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Awkward vocalizations.

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

Awkward vocalizations.

Postby Kathleen » Wed Sep 30, 2009 11:42 pm

Has your parrot or have your parrots picked up any vocalizations of something awkward or obscene? How careful do you have to be when talking around your parrots? ( Is it species dependent?) Do your parrots vocalize in front of strangers or guests and embarrass you?
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Re: Awkward vocalizations.

Postby Mona » Thu Oct 01, 2009 11:05 am

Hi Kathleen:

I have a story. When my mother-in-law visited our new home for the first time, Phinney was in her cage. Phinney was chatting away (I call it stream of consciousness talking) and I thought it was cute. I said to my mother-in-law, "Phinney is talking. Isn't she cute? Can you hear what she is saying?" I opened the door and right at that moment Phinney said something she had never said before. She said "Phinney, SH@#!" My mother-in-law said, "Did she say what I think she said?"

Doug and I argued for days about which one of us taught her that.

Any way, I don't want her saying that so what I do now, if I hear her saying the word is I go, "Phinney....SHOOOOOOT!".....and we have modified this so now she does say "SHOOOT!" It is funny because if Doug hits his head or something, Phinney will say "SHOOOT! SHOOT!" (The older the birds get, the more they talk in context and Phinney is 13 years old)

Basically, the word we didn't want has extinguished from Phinney's vocalbulary today in favor or more exciting phrases like: "Out, out, I want out!" and "Kiri, Kiri!"

I think with the African Greys especially, they tend to like a phrase, say it quite a bit and then they get tired of it and quit saying it.

Thanks!

Mona
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Re: Awkward vocalizations.

Postby Michael » Thu Oct 01, 2009 2:39 pm

Wow Mona, that is funny. I guess just like around kids it's important to watch your language in front of a parrot cause once they learn it, there's no stopping them. I remember when my brother was little (maybe like 6 years old) he saw the movie Austin Powers and he remembered the scene where mini-me shows his middle finger. I guess that really cracked everyone up who was watching so more attention was brought to that scene than others. At some later point I was with a friend and my brother started imitating that scene from the movie and worst of all everyone else reinforced him with laughter and attention because it was funny to see him do it but that made it all the worse and harder to unteach!

On the bird front, Kili heard a blue jay screaming outside and now she can't get that out of her head and is obsessing with repeating that annoying scream!
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Re: Awkward vocalizations.

Postby Natacha » Sat Oct 03, 2009 9:23 pm

Mine haven't picked up anything obscene yet, but it's not like they really have a chance to do so. I do occasionally slip up, but I don't feel like I need to watch myself as this is quite rare.

However, one of my mom's birds, an African Grey, came to us with quite the vocabulary. He did like to use the F bomb quite a bit...but not hearing it at my parents he has mostly stopped using it, only using it sparely and only in "appropriate" times..which is always rather funny ;)
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Re: Awkward vocalizations.

Postby MandyG » Tue Oct 06, 2009 5:57 pm

My bird picked up the F word... my fault unfortunately :? .

I had a really long day and had a headache when I got home. I was greeted by 3 very excited jumping and barking dogs, I was so frustrated I just told them to F off... big mistake, but I didn't really think of it at the time. Later we had some friends over and the dogs were playing loudly and he yelled at them and told them to F off :o . And of course my friends laughed and reinforced it :|.

Thankfully he doesn't say it very frequently anymore since it's not being said and he's not being reinforced when he says it now. Definitely taught me a lesson ;) .
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Re: Awkward vocalizations.

Postby triplebbirds » Sun Nov 29, 2009 2:22 pm

Ok Pugzy doesnt curse YET. I am sure she will pick up one or two words eventually. The only "awkard" thing she ssays is "dont tell mom" my husband taught her to say that. He gives her bites of pretzel and tells her "shhhh dont tell mom" so now when she wants a treat she tells me "dont tell mom." Then she tells me im a pretty bird and "beaks are for talking not for biting"

Shrek, the quaker the other day when we were talking about having babies went through his normal banter... "babies"... "pretty bird'...."love you love you love you".... "babies"..... then he threw a new one in.... 'yummy'
Were going to have to talk about that one.
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Re: Awkward vocalizations.

Postby Kathleen » Mon Nov 30, 2009 11:41 am

That is soo cute and funny! :D
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Re: Awkward vocalizations.

Postby windharper » Fri Jan 15, 2010 7:58 pm

We've had to be ~very~ careful around Tamber! He picks up things so easily that it is something I am concerned about.

About a month after I got him he said in a clear low-pitched voice, "Get outta the way, Bit**." This bugged me alot. We always referred to him and as he even before we had any idea, but, in the pet store they called him a her. I told them at the pet shop and they acted completely surprised that anyone there might have said that around him. My guess is that a male employee didn't like having to clean his cage. :(
Last edited by windharper on Tue Feb 09, 2010 6:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Awkward vocalizations.

Postby Kathleen » Tue Jan 19, 2010 1:45 pm

Wow, that is pretty bad. He had to have picked it up from there. Another case of a bad pet store employee if that is true. :?
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Re: Awkward vocalizations.

Postby Cinski » Wed Jan 20, 2010 1:33 pm

I have one. Ceasar's cage was in the kitchen until yesterday and one evening when the kids were sitting at the kitchen table eating and I was cleaning up after cooking Ceasar was chattering in his cage trying to get the kid's attention. Well, they were busy eating and ignored Ceasar so he said "Bi***". The kids immediately started laughing and asking if I heard what he said (they aren't alowed to curse, obviously, but they know a curse when they hear it). Oh yes I heard it!

On another occasion I was in a different room checking my email and he was in his cage chattering. He's a shy bird and doesn't try to talk when people are around(unless he knows the word very well) but if we are in a different room and being quiet he'll get brave. Well, while he was chattering he mimiced the phone ringing(he does this often and my husband will change the ring on the phone from time to time to throw him off) 3 times then "faked" talking then made a beep sound like he was calling someone and leaving a msg but at the end of the fake talking he finished it up with bi***. I couldn't help but laugh at that one.

Those are the only times I've ever been certain I've heard him curse. There were a couple of times I thought I heard him throw down the F bomb but I'm not sure if he really said it or not.
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