Does it talk?

[annoellyn]

Does anyone else feel like there bird's merit as a pet bird is based on there ability to talk or not? Seems like every time I have someone new over and even people who've met Jupiter before are immediately like: does he talk?
I say conures can learn to talk but they aren't overly known for it. Mine hasn't talked.
They seem so disappointed. And even try and suggest things to get him to talk. They say aw that's disappointing.
Well I didn't pick my bird based on whether he can talk or not! If he never talks, that's fine. If he does, that would be pretty cool. But he makes a great bird either way!

And I find people do this with other parrots. My mom will go on and on about her friends parrot that talked a lot. How cool he was.
But he was kept in really shizzty conditions, super small cage, rarely ever let out.
But that doesn't matter... because he can talk.

It just annoys me. I mean, I think it's crazy that parrots can talk and I like watching videos on here and YouTube about crazy talking parrot antics, so freaking adorable!! But obviously the owners of those parrots love them a lot, and talking is just one small thing that makes them a great bird.

 

[Zara]

No one has ever asked me that... but I have lovies and they are so little. There are always those, like my mum, who say ¨they are not parrots¨.... Hmmmm



Sorry to hear your mums friends bird is in a subpar environment, maybe you could give some pointers? If your advice is cast aside... maybe you could play into the talking fantasy and say... veggies make birds say more words, or, toys make parrots happy and then they talk more... stuff like that

 

[greys4u]

People ask me, does she talk, I say 'she grumbles but only to me' and that answers their question

 

[sunnysmom]

I always gets asked if my birds can talk too. I think most people know so little about parrots that they automatically think of la macaw, saying "Polly want a cracker". I usually use any questions asked as an opportunity to educate people on parrots- their needs, their intelligence, the sad plight of many of them, etc. Usually by the time I'm done, I'm sure they have now regretted asking me anything because I have give them an entire lecture on parrots. LOL. But they asked........

 

[TikiMyn]

I get that, it is really sad. When I say I have birds/parrots people will usually start about this one parrot they knew that could talk and how great that was. I Just try my best to educate them

When I say my birds are lovies, I usually get the same as @Zara , “Oh but those are not parrots.”. How could I be so stupid to believe they actually are
All of that used to annoy me a LOT, but now I just try to find the humor of it. Some people come around if you explain a bit a About birds, but some people are too stuck in their own vision.

 

[Toy]

Yes all the time I get asked if my birds talk. JaJaBinks, macaw, loves Halloween. She gets to go to the door wih me & we get over 200 kids each year. Many say does "it" talk. I say yes she does, but only when she wants to. They ask me to make her talk. I tell them I can't force her to talk anymore than I could force them to talk. Usually by then she'll let out a scream & scare them, then laugh when they jump back. As they're running off my porch she tells them Bye-Bye, LOL.

 

[Momo & Mido]

Yes... I get that question aaallll the time. When I tell people about them or when I go out with them with the Pak-o-Bird. My answer alway is: No, but they can scream very loud

 

[Love My Zons]

When People I talk to find out I have parrots, that's generally the first thing they ask.

I enlighten them with the yes they want to hear. But then I educate them on the fact some don't. That's not what owning them is about.

When they learn our Cockatoo only says hello, there is no reaction. When they ask if my birds cuss, I tell them no, never no potty mouths here.

Why would they care? I am happy to tell them the truths, how they scream or can, how they can chew and destroy your house. Then the stare of disbelief.

Glad to be a public service announcement that parrots and birds only deserve a proper home that still keeps them no matter what.

 

[OK Mike]

I get the same thing when I take Blu out and about. Although he talks up a storm at home he's like a monk with a vow of silence in public. The only vocalization he does in public is bark like a dog when he sees one. That always turns a few heads. Sometimes it's like he thinks he is a dog. I guess living in a house with 4 dogs and no other animals that's how he identifies himself - just one of the canine pack.

 

[SandraK]

Does anyone else feel like there bird's merit as a pet bird is based on there ability to talk or not? Seems like every time I have someone new over and even people who've met Jupiter before are immediately like: does he talk?
I say conures can learn to talk but they aren't overly known for it. Mine hasn't talked.
They seem so disappointed. And even try and suggest things to get him to talk. They say aw that's disappointing.
Well I didn't pick my bird based on whether he can talk or not! If he never talks, that's fine. If he does, that would be pretty cool. But he makes a great bird either way!

And I find people do this with other parrots. My mom will go on and on about her friends parrot that talked a lot. How cool he was.
But he was kept in really shizzty conditions, super small cage, rarely ever let out.
But that doesn't matter... because he can talk.

It just annoys me. I mean, I think it's crazy that parrots can talk and I like watching videos on here and YouTube about crazy talking parrot antics, so freaking adorable!! But obviously the owners of those parrots love them a lot, and talking is just one small thing that makes them a great bird.

Ask those same people if they can fly ... some birds are talkers and others, quite simply, aren't. None of my tiels talk but that doesn't matter. My Quakers can talk when they want to or when I talk to them. Of my gccs only Beni really talks but they all recognize the beep-beep which is their call. Sun Tikki says some words when he feels like it. And most of mine are free flying within the house. Like you, talking isn't a requirement for me to love my fids. I love them for their looks, personality and behaviour. Probably the same reasons that I don't like some people.

 

[SandraK]

I get that, it is really sad. When I say I have birds/parrots people will usually start about this one parrot they knew that could talk and how great that was. I Just try my best to educate them

When I say my birds are lovies, I usually get the same as @Zara , “Oh but those are not parrots.”. How could I be so stupid to believe they actually are
All of that used to annoy me a LOT, but now I just try to find the humor of it. Some people come around if you explain a bit a About birds, but some people are too stuck in their own vision.

Then maybe an answer to the lovies "not being parrots" would be "Why? Parrots come in all sizes just like people. Petite people are still considered people and the same rule applies to parrots."

 

[TikiMyn]

Then maybe an answer to the lovies "not being parrots" would be "Why? Parrots come in all sizes just like people. Petite people are still considered people and the same rule applies to parrots."

That is a good one, thank you! I am not that big myself, so directly applies

 

[SandraK]

I was born in Brazil but am of European descent so I have green eyes, brown hair and tan well (thanks Mummy!). When people catch on to my accent (slightly British pronunciation) and ask where I'm from the first comment is usually "But you don't look Brazilian". Someone else told me I didn't "sound Brazilian". Brazilians look and sound just like North Americans - a mix depending on what part of the country you're from. I've always spoken English but it isn't N. American English so there are certain words like laboratory, garage, aluminium and the infamous letter Z (zed). And between English, Spanish and Portuguese, I'm dealing with 3 different alphabets.

It could be applied to parrots too.

 

[Khizz]

I sometimes get this when they hear I have tiels. Usually my response is "no, but his car alarm impersonation is spot on"

 

[Danita]

I get that all the time
@ncGreyBirdLady has a good come back lol

 

[annoellyn]

I can relate to the size thing to! They hear parrot and think big. Then try and say Jupiter isn't a real parrot. Pfft.

 

[tka]

All the time! I respond with "no, but I'm learning Parrot"

 

[Sodapop&Co.]

My go-to response is "Yes, but not English". I have doves as well and many people don't see the point in keeping doves as companions cuz "they can't even talk!". I try to explain to them how much they do talk and that I can have long conversations with them but the people never understand. Honestly my doves understand what I'm saying more than these people do. Every person who meets my Phoenix asks if "it talks" and when I tell them that "no, but their species technically can" they seem to wonder why I got her. And of course most people don't believe me when I tell them the budgies are parrots as well - I don't think they even realize I'm not making a joke when I say it. It feels like these stereotypes are way too popular - there's a lot of general knowledge out there about dogs, even for the people who don't have dogs; why can't it be the same with birds (not just parrots). Oh well.

 

[SummerBerry]

I hear the oh thats not a "real parrot" often enough, ive also heard "if shes a lovebird why doesn't she have a mate?" every now and then and I try to explain that while i am looking for a friend for her she will not "get sick" if she is alone. I was once asked if she was a canary. At a bird shop no less.

 

[Kenzie]

Having worked at our local mom n pop pet store with medium-large parrot species on play stands and designated bird area, I had gotten so sick of the "Does it talk?" as the very first questions asked.
Then on the occasions we have none-baby birds on the stands that DO talk... people NEED! these birds.

Bad sales practice but I've talked a lot of people out of birds or discouraged it because these people want them for all the wrong reasons. When selling a bird, I made plenty sure to give the shakedown of all the WONDERFUL things parrots bring into our life but I'd always start out with the negatives . I was there to ensure birds go to a caring and suitable home just as much as I was there to sell them to folks. Thankfully I was in an environment where I could do that and not a cooperate one where you must give null information or just the positives and never the negatives.