# Whistle Training Question



## leoloco (Aug 31, 2011)

Hello:

Does it have to be whistle to train cockatiel whistling?

or 

Can they translate a song into whistle?

I want my tiel to whistle happy birthday... I am not a good whistler... so curious if I sing or play a song would it work?


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

A whistle will work best. Can you make a recording of someone else whistling and play it for the bird?

Or get a toy flute and play tunes on that.


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## xoxsarahxox (Dec 13, 2010)

You could find videos on youtube of other cockatiels whistling the tunes you want him to learn and play them for him, thats what I do as Im not a good whistler either


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## Raheel (Aug 22, 2011)

how long does it take for them to learn how to whistle??? I whistle to mine all the time but nothing


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Depends on the tiel some can pick it up straight away or take longer


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## muiiKii (Aug 6, 2011)

yah u just have to keep repeating the same whistles everyday...the tiel will start learning... mine learns it quite quickly and now he whistles our tunes and adds some of his... SOOO CUTE


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## Raheel (Aug 22, 2011)

Even if its a girl


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## xoxsarahxox (Dec 13, 2010)

Raheel said:


> Even if its a girl


Females dont really whistle....although there are the odd super talented ones that can whistle but most dont.


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## soul1searcher (Aug 31, 2011)

mine doesn't make much noise at all ! only when she has a drink she makes a soft little noise but apart from that she's quiet


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## morla (Aug 15, 2011)

I think they can translate a song into a whistle.


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## Raheel (Aug 22, 2011)

soul1searcher said:


> mine doesn't make much noise at all ! only when she has a drink she makes a soft little noise but apart from that she's quiet


mine is just like urs except occasionally she will chirp here and there but only in the morning


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## soul1searcher (Aug 31, 2011)

Raheel said:


> mine is just like urs except occasionally she will chirp here and there but only in the morning


aww  at least you get a chirp here and there in a morning lol! mine just loves dunking her head in her water , ive not had her long though and shes young so she might come out of her shell yet i will have to wait and see


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## Raheel (Aug 22, 2011)

yea, its always nice to hear the chirping. I dont know exactly how old mine is but im guessing somewhere around 1 year old. 

Dont worry, yours will start chirping


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## soul1searcher (Aug 31, 2011)

aww still quite young she could learn some tunes yet and ive been told females are quieter than males anyway so im not expecting much but shes only 10 week old so plenty of time to see what personality she has at the moment shes still wondering what has happend to her lol


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## Raheel (Aug 22, 2011)

lol, teach her while she is young and she will be accustomed to it. My tiel has never been handled so thats the problem, i do whistle to her every chance i get thou.


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## soul1searcher (Aug 31, 2011)

yeah i sit talking and whistling to her alot shes stepped up a few times but is still cautious , they take there time to trust in us  im sure yours will soon become accustomed to you handling her


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## Woodstock (Feb 25, 2011)

I taught Woodstock The Andy Griffith show theme song in two afternoons. BUT - he goes right to his favorite part of the theme song every time! He gets stuck on those parts - it's really comical! You just have to be really patient. Is your bird a male? Males do more whistling.


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## soul1searcher (Aug 31, 2011)

Woodstock said:


> I taught Woodstock The Andy Griffith show theme song in two afternoons. BUT - he goes right to his favorite part of the theme song every time! He gets stuck on those parts - it's really comical! You just have to be really patient. Is your bird a male? Males do more whistling.


woodstock is very cute looks cheeky lol !


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## NardiB (Jun 16, 2011)

my both male and female tiels make sounds and im happy to have a "noisy" female 
but they sing/try to whistle only when they're happy . during day they mostly make their natural voices. 

now that i take them out of cage , yesterday female was looking me at the eye & making a noise to me saying (im 99% sure ) : i want to get out of cage . i opened the cage and she stopped making that kind of noise


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## MyCricket (Aug 11, 2011)

Woodstock... I am so jealous!!  I told my dad that birds can whistle Andy Griffith and he didn't believe me! I wish my bird would learn!
My bird is not quite a year old but he squawks ALL DAY, starting softly in the morning and by the afternoon he is screeching. Sometimes giving him treats quiets him but he is SO vocal... louder than I expected. But he doesn't really whistle, and I've tried whistling but he just screeches louder or stares at me, hahaha


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Woodstock said:


> I taught Woodstock The Andy Griffith show theme song in two afternoons. BUT - he goes right to his favorite part of the theme song every time! He gets stuck on those parts - it's really comical! You just have to be really patient. Is your bird a male? Males do more whistling.


Many years ago, my dad tried to teach our male Sunny how to whistle "Sleigh Ride." Sunny only eve learned the first ten seconds or so, and to this day repeats them over and over again with his own tunes mixed in. He is almost 19 now, and never did learn anything else. It is very funny. 

Raheel and soul1searcher -- It has taken Roo almost a full month to become vocal, and she is not a baby. She doesn't whistle, but she does flock call, and makes a huge variety of really cute chatter/chirp noises. Give it time.


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## chloe92us (Jul 12, 2011)

Mango took a month of settling in before he did anything more than a flock call. As of last week, he is a whistling, singing, and talking fool! He says "hello", "pretty bird", "whatcha doin?", and whistles that song on youtube, chocoba or whatever, that we play all the time, and if you're happy and you know it with the head bang like on you tube. Adorable!!!!


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## JudiNH (Sep 10, 2011)

NardiB said:


> my both male and female tiels make sounds and im happy to have a "noisy" female
> but they sing/try to whistle only when they're happy . during day they mostly make their natural voices.
> 
> now that i take them out of cage , yesterday female was looking me at the eye & making a noise to me saying (im 99% sure ) : i want to get out of cage . i opened the cage and she stopped making that kind of noise


That photo is adorable! What big eyes on your little gray girl!


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