I've given up hope that one of them might one day talk. But I did notice when BB was introduced (he came from an indoor aviary with 30 birds) that he had a cool click noise. Soon, like 3 days latter 2 my birds were also "clicking". I thought I could teach them a whistle. While they look at my when I do it. None ever try to repeat it.

 

Can they learn songs/whistles when in a group?

 

Thanks,

 

Summer

YES!!! My avairy has budgies and Cockatiels, and the male Tiel picks up sounds from wild birds, and other whistles my Mum and I taught him. If you say it enough, they will most likely pick it up eventually. It's a good sign if they copied BB click. Keep at it and start with something simple... maybe a wolf whistle???

Yes, try the wolf whistle. Don't give up whistling something you would like them to learn. When I got my first budgie, he was the only bird I had for six months. All the time, I tried to teach him to wolf whistle and got nothing from him. Then I got an injured baby cockatiel. I stopped bothering about whistling after that. When the tiel had recovered, he sat on my lap one day and wolf whistled! There was only one place he could he could have learnt that. Even today, I have to sneak up and not be seen by my little male budgie. The times I have been successful, I have heard him whistle almost every tune my tiels know. I find I only need to teach my cleverest tiel a new tune. He will teach the others.

 

So my message is, they may already be doing things you don't know about.

How cool would it be if they could whistle harmonies?

When they are in a group they will pick up whistling but talking unless one already can and will continue is very rare, most stop talking when they get with another budgie.

Yes they can but you need to be patient and persistent. Whistles seem to come naturally to them (as opposed to talking which as Elly said most will stop doing it when they are with another budgie).

When I was younger, I had a budgie that picked up the sounds of my finches and canaries. He learnt their calls and then when I added another budgie she learnt it. When the original budgie flew away () and I added another two, they all eventually learnt it too! The three of them also learnt the noises of sparrows, blackbirds and mynahs. (My current two hens will also do those noises - it's so cute to hear a sparrow inside the house!). So I think if it's something they're constantly exposed to, they will learn it if they like it.

How cool would it be if they could whistle harmonies?

 

:rofl:

How cool would it be if they could whistle harmonies? :rofl:

 

 

that would be awesome!!!! a breakthrough!!!!! maybe summer you should try doing that, like a real choir!!!!

All right then. I'll keep it up.

 

Um...what is a wolf whistle exactly?

 

I was trying the "pretty lady" whistle. I can barely whistle.

 

Thanks!

A wolf whistle is the same as what you call the "pretty lady" whistle i think- the one guys do when a hot chick walks by! We used to feed magpies on our balcony, & since they were around so much my previous budgie could make magpie noises- so cute!!

Yes, it's probably what you mean by a pretty lady whistle. The sort of whistle a girl will get if she walks by a building site. The whistle consists of two blasts - the first rises in pitch and the second falls.

 

My tiel can actually do two different wolfwhistles - the more genteel (I like to think) one I taught my budgie and a real builder's site one that I can't do. I think he'd probably whistled at so many people going past my house, that someone started whistling back to him on a regular basis to show him how it's really done.

Yes, it's probably what you mean by a pretty lady whistle. The sort of whistle a girl will get if she walks by a building site. The whistle consists of two blasts - the first rises in pitch and the second falls.

 

My tiel can actually do two different wolfwhistles - the more genteel (I like to think) one I taught my budgie and a real builder's site one that I can't do. I think he'd probably whistled at so many people going past my house, that someone started whistling back to him on a regular basis to show him how it's really done.

 

lol-'doh! They are the same! I call it Freet Frill. I'll keep working on it.