# Rocko the Wonderbird??



## Amz (Apr 10, 2013)

So I'm typing this on my phone as I'm laying in bed. I have gotten very little sleep in the past 72 hours and I'm trying to catch up. Of course, Rocko is singing his heart out despite the fact that I have a triple cover on the cage. And I noticed something. He's singing/repeating three more things than he knew before.

1) Jingle Bells
2) Wolf whistle
3) Kiss noise
4) Repeated whistle of the same tone with a "flare", if you will, that I whistle at him sometimes
5) A random tune that I don't recognize. But he's repeated the tune a few times exactly the same way so he must have learned it from somewhere.

Okay, Rocko is only 6 months old and I have put in absolutely zero effort to teach him any of these. He just learned them on his own from hearing them maybe three times a week for a week or two. I thought tiels took months or even up to a year to learn something, and even then you need to repeat it for them consistently, and that tiels don't typically learn things until they're older. Is Rocko really talented or something? Or am I just misinformed?


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## ollieandme (Mar 25, 2013)

i think it differs. if they like a sound, they want to mimic it. if they don't, they won't.
Bjorn's 4 months old and learnt a song in a month. not quite as fast as your Rocko. he also learnt to say "hello birdie" in 3 weeks.
Rocko sounds very clever though


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## Amz (Apr 10, 2013)

Rocko's never tried to mimic words, just whistles and tunes. I'm not sure I want him to learn words though, haha! Like "pretty bird" ugh that's always annoyed me


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## Mezza (Feb 19, 2013)

Go Rocko!! :thumbu:

Definite talent!!! 

Skiddles is the same - she's six months old and learnt to wolf whistle in the first week we got her and its very clear and often she'll over exaggerate the first part of the wolf whistle. Somehow she also picked up the Toyota ad tune (I don't know how, must have heard it on the tv). 

She can also say 'hello boy' - whoops thats because we used to say that to her every time we saw her when we first got her (before her DNA). :rofl:

Alot of the time she just whistles away...I think she likes the sound of her own voice. Its actually very soothing to hear.


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## ollieandme (Mar 25, 2013)

wow that's crazy Skiddles can whistle and talk. impressive for a girl!


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## Newbirdlover2 (Apr 15, 2013)

Wow Skiddles sounds really clever, I have a female cockatiel she's only 8 weeks old, didn't think females sang, but you've made me hopeful that she might


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## Mezza (Feb 19, 2013)

Amz said:


> Rocko's never tried to mimic words, just whistles and tunes. I'm not sure I want him to learn words though, haha! Like "pretty bird" ugh that's always annoyed me


HAHAHAHA! I hope he does. :rofl: That'd be brilliant. 

Hey Rocko....'pretty bird'.


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

Yikes. What a chatterbox! Beaker just sits and laughs all day. On sleep deprivation, it kind of sounds like a clown's laugh in a horror show...


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## Amz (Apr 10, 2013)

I'd be creeped out if Rocko could laugh. I'd prefer him to just continue singing and stick with that  maybe I can teach him Andy Griffith!


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

It's really simple, just don't _ever_ laugh! Then he'll never learn it then! Muah ha ha! Stroke of genius :smart:


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## Amz (Apr 10, 2013)

I laugh AT him... does that count?


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

It's only fair saying _everyone_ has laughed at their tiels. They're boobs


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## Amz (Apr 10, 2013)

Rocko has convinced me even more of his wonderbirdness.

About a week ago, I played a video of a cockatiel singing Indiana Jones. He didn't really show any interest, so I whistled it twice and then went on with my life.

Today as he was whistling, he sang a little tiny bit of Indiana Jones. I wouldn't have even recognized it, but I remembered playing the video for him. So I whistled it for him two more times, and he paused for a moment, and then repeated me perfectly.

Seriously, isn't that African Grey level?? I've never, EVER, heard of a cockatiel doing such a thing! I mean, I guess you guys could pass this off as me making things up, but I swear on my life it's true. I could try and get a recording of him singing it, but my phone is broken right now so I can't get one yet


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## ccollin13 (May 24, 2013)

That's actually really impressive. Of our two tiels, both are males and both can sing (Ziggy sings "Twisted Nerve" from Kill Bill and Tommy sings Andy Griffith). But they generally forget how it goes sometimes, improvise things, or get stuck on loops. Despite my best efforts to get them to remember how one song goes, consistently, they only get that one song. Haven't been able to teach them anything else and both are 7 years old. Each of them know a variety of noises too, but no other songs.

So, I do think your little boy is quite talented (based on my limited sample size of 2 tiels, haha). If he's picking up things after only two or three repeats, he seems like he's quite a natural!


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## Amz (Apr 10, 2013)

ccollin13 said:


> So, I do think your little boy is quite talented (based on my limited sample size of 2 tiels, haha). If he's picking up things after only two or three repeats, he seems like he's quite a natural!


He knows Jingle Bells (that's his favorite ), If You're Happy and You Know It, Indiana Jones, a wolf whistle, a kiss noise, a laugh, and he mimics the birds outside. He's learning Andy Griffith but he's not quite there yet. And he's only 8 months old :blink: I can't imagine how much better he'll do when he's older.


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## retrochick (Oct 27, 2012)

Rocko sounds like a very clever boy!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

You'd be surprised at how talented some tiels are. I had two in my flock at one point that were pretty good mimicers, although the hubby and I were trying to teach them songs at the same time (me star wars, him the chocobo song) so I think they got confused. But they both had picked up the first part of star wars on the first night. I would LOVE to see a video of Rocko's talents!!! We want a talent show!!!


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## Amz (Apr 10, 2013)

roxy culver said:


> I would LOVE to see a video of Rocko's talents!!! We want a talent show!!!


Sure, I can provide! I'll have to wait for my phone to be fixed though, because I don't have access to another video camera.


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## iChris (May 4, 2013)

Richo has started making kissing noises too, just over the last week or so out of the blue. I've made the noise to him a few times in the past but today as he was with me on my shoulder he wouldn't stop doing it.


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## jayjay065 (Feb 20, 2013)

Way to go rocko! Sounds like a very talented lil guy!


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