I got Marla when she was about 7 years old. I've had her for about 6 months. She came with a pretty good vocabulary that she is pretty stingy with-she chatters for about an hour around mid-day and says all kinds of things (even good boy-though I was told she is a girl ) My question is, how successful have you been getting an older bird with an established vocabulary to say new things? I talk to her a lot, and can get her to make pig noises, chicken noises, and duck noises-but she's not said any new words except "kitty, kitty, kitty." (I don't have a cat, I was just trying to see if I could get her say SOMETHING new.) I think the "itty" sound was easy for her-she is somewhat of a perch potato. Is it just too much trouble for her to bother? Is she just being contrary? For the life of me I can't get her to say "I am Joe the Plumber!!!!!!!!!!!" OK, maybe she's just too smart? hahaha.

Maybe she's just too smart to get involved in politics. Yes, birds can learn new words and phrases all their lives. I think sometimes they just like their favorite words and don't care much for new ones unless they really catch their attention.
I had a BFA that was 6 when I got her and she learned many new things between 6 and 12. She died when my house burned in 1987. I'd say she learned about 20 new things in the 6 years we had her. I was crushed when she died. She was my best buddy!

My Mr. Kiwi will soon be 9 yrs old and he is talking less. I have been trying to get him to say "Night, Night" for the longest time and he still won't say it. Just about everyday he goes thru his little talking mod with all of his words, but as far as new words, it hasn't happened. Sorry I am no help....LOL

I tend to agree with the idea she just uses her favorites and saves the others for NO ONE is home. I think she likes what she likes and she just likes me to talk to her. She knows I'm happy when she says just about anything, so "I love you" (melts my heart), "What are you doing?" and "c'mere" are sufficient when we are together. She says the most when she thinks no one is listening. I spent several days re-doing my bathroom and she just yakked up a storm every day around mid morning. She knew I was around, but not right in her space.

Clyde prefers sound effects to words, though he can say several he won't say. Stubborn little stinker. In the first few weeks we had him, he learned to say "good George" but he hasn't said it since, and he can say "I love you" but he won't. Best I can hope for is a garbled "wuh woo" occasionally. He really only says "pretty bird" and "hello" and "pepper" with any consistency. But when he thinks he's alone he just chatters up a storm.

i was sure louie would never talk. then goofy came home and louie started talking up a storm. he's busting out new phrases all the time. if he's on his stand and i walk up to him, he'll say, "gimme a kiss" or if his water is not accessable (he's known for dumping out the whole thing onto the floor), he'll do his squawk for it, then when i bring it up to him he'll say, "do you wanna drink?" he said a new one last nite, but i can't remember what it was all i remember is that i was thrilled

but now that he's got some new phrases, he's not using some of his older ones as much. i can't, for the life of me, get him to play peekaboo anymore.

just keep on as you are and i'm sure you'll get a surprise soon enough.

kris

We got Petey at 4yr and he came to us knowing a few words - but he has learned so much in the 6 months that we have had him. He surprises us all the time with new things. His new favorite is " Wrigley, Wrigley *kiss Kiss sound * come here!" - calling our dog! Our newest lesson is teaching him the Quaker song and he's got the first two lines down!

I wish mine would do something,,,
but he is very quiet. Sometimes when I am outside, I can hear him sqwaking,,,
I have no idea how old he is, and people have told me there really is no way to tell.
How long do you expect it to take a bird to imitate noises once he is comfortable, or how long before you just say
"he'll never make noises or imitate"?
thanks Lori

Lori,

How long have you had your qp?

Sweetie came to me already with a big vocabulary and has been here for about 4 months now and she learns new words all the time.In the past 4 months she has picked up"Wow~!" "Nite nite" "Get out~!" "Go away" "Mommy" "I want to play" "Take with" "Let's go to work" "Oh what a beautiful morning" and several others...We've been writing down her words/phrases and it's now up to 95...She can say fairly long sentences like"I love you,Mommy pretty girl" and ""Are you ready?Let's go to work" She never fails to amaze me.Some things I've tried to teach her by saying them over and over and she doesn't say them,but let me say a "bad" word just once and it becomes her favorite word of the day...little stinker

Tracy;
I found my QP on Aug 18,
he became fairly comfortable with things in about a week, really comfortable after about 3 weeks, with getting on us, bathing and eating new things, you still can not touch him, but he gives kisses, knows his name, begs for certain foods by reaching out, but not making noise for anything.
I try to delay giving him his favorites for a few seconds, (not so long that it seems mean) to get him to make a noise, but he will give up rather than vocalize.
I talk to him all the time, and tell him everything we are doing, naming the foods, HELLO and BYE! Good Birdie, etc.
We also have little dogs which bark when they play or someone comes in, he won't even bark, but seems interested that they do, not fearful. He likes to peer at them as the go by, or ignores them completely, he isn't afraid.
So, I have had him almost 3 months now...
he's so quiet, just the other day finally started flying in place! Now that is fun!
Lori

I have no idea how old my Clyde is, but I know he's an adult at least. I'm guessing he's 3 or 4 but that's just a wild guess. However, he did come out with a new phrase just last night, and a few days ago he said a new word. He must practice in private -- I know he practices when he *thinks* no one can hear him, so he must practice when we're gone, too -- and waits to use a new one when he's satisfied he's got it right. From what others have said on this board, that's pretty typical of Quakers (though we'd all like to think OUR Quaker is the smartest and cutest of all! ).

So maybe yours is practicing on the sly and you only *think* she's not picking up new things! Wait a while and she might surprise you after she's had time to practice.

I was wondering if Lori's QP isn't practicing or chatting herself up on sly too. I know Marla says all kind of things when I'm upstairs, in the shower, etc. THat's when I've heard her say the most things that she just won't say when I'm with her. It's sooooo funny to hear her chatter. I ask her to say the stuff I heard I and looks at me like I'm crazy. Sometimes she says new to me things when I put the video camera on her. THats when I first heard her say, gotta go bye bye and do some cray little wing dip dance. Keep talking and keep listening when your QP doesn't think you're around! That's what I'm doing!