# Cockatiel Vocal Ability



## adellelauren (Jan 14, 2012)

I have two male Cockatiels. My Lutino Sparta does the wolf whistle and says pretty bird where my normal gray Harley just does regular male whisteling. I have been trying to get them both to do more stuff but nothing is working. I even have a cd that I run through. My question is does anyone have any advice that might help?


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## Dekey (Apr 21, 2011)

Cockatiels whistle when they are happy and content maybe they don't feel safe enough ? Or they aren't bonded to you I'm
Not sure there will be
Others will
More useful info


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## Raheel (Aug 22, 2011)

it takes some time. Try it in the morning and evening when they are vocal


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## adellelauren (Jan 14, 2012)

*Dekey*

My boys are very happy and sing a lot. Just trying to get them to possibly do more tunes.


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## Dekey (Apr 21, 2011)

Oh okay good luck


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## Injood (May 8, 2011)

what i do is that tiels usually whistle what sounds interesting to thme they pick it up and then they try to whistle it, i also watched the video that said that if u try multiple and different sounds or whistles everyday they get confused so to teach them something else u need to stick to one kind of tone and whistle till they pick it up and once u notice that they dont have a hard time with it then u can start with a new one


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

Repetition and patience are the main keys! They may not catch on straight away, but keep doing what you have been doing, it can take time, I am sure they will eventually (maybe even sooner) catch onto it.


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## adellelauren (Jan 14, 2012)

Thank you everyone for the advice. I shall try these.


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

Persistence is the key! You are doing it right! I reward Grey for talking so he says the only phrase he knows a lot- "pretty bird".. i have noticed he likes some songs better than others... Like he really digs S&M by Rihanna and Brittney Spears and doesn't really care for Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5... Which has whistling in it. lol Just be persistent. They will learn with time.


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

I swear.. my 4 month old male is a Cad! If I didn't know any better.. I'd say he was picking on me. lol Sometimes I'll walk by his cage.. and he'll wolf whistle.. and then he does this repeated clucking that REALLY sounds like he's laughing. Come on now.. lol Geesh..


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## Codyandme1 (Sep 14, 2011)

Lol, my baby I'm rearing learnt the 'special' whistle within about a week or 2! I was so surprised that day when all of a sudden he comes out with it! Lol! Definitely repetition! Also make it interesting and put some Enthusiasm into it, that's why so many birds pick up swearing quite quickly Lol!


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## adellelauren (Jan 14, 2012)

Codyandme1 said:


> Lol, my baby I'm rearing learnt the 'special' whistle within about a week or 2! I was so surprised that day when all of a sudden he comes out with it! Lol! Definitely repetition! Also make it interesting and put some Enthusiasm into it, that's why so many birds pick up swearing quite quickly Lol!


I absolutely agree. LOL


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## TheBirdman (Jan 20, 2012)

My cockatiel can do the wolf whistle and say "Pretty Bird". Well, its more like whistling to the point where it sound almost like saying pretty bird, but close enough. Its how he says goodnight to me.


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## pluto (Oct 27, 2011)

I had my tiel at 18 days old and fed him so I think he bonded and felt safe possibly sooner than if I would have received him later, but I was still surprised at how quickly he began to talk. At 12 weeks old he was saying pretty bird clearly. He wolf whistles and also whistles a full tune I tought him. at 4 months old he was already saying "what are you doing" and he makes a clicking noise like I do with him. He laughs now too and has extending his "pretty bird" to "you're a pretty pretty pretty pretty bird" lol. He also beeps like the microwave!

I am now trying to teach him how to say Hi and also how to say I love you. Hopefully his ability will continue to expand.

Also he is the only bird here and I am home all the time with him. His cage is in our kitchen where I am at a lot so I think many factors went into the early talking with him.


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

Don't give up hope.. just today my boy McGee startled us all by saying Peek A Boo!  He is also starting to whistle the song If You're Happy And You Know It.. and it sounds like he's trying to say Watcha Doing? Repeat, repeat, repeat.. and be patient. Change it up too.. be energetic when you say what you want to teach them.


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## MeanDonnaJean (Dec 3, 2011)

I'm pretty darn sure that the answer to this question is spread all over the world wide web, but I'm just too darn tired to go 'n search for it tonite. Besides, I'm havin' waaaay too much fun here for me to go up 'n leave rite now ;-)

I'm just curious as to WHY the so-called different vocal abilities between males & females? Is it a physiologic/anatomical thing?


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## xoxsarahxox (Dec 13, 2010)

Im pretty sure its because males use the singing and other vocalizations to attract females. Females dont really have a use for singing or talking like males do.

Though my female does do a "chirpy" version of the wolf whistle when she is mating with stuff lol


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

There ARE females who can talk.. so I'm sure it's not a physiological/anatomical thing. Quite honestly, I think it's just a matter of them wanting to or not.


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## KTyne (Apr 16, 2011)

You've been given good advice so far!
What I have to add is that every bird/'tiel is different and some Males won't learn to talk while others will be chatterboxes. They also all pick things up at different paces.
As for my 'Tiel, Hermes, it took him a couple of months of practicing in his room with no one around to perfect the wolf whistle and now he'll do it in front of us and to us. Now he is trying to perfect a whistle my Aunt started teaching him and that I'm continuing and I'm sure he'll get it soon! 
Hermes can also say "pretty bird" but it's not very clear yet, it's still pretty mumbly. He also tries to say other things in his mumbly little voice but so far I can't make out much since he isn't too clear as of yet.
Give it time! If you want him to learn a specific whistle keep repeating it to him and don't overwhelm him with a bunch of whistles at once.
Good luck!


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## eduardo (Jan 27, 2012)

I agree with the above - stick with one tune or phrase at a time. My boy is about six months old now, and it took him about two weeks to master the Adams Family tune. I just kept whistling it to him throughout the day, and if he "got stuck" on one part, I would finish it for him. When he mastered that, we moved on to " What'cha doing". After that "pretty boy". And so on.
Just keep repeating it to him.


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## danielle1973 (Jul 3, 2011)

so...any advice for someone who CAN'T whistle to teach her bird to whistle a tune?
Try as I might...I just can't whistle, other than a wolf whistle


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

Youtube? There are tons of videos on YouTube of people's birds whistling/talking. Or you can have someone who can whistle record their voice for you whistling what you want.


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