he has a spectacular vocabulary, and loves to talk when know one is watching, but as soon as I walk into the room he won't talk...any advice??
2006-10-24 17:56:24 · 9 answers · asked by TLD 2 in Pets ➔ Birds
Will he talk on cue? If you can reinforce talking with a treat, he may tend to talk more in front of other people. Then by giving the treat to your friends to give him, he will realize that talking to others will get him a reinforcer. Then you will have opened up the damn and he will begin "offering" behaviors (talking) in order to receive treats and attention. My Grey talks like a maniac in front of people because of this training technique.
2006-10-25 03:37:06 · answer #1 · answered by Phoenix 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Be glad your grey talks. Our grey is not much of a talker at all although he will occasionally say thank you. I call him my sound effects bird though as he will bark like a dog, meow like a cat, do a raspberries sound, sound like someone blowing their nose or passing gas, someone hanging up the cordless phone, someone opening a can of Pepsi, the kitchen timer and many other sounds. He also plays dead on command so the fact that he isn't a talker is not important. Praise him and offer him a treat when he says something that you hear. Also repeat what you want him to say many times while you are in the room so that he gets the idea that it is ok to talk in front of you. Other than these suggestions and the ones the other posters have offered you need to just give him time and see if he decides to start talking in front of people. Greys are very very smart and have the intelligence of a 4-5 year old child so give him time and praise him highly for good things like talking even if you are not in the room.
2006-10-25 06:17:52 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a 2 year old african grey that does this. She used to only talk while we were gone, then started talking in front of my husband, and now will talk in front of me. She is still very shy with anyone else. I've also heard that when they are learning new words they don't like to practice saying them with people around. I play the radio alot, leave the tv on when we are gone, and talk to her even when I'm not in the same room. She seems to pick up on things. Hopefully your grey will talk to you soon. Talking to him often should help also.
2006-10-24 18:08:52 · answer #3 · answered by Rachel B 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My African Grey can be the same. He gets shy in front of new people, like any normal human being. The more your parrot gets used to people he may or may not talk more. Some Parrats are talkers and others aren't
2006-10-25 04:35:46 · answer #4 · answered by mcfly.ss 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is all about your bird comfort zones. I have great birds that talk all the time until someone stops by. If I am gone and someone comes to the door they hear them talking and sometimes insist I was home when I wasn't but as soon as they come inside poof! until they get to know that person. My guess is you keep your bird away from normal daily traffic. Try migrating your bird more into your life. Let him get used to the hustle a bustle of the entire daily routine, and soon you will have your bird driving you crazy in no time.
TV and radio is not a good practice as they practice while it is quiet and TV/radio in the beginnig can produce a bird that just mumbles.
2006-10-24 18:07:33 · answer #5 · answered by WingMan 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My Grey is almost the same way. He jabbers constantly. He will even talk when he hears strangers in another part of the house. If someone he doesn't know is within eyesight, though, forget it, he clams up. He does talk in front of me though usually when he is in his cage or across the room on his playstand.
This is normal for Greys. They are not the showoffs of the bird world and tend to be reserved around strangers. As far as your Grey not talking around you he probably feels he doesn't need to. Birds talk primarily to get attention. If he already has your attention and you are in the room he does not see a need to talk.
2006-10-25 02:47:53 · answer #6 · answered by Rags to Riches 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wingman has it right. I just wanted to add that sometimes they can be as stubborn and ornery as cats. They take an idea into their heads and it takes a lot of patience to change their minds.
Also, it can take a bird a little while to learn new things, so again, be patient.
Do make sure his cage is in a high traffic area.
If he responds to your son, use him to get the bird to like you.
Good Luck
2006-10-24 18:15:57 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
My parrot use to do the same thing....My son age (12) at the time told me Paradise talked all the time.....I would tell my son every morning when he entered the bathroom "Close the door"....so one morning my son headed off to the bathroom and the bird screamed before me...."CLOSE THE DOOR".... LOL
He would talk mostly around my son, I was left to listen in another room...The vet said they talk around the ones they care for the most
2006-10-24 18:00:53 · answer #8 · answered by Diamond in the Rough 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes that could be because he is shy and he does'nt like to talk in front of you because he is to shy you should'nt get mad at him.
2006-10-25 02:28:52 · answer #9 · answered by W.I.C.K.E.D. 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋