# When do they start "talking"?



## Simon (Jul 6, 2008)

Hello,

I am sure that this is pretty common question, but when cockatiels start talking? My bird is few months old and suposedly a male, but besides some calls when I leave the room, he makes almost no noises at all.
Is it too early? Or may be "he" is "she"? "He" is a pied, so it's hard to tell.
When did your cockatiels start talking?

Thank you in advance for your feedback.

Cheers,
Simon


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## Nutmeg (Jul 5, 2008)

Well you have to think of training, but dont over do it if they look bored then stop.
if they are not happy and many other things stop if you are angry or something try going away from the bird, because birds can feel how you are feeling and also become having that emotion. if your stressed your bird is stressed.
Now back to talking where did you get you'r 'tiel
Also not all of them will end up talking it requires training for at least a couple minutes a day.
Stick to one word and do not teach it to whistle first otherwise they may just whistlethere who life.

Someone more knowledgable will come alot 
Hope i could help


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

Dooby started talking and whistling when he was around 4 months old. Whistling is the easiest, but doing things and saying things at the same time is good. Like when I uncover him in the morning, he says "Good morning!" then when I cover him up at night he blows a kiss and says "Night night!" That is the only time he says those two things so that he knows, we do this...you do that, we do that...you do this, sort of thing. Dooby is a good talker though, he says loads and loads of things, but it's only because we sit and talk to him. He is in the same room as us all day and we'll just say general things to him like "Alright Dooby?" so of course he will say that and he'll fly up to the top of the curtain rail and call Daisy, he doesn't say her name yet, but he'll call her by saying "Come on!" If your little one is a boy and you just talk to him in general, he will pick things up. Whistling tunes is a good one as well, Dooby does the wolf whistle, the charge sound, jingle bells and he's just learning the Adams Family theme tune. Little girls can talk as well, but that isn't quite so common as boys.


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## Simon (Jul 6, 2008)

*Some pics of Bubba*

Haven't figured a name yet, call him Bubba most of the time. He doesn't answer anyway ;-)


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## Nutmeg (Jul 5, 2008)

he is lovely!


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

Oh my, he/she is certainly a beautiful baby. How long have you had him? I know it took Dooby a few weeks before he really started to say anything and then when he did, he just didn't stop.....and still learning. lol.


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## Simon (Jul 6, 2008)

I've had him for about a month. I certainly pick him based on looks ;-)
There were some more "talkative" birds, but I actaully don't like much noise. I would like him to start "talking" though.

S.


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

Just a question you said supposedly a male was dna done or was it just a guess with my Ollie I knew early on when he was a few weeks old he would make lots of little noises where as my female Georgie never made any other then the contact call, now with Lee he was quiet as a mouse till he hit 4 months old and then he just started talking and whistling and hasn't shut up since


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## Simon (Jul 6, 2008)

No DNA test, just a "guess". This is based on the "guess" of the store owner, she is suposedly an experts and she said that "he" behaves so far as a male.
It's never 100% sure though and I am starting to worry that if "he" doesn't talk much, "he" might be "she".

S.


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

I wouldn't go by the "expert....lol The breeder I got mine from had been doing it for over 10 years and she said both my females were male....lol but like you said its never 100% right  do you know exactly how old your tiel is?


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## Simon (Jul 6, 2008)

They were hatched in the middle of March, this means that "he" is about 4 months old, right?

Another thing is behavior - once I get him, he stays with me, doesn't show that he is scared of me. But he won't come to me, only once flew off the cage to come to me.

S.


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

Yes s/he is probably coming up to four months now, I would say and I am not even 100% sure but if your hearing nothing but the occasional contact call and nothing else at this age you probably have a female, you should know more in the next month or two but it sounds more like a female then a male.


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## Tike2 (Jun 16, 2008)

You know I wonder about Tiki too.... the breeder said he is a male.... and she should know as she kept him for a year...not sure why.... he makes the same sound all the time... sometimes more excited than others... I talk to him a lot... but am wondering if he will ever say anything or whistle.... I have had him almost a month.... I guess I'm not really to worried about it... we are making progress with just getting comfortable with the move. I can sit him on my knee now. He still thinks he should take a nibble out of my finger tho... but hasn't drawn blood...


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## Simon (Jul 6, 2008)

Yeah, I guess I'll have to wait and see.
At least s/he doesn't wake me up "screeming".
I went back to the store to talk to them. S/he made some noises when s/he saw the other birds there.
They said "no DNA test, no guarantee" and that they generally do not do exchanges. Oh, well. I am not sure I want another bird anyway, may be I will get another one later.
On the way back I let him/her out of the box in the car, it was interesting watching him looking around ;-)

I've noticed that if I say "say something" several times and waive my finger around I get some response back sometimes ;-)
I guess s/he needs more training. Also I picked up a clean coffee stirring wooden stick, s/he destroyed it with gusto, as it was his prime goal in life ;-)

S.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

What a gorgeous tiel  I would just keep talking to him and see what happens. You may have a baby girl. Would the store do a dna test for you?


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## Simon (Jul 6, 2008)

Thanks!



xxxSpikexxx said:


> Would the store do a dna test for you?


Not for free, I assume, and it is expensive store BTW. If it turns out to be a girl, I will eventually get another one in the future.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

It would be cheaper just to wait and see. Spikes dna test cost $30.00


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## Nutmeg (Jul 5, 2008)

xxxSpikexxx said:


> It would be cheaper just to wait and see. Spikes dna test cost $30.00


Did you do a blood feather DNA test or did you do the surgical one??


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

You have a very cute 'tiel. 

And yeah if I were you I'd think myself lucky I didn't have a screaming bird, lol. I have 1 that screams and he seriously *never* shuts up. :lol:


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## Simon (Jul 6, 2008)

Solace. said:


> You have a very cute 'tiel.
> 
> And yeah if I were you I'd think myself lucky I didn't have a screaming bird, lol. I have 1 that screams and he seriously *never* shuts up. :lol:


Wanna trade? ;-)


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

Isn't it funny, it's just like kids, we spend ages teaching them to talk and then when they do, we tell them to be quiet!:wacko:


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

Plukie said:


> Isn't it funny, it's just like kids, we spend ages teaching them to talk and then when they do, we tell them to be quiet!:wacko:


That is so true  it reminds of when your on the phone and your kids keep bugging you because your not paying attention to them, the birds do the same thing, I can't even have one and hear people without them going on and on, I was talking to my Aunt and Ollie and Lee kept ringing the phone and she is like WHAT!! is that when I told her the birds she laughed so hard she said that sounds just like your phone  its not so funny anymore when you have to hear it all day


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Nutmeg said:


> Did you do a blood feather DNA test or did you do the surgical one??


The breeder sent out a blood sample from Spikes toe nail being cut a tiny bit too short.


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## Simon (Jul 6, 2008)

Guess what, during the last two days Bubba started singing and displaying the funny behavior that I guess means that he is "he" after all ;-)

To bad he starts singing at 6:30 when I am trying to sleep ;-)

S.


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Males generally are more vocal than females. Since your bird is pied it may be impossible to tell visually. Does he/she have any dark wing or tail feathers? A female will have spots on the underside of her wing feathers and stripes on the underside of her tail feathers. However so will an immature male. Your bird is young yet so you may not have any more clues as far as the way the bird behaves and until the first molt the feathers won't tell you much either. That is IF there are any dark ones in the areas I mentioned. Most males are more prone to actually talking, females less so. It is generally good to start training for speech shortly after weening. Good Luck


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