Post by cmt5 on Nov 1, 2013 0:52:59 GMT
We got our parakeet Mokiki last month from the local animal shelter. He had been there in quarantine for 30 days. He was found outside after flying into the picture window of the home of the people who brought him in. At the shelter, he was alone in his cage and was seated up front at the reception desk. The staff told us that he was very sweet and that he just chirped softly for most of the day. They had not attempted to handle him at all.
When we were putting him in his new cage on that first day, we thought that he wolf whistled and then followed it up with "pretty bird" but it wasn't very clear. He was very skittish (as to be expected) but he did know how to step up. After a week or so, he started to sing softly a lot. He was in close proximity to our other parakeet's cage but he didn't return her calls for the first couple of weeks and then infrequently. After clearance from the vet (who also said that he was definitely a male and likely slightly over a year old), we gradually put them together this past week. It seemed at first that he didn't know what to make of our other parakeet. It appears that he was kept alone at his previous owner's. After two days though, he was crazy about our other bird and and now sings to her all day. Instead of soft singing, it's much more robust. Also, it has become obvious over the past few days that he does talk. He gets on these chirping/twittering rampages and in the middle of them he will wolf whistle, say "pretty bird", and it also seems like he is imitating some kind of video game noise. It's really adorable.
I realize that he is really happy being paired with our other budgie (he did not speak at the animal shelter), so we would not consider separating them, but my question (after this long set up!) is: Since he seems like he was just learning to talk and is "practicing", can we teach him to speak more or will he be completely uninterested since he's now being kept with a companion?
Thanks!
Carolyn
When we were putting him in his new cage on that first day, we thought that he wolf whistled and then followed it up with "pretty bird" but it wasn't very clear. He was very skittish (as to be expected) but he did know how to step up. After a week or so, he started to sing softly a lot. He was in close proximity to our other parakeet's cage but he didn't return her calls for the first couple of weeks and then infrequently. After clearance from the vet (who also said that he was definitely a male and likely slightly over a year old), we gradually put them together this past week. It seemed at first that he didn't know what to make of our other parakeet. It appears that he was kept alone at his previous owner's. After two days though, he was crazy about our other bird and and now sings to her all day. Instead of soft singing, it's much more robust. Also, it has become obvious over the past few days that he does talk. He gets on these chirping/twittering rampages and in the middle of them he will wolf whistle, say "pretty bird", and it also seems like he is imitating some kind of video game noise. It's really adorable.
I realize that he is really happy being paired with our other budgie (he did not speak at the animal shelter), so we would not consider separating them, but my question (after this long set up!) is: Since he seems like he was just learning to talk and is "practicing", can we teach him to speak more or will he be completely uninterested since he's now being kept with a companion?
Thanks!
Carolyn