Can they actually talk?

**Melissa2006** · 11-05-2007, 07:29 PM

I've heard mixed things about lovebirds actually learning to talk, so I wasn't sure.

But about a week ago Georgie tried to say something.

She actually uttered, in a gutteral sounding voice, something that sounded very close to "Hello Georgie", like she was trying to say it!

But I've never found any examples on the web, of sound files of lovebirds actually talking. Is it extremely rare?

Can it be taught?

If so, how do I get her to try it again???

**BridgeyRoo** · 11-05-2007, 08:51 PM

Yes, they can talk. Martini says a few things quite clearly: "Good Job!" "Step Up" "Up Up Up" and "Kiss Kiss". She also says what I think is "sit" or "stay" (thanks to the dog) - it's definitely another S word that isn't step. She will use the various phrases in appropriate circumstances as well as when she just wants to chatter on. I know there are a couple of other lovies on here that talk too.

I found that Tini will willing say the words she knows but since growing out of being a baby refuses to learn/say(?) new words. I also found the words I want(ed) her to learn (like "I love you") she won't. I'm currently trying for "Good Morning" while continuing with "I love you". I do the same routine every morning when I uncover - say the same phrases, etc. My conure is just starting to talk and I'm hoping it will spur on Tini to add more to her vocabulary - of course what does he say? "Step up". I think it is repetition to get them to learn and for most birds praise when they do it to get them to do it again.

**Lovebirdfan** · 11-05-2007, 09:02 PM

My lovebirds say a few words. They can say clearly Yes", "Seepers now" (sleepers now), "Good boys", "Go home". I always associate the word with an action, such as when I was teaching them to say "Seepers now" I would slowly dim the lights, or when I was teaching them "Good boys" I would say it when they would step up, and they jut picked up on it.

**RandR** · 11-05-2007, 09:21 PM

I've heard Sharkie say "pretty bird"...though it's probably only distinguishable to me...she has the intonation and syllablic placement going...so to me I hear it, Lilli says she can hear it too.

We've been trying for months to get them to do the "wolf whistle" that apparently is fairly easy to teach to cockatiels. Our silly flock has gotten so when we practice it, one group of birds do the "woot", and the other group of birds answer with the "woo".

...but yes, I have heard reports on the internet of some lovebirds being clearly able to "talk".

Mine chatter all the time...sit and talk to me...have always wondered what it is they are trying to say...I have gotten so, that I can tell their distress calls, let me out calls, and feed me now calls!

they're so great!

**pixibubbles** · 11-06-2007, 12:56 AM

yes lovies can talk, although unlike most other birds the females seem to be better than the boys, and they learn best when they are younger.

when i first got spark we were living in a shared house and she adored one of my housemates who would let her out when i wasnt there and take her upstairs where she would sit on his computer while he worked. i thought this was really cute, until she started swearing.

no matter how hard i try she picks up swear words really easily, and hardly anything else. i thought it was something to do with the inflection.. but i tried saying normal things like i was swearing and nothing happened. I've pretty much managed to train her out of most of them, but there are quite a few memorable moments when she has remembered and used them in context. more than one of her vets has been sworn at, and i reguarly hear her muttering bad words to herself when she realises i've medicated her food/water.

the only other words she knows are the ones like "walkies" which she follows up with a wolf whistle and a noise like a chain rattling to wind up my moms dog. she also scolds him quite well

she can mimic my house phone too which she does a lot. she worked out pretty quick that when the phone rings i come into the room. so she mimics it and through a wall sounds pretty convincing. i now have people ringing twice and hanging up to call back, but i'm sure i heard her trying to do that last night lol

**BareFootAviary** · 11-06-2007, 07:11 AM

All my females say "tweety bird: thanks to Jitterbug (whose former name was Tweety Bird). Jitterbug also used to give kisses, do a fake sneeze and then say something like "bless you."

**Emery** · 11-06-2007, 02:30 PM

I have a male lovebird that can talk. He has said "up up" a couple times in his lifetime and says "pretty bird" often, but at random times. I've tried recording it, but he only does it when he wants to. It's very cute and I've tried everything to get him to do it on command, but to no avail.

**Melissa2006** · 11-06-2007, 11:42 PM

Originally Posted by RandR

I've heard Sharkie say "pretty bird"...though it's probably only distinguishable to me...she has the intonation and syllablic placement going...so to me I hear it, Lilli says she can hear it too.

If so many lovebirds can talk, why couldn't I find any sound files of them on the web?

We've been trying for months to get them to do the "wolf whistle" that apparently is fairly easy to teach to cockatiels.

Even our english budgie Angel is doing that now, it's a hoot!

**Melissa2006** · 11-06-2007, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by pixibubbles

yes lovies can talk, although unlike most other birds the females seem to be better than the boys, and they learn best when they are younger.

when i first got spark we were living in a shared house and she adored one of my housemates who would let her out when i wasnt there and take her upstairs where she would sit on his computer while he worked. i thought this was really cute, until she started swearing.

no matter how hard i try she picks up swear words really easily, and hardly anything else. i thought it was something to do with the inflection.. but i tried saying normal things like i was swearing and nothing happened. I've pretty much managed to train her out of most of them, but there are quite a few memorable moments when she has remembered and used them in context. more than one of her vets has been sworn at, and i reguarly hear her muttering bad words to herself when she realises i've medicated her food/water.

the only other words she knows are the ones like "walkies" which she follows up with a wolf whistle and a noise like a chain rattling to wind up my moms dog. she also scolds him quite well

she can mimic my house phone too which she does a lot. she worked out pretty quick that when the phone rings i come into the room. so she mimics it and through a wall sounds pretty convincing. i now have people ringing twice and hanging up to call back, but i'm sure i heard her trying to do that last night lol

I was going up to a garden apartment to knock on the door and do a serve ( serve papers ) and when I knocked, I heard some knocking sounds inside. I'm thinking; What the.... So I knocked again, and again heard knocking sounds from inside. I did this like 4 times and each time heard knocking sounds from inside, but no one would answer the door. So as I'm leaving, I look in the front window next to the walkway and there's a big parrot in a cage in the living room!

**pixibubbles** · 11-07-2007, 12:55 AM

i dont know about anyone else melissa but i dont actually own a video camera. But knowing lovebirds i expect if you get close enough to actually pick them up on the microphone (i imagine you would have to be quite close) they would stop talking to either attack/play with the camera.

**BareFootAviary** · 11-07-2007, 06:52 AM

I think Helen is right. I should have gotten Jitterbug on camera, she was always saying "tweety bird" on command.

**RedFeather** · 11-07-2007, 07:02 AM

I would think that if a little budgie is capable of talking (and they are - I used to have a talking budgie), that a lovebird would be, too. That's kind of cool she is showing interest in learning to talk, though. Some birds are very interested in that, and some just never are.

**BridgeyRoo** · 11-07-2007, 08:59 AM

I used to have videos of Tini saying Step Up to the Rubber Duckie in our bathroom and then she would wait and wait and wait for the duckie to step up so she could tell it Good Job...but it wouldn't, so I would ask her, didn't it do a good job? And she would give me the evil eye

Anyhow, I lost those videos when we switches internet providers when we moved

I will try to get Tini on video again, but be forewarned that it is a phone video camera, so quality isn't great. Oh wait, I just remembered I have a video feature on the camera I got for my birthday...we'll try that!

**Melissa2006** · 11-07-2007, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by pixibubbles

i dont know about anyone else melissa but i dont actually own a video camera. But knowing lovebirds i expect if you get close enough to actually pick them up on the microphone (i imagine you would have to be quite close) they would stop talking to either attack/play with the camera.

You could always have the camera outside the cage and have it run for a couple of hours at a time?

**pixibubbles** · 11-07-2007, 02:40 PM

if ever i get one i will. want new still camera first tho. sort of dropped it and broke auto focus. not good.

**sunblume1** · 11-07-2007, 04:13 PM

My female says "Bird, Bird"...I said it all the time when they were little. But that's all she has picked up on. She also isn't friendly so I can't really work on her. She doesn't say it on command but sometimes we'll chat back and forth (she says it, then I say it).