Sunny, the talking cockatiel part 1

Sunny's back!
Supportive roles from those bad budgies and guest appearance by Tika.
He is a two year old male cockatiel. He learned to speak before a year old. People ask me how I got him to speak so clearly, so I thought I'd go over that here.
- Pick 2, 1-2 word phrases to work with and say them all of the time. Each time lean into them and eye him to get him excited. NEVER use a high pitched squeaky voice or a teil will tend to "whistle words". A mans voice is too low. But a normal womans voice or a man picking up a pitch is perfect.
Once he picks up a word, Pair them with a behavior. For example, "Hi" with putting your face up to his. This way it has meaning, a cue, and you are teaching language not just parroting.
- Record YOUR own voice and play it for them with long silent breaks also recorded looping while you are away occasionally. I do this using my computer windows program (start, programs, accessories, entertainment, recorder). Use your windows media player to play it and set it to loop it.

Phrases you'll hear in this movie:
Hi, what are you doing, such a pretty bird, touchdown, I'm busy, I'm a busy bird, bad kitty meow, Hi Sunny, Hi Scott, "All the pretty ferrets sing la-la-la", give me a kiss (unclear) mwa!, Mwa mwa mwa (real soft), batbird, woo woo Sunny. Woo woo Scott.. He also whistles La Cookaracha, and Knights in White Satin ... unfortunatly he was camera shy and he did not do those well.

Other things Sunny can do:
Bock like a chicken,
Make water dripping noises,
Whistle "Would you like to swing on a star" by Frank Sinatra
Whistle a charge call, then yell charge
Whistle a falling bomb, make a splat, then say "dead budgie".

He is currently working on Ut Oh and Hi Baby. But I really want him to say "It's a movie!"

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• sunny
• cockatiel
• talking
• bird

[JustK8]

Hey, since I LOVE parakeet and parrot videos, I wanted to share mine - cause I finally was able to add my own. If you want to, take a look at it :) it's the newest one in my videos.

[wolfysluv]

@JustK8 Hey!  Omg, your keet IS talented. You're so lucky. I've never had a parakeet imitate anything. By the way, he is doing songs and sounds that are not typical of keets at all!!!! So, he is doing more than you think. Apprarently he hears some songbird outside or elsewhere too. Thanks for showing me the video.

[lovelylittlelaugher]

This is really amazing.... it's like whistle-talking as one of my "friends' had previously said about things like this. How did he learn it? Birds mostly whistle in the sound of the word, as in Cockatiels. At least the cockatiels I've heard/seen. I have three cockatiels myself, and none of them can do this. Love it!

[wolfysluv]

@lovelylittlelaugher You nailed it right on the head! This is what makes him special. That and the fact that he has learned "language" with a few of his phrases. I am grateful that someone told me to use my normal voice with no going up in tone ALWAYS, and for my hubby to raise his just a tad. That way he'd use a real voice. It helps.

[KJ7FrozenHeart]

wow! how in the world did he learn that?? i thought that only parrot type birds can talk that good and clearly.... any tips???? i love your vid btw, very cute!! <3

[wolfysluv]

@KJ7FrozenHeart thanks so much! Sunny is VERY unusual for a cockatiel. But yah, for males, it is possible to learn to talk fairly well and to have some good vocab. I've head others almost as clear. I've not heard anything more clear in a tiel on YT yet though. When I first got him as a baby, I had far too much time on my hands lmao! I spent all day every day with him. I even napped wtih him. It paid off.

[Animallover11486]

Aww how cute :) my birds flew away and are gone yesterday and I'm really sad. I left there cage outside with food water and treats incase they ever want to come back. Hopefully they are ok but I really miss them. I know it takes time but they probably will come back. I have 2 cages so I was thinking to get another parakeet or bird and put it in one of he cages. I want a white/blue parakeet but I also want a cockatiel like this and my cousin had one :) I was thinking...which one seems better?

[cherrypop674]

I want a cockatiel for my birthday sooo badly now!

[19jj80]

awwww

[kaumudi]

Aweee. Sunny walkin' around doin' heartwings. Such a cute baby.

My tiel is learning to say pretty bird. It's sluggish. But he's trying!

[kris00730]

i have one like urs

[thegreensnake13]

Please see my channel if you love cockatiels! Toots and pox are the cutest birds!

[Blessthefall298]

Awwwww! It's so cute

[mattystarz02]

i might be getting one like that for christmas this year 

[sintofg]

Cute Cockatiel:) I enjoyed ove how the parakeets in the background at 1:50 were looking at each other while sunny was whistling :P

[snoozer0101]

my Cockateil Ronda we were watching this and she did the wolf whistle LOL