bird talks only when he is alone

[nicc]

I've read threads about this before and I've seen people say it might be the bird being shy or talking to themselves when you're gone because they don't have anyone to focus on. I hear Sunny do this very often. Well, he doesn't 'talk', he just makes little chittering noises. I hear it when I'm in my bathroom, which shares a fairly thin wall with my room, or when I'm sleeping and he thinks he's alone. This morning when he woke up he was talking to himself while he was still covered. He's a cockatiel.
I'm curious if anyone else's birds do this too? I'm sure some do but I don't know if it's very common exactly. The only sounds Sunny makes when I'm around are contact calls and the occasional little soft chirp or beep. I wonder if he will ever get more talkative around me or other people haha

 

[sb sigmund]

I bird-sat an african grey who was only talkative when he thought nobody was listening. Lots of birds are like that!

 

[sunnysmom]

How long have you had him? My cockatoo for quite a while wouldn't talk with anyone in the room, and then would only talk with me. Now, he talks in front of everyone. I think sometimes it's a matter of building up their confidence and sometimes they practice new words when no one else is around too.

 

[nicc]

I bird-sat an african grey who was only talkative when he thought nobody was listening. Lots of birds are like that!

He sounds so cute! In a way it's nice to know its seemingly more common than I'd assumed haha

How long have you had him? My cockatoo for quite a while wouldn't talk with anyone in the room, and then would only talk with me. Now, he talks in front of everyone. I think sometimes it's a matter of building up their confidence and sometimes they practice new words when no one else is around too.

I have fairly bad memory but I believe it's been a little more than 2 years now. He unfortunately came from one of the worst pet stores imaginable and was a gift from my parents which I had no control over, which might also have affected his confidence around people but he has been getting so much better with it this past year. At first he would only do a contact call when he needed something like food or water and no other sound even when he was alone. So he's definitely had tremendous improvement in speech but I guess he just needs time to build up even more confidence haha. It's a whole wonder that we've gotten to a point where he trusts me at all, considering his origin :')
Your cockatoo sounds lovely also! Glad to hear he's managed to build up the confidence!!

 

[Shezbug]

My macaw practices his new noises and words mostly in a whisper and usually early in the morning or later in the evenings, I often hear him saying or practicing new things when he is alone and chilling out.

 

[Emma&pico]

My gcc remi will not talk in front of me either and will talk more with hoover on

He’s so quiet when he’s out with me

I hear him in morning when we get up he shouts hello I go in say hello remi boy morning nothing
as I am walking upstairs hello I go get him out nothing

he was sat on my shoulder today while I was hoovering and cleaning cages and it was almost like a whisper in my ear I barley heard I sure he said wave good boy click click

my hubby said he’s sure when I left for work other morning at half 6 he heard him say peekaboo hello what ya then noise said it woke him up he phoned me on my way to work to tell me my hubby not a bird person but he went in to talk to him and nothing

I know he’s starting coping lovebirds calls I’ve heard him and it’s same sound but a totally different pitch to lovebirds I know it him

do you whistle to him maybe @Xoetix can help you how she got tteok whistling

 

[Toy]

JaKhu (B&G Macaw) talks a lot when we're in the other room watching TV, but not so much when we're in the same room with her. I can often hear her practicing words softly. Sometimes she's loud, but most of the time she talks softly. Almost every evening she'll pick a word or two & repeat them over & over & over for an hour or more non-stop. She has several words she says loud & clear, while others are soft. She jibber-jabbers a lot. My favorite thing she says is "get back up on your cage, I'll get your butt feathers". Yep she says the whole phrase. It only took me 2.5 years to get her to stay on her cage when she's out. She's a real stinker.

Our CAG & I play a call game every day. She either whistles a tune or says "call the birdies". Then I'm supposed to whistle the tune back or if she whistles first then I say "call the birdies". This goes on for several minutes. She got this from me whistling a tune to call in my Purple Martin colony to flip crickets for them. My Parrots were out in the aviary & that's how she picked this up. She beeps like heavy machinery backing up too. She'll say "give me a kiss" & then make kiss sounds. She says lots of other things too.

My U2 says her name (Jasmine) & I love you, but not much else. She's not a good talker.

My previous macaw was a loud talker & often would talk in front of anyone. She also related words with items & actions.

Try relating words with items or actions...example: Action - step up, then have your bird step up. Items would be a treat - say apple, then give a small piece of apple. Be consistent with your words, so as not to confuse your bird.

 

[MnGuy]

My grey talks the most in the mornings when I'm in my bedroom. I think a lot of parrots like to talk when they're alone.

 

[Pixiebeak]

My Quaker Penny only talked in her cage, and as a way to get my attention and fit me to come let her out .

My GCC was 4 before she started talking and only talks when on me.

They are so special and unique

 

[Xoetix]

Tteok, my male cockatiel, whistles more when there aren't people around - or if he spies a bare foot (he's got a fetish).

 

[sb sigmund]

Tteok, my male cockatiel, whistles more when there aren't people around - or if he spies a bare foot (he's got a fetish).

They all love feet. I have no idea why

 

[Icey]

Frankie talks to his toy everyday but stops when I go in his room.
At night when he's chilling out in his cage, he has alot to say until he sees or hears me getting closer, then he clams up. Lol

 

[nicc]

I don't think I can possibly reply to everyone individually but it's really nice to hear this really seems much more common than I'd previously thought! Considering the fact Sunny does sometimes do the occasional little beep or chirp when he's with me maybe he's just practicing talking like some of you have said your birds do... They're really awesome little things. I think I will try to start whistling and speaking to him more repetitively since right now when I talk or whistle to him I don't really repeat anything specific which might confuse him a little now that I think of it, maybe he might end up learning a song or two haha
Everyone's birds sound so adorable!