day she died, after a short respiratory illness around age 25, she kept saying "yucky" over and over...a word she knew meant something was bad or wrong.

I don't know if Marvin's got that kind of brainpower yet...I'm amazed that he's saying anything at all so young...but I'm elated at his new promise. I didn't care if he talked or not...we all know birds have ways of telling you everything that's on their mind without speaking our language. But hearing him speak is the coolest thing. It's like he's saying, "You're cool with me. You're a good mom. I'm going to make the effort to talk like you." That's anthropomorhizing, I know. But especially after his burn incident last week, it feels pretty good to hear that little voice speaking my language!

[Pajarita]

No, no, it's not really anthropomizing, that is what parrots do when they learn to talk in human speech. Parrots 'talk' among themselves. They not only name their babies in the nest, names that the baby continues to use (sometimes with a tweak) throughout their entire lives to refer to themselves and which others use to address them but they also have 'words' and 'phrases' which they use to communicate among themselves. Studies have shown that wild parrots usually use about 500 different 'words' or 'phrases'. Studies have also shown that the same species in different geographical locations use a particular dialect but, when the members of one group needs to join another, they learn their dialect. This tells us the oral communication is part of their 'culture'. And, when they learn to talk human, they are definitely trying to communicate with us - which clearly indicates not only acceptance but a desire to 'belong'. I have no doubt about it!

[KimberlyAnn]

Awwww it's so exciting when you hear them talk! Marvin is a good baby.

And LOL Pajarita! That's hallarious! He really made his point clear!

[Strawfrawg]

That's fascinating, Pajarita. I'm glad you've joined us. It's added another layer of learning.

Marvin's own "language" is so complex...the range of sounds he makes is unlike anything my cockatiel did. Weebo's vocabulary was mostly whistles and sharp calls, while Marvin does everything from clicks, warbles and whirs to whistles, groans and screeches. There are definitely times when he seems to be saying something complex to me. Ha ha...sometimes I think he has a better chance of learning my language than I do learning his! I can read his mood and what he wants/needs, but that's as much about body language and what he does with his eyes as it is about the sounds he makes. Some of his vocabulary is too sophisticated for the likes of me!

Kimberly Ann...thanks. Yes he is a good baby. Except when he's not! As he grows, his diabolical streak is growing, too!