Buster, my seventeen year old African Gray parrot, knows how to get people to do what he wants. He never gets bored repeating his commands so he can keep it up forever if he chooses. If you don't comply he gets even by biting, refusing to come out of his house where he sits pouting on his perch or if he is out of the cage he spins around and moons me with his red butt! Often I get the "raspberries" sound when he is disgusted.
When he decides to go to sleep for the night he says, "Time to go night!" If that doesn't work, he either repeats that or says, "Gotta take a snooze! If I still haven't covered him up, he repeats these phrases and gets louder and louder until I comply. I am completely trained.
He demands I get him out of his cage to "watch TV". "Time to watch TV!", he screams over and over, adding, "Are you ready?"...Wanna come?...Wanna play? and on and on until I come and let him out. He is quite the task master.
Buster will even tell me to "take a break" sensing when I am working too much and is always accurate. If I yawn he tells me to "take a snooze".
He also decides when people have stayed too long or he doesn't particularly like them. Usually he starts off with, "Gotta go!". After saying that a few times he adds "See ya later!" He keeps this up until the people say they have to get going and as soon as they step out the door Buster says, "Thank you!" Very effective, indeed!
When I was having some flooring tiled, the workman always shared his burrito lunch with Buster. However, one day the workman came after lunch. Buster insisted on his treat by repeating "treat...treat....treat...etc." until the workman, dropped what he was doing, went and got a burrito and shared it with Buster!
While Buster's persistence makes everyone a bit crazy at times, he shows me how to not give up on what I want and to just hang in there and it will show up!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
THROWN OUT BY A BIRD!
African Gray parrots can be very commanding and Buster is no exception.
Whenever we have company, Buster apparently makes an assessment of them and makes a decision about whether or not he likes them. He also assesses how long they stay and has some kind of measurement that determines when they have been here long enough.
The less desirable guests or those who have dared to stay too long in Buster's estimation are treated to the following commands:
"See ya later....gotta go...see ya later...gotta go...and on and on."
Finally the guests will start to feel uncomfortable and says "I guess I better be leaving." I try to tell them not to listen to Buster but they leave anyway.
Then to top it all off, Buster says, "Thank you!" when their first foot crosses the doorway outside!
Whenever we have company, Buster apparently makes an assessment of them and makes a decision about whether or not he likes them. He also assesses how long they stay and has some kind of measurement that determines when they have been here long enough.
The less desirable guests or those who have dared to stay too long in Buster's estimation are treated to the following commands:
"See ya later....gotta go...see ya later...gotta go...and on and on."
Finally the guests will start to feel uncomfortable and says "I guess I better be leaving." I try to tell them not to listen to Buster but they leave anyway.
Then to top it all off, Buster says, "Thank you!" when their first foot crosses the doorway outside!
Monday, June 8, 2009
THE PLAN
When my daughter moved to California she stayed with us for a week until she could get into her new place. She brought her small "mop" dog, named Sandy. with her who found Buster fascinating. I casually watched Buster and Sandy interact from the kitchen table.
One morning my daughter and I sat at the kitchen table having a cup of coffee. I saw Buster's cage door was open and Buster stood at the bottom of the cage in the open doorway eating. A newspaper collected the food he dropped. Sandy ran over and gobbled up the dropped food. Then she went under the kitchen table and stared at Buster hoping he'd drop more food.
Well, Buster didn't like being stared at and soon he started rocking back and forth and whirling around nervously. I watched Buster, after pausing for a moment, he went over to his food dish, grabbed some food in his beak, ran over to the opening and dropped the food on the newspaper.
Sandy immediately ran over and bent her head down to grab the food. Instantly, Buster reached down and pulled a wad of fur off the top of Sandy's head! Sandy let out with a big yelp and that was the last time she tried to eat food off Buster's newspaper...and...she stopped staring at Buster!
Buster, only three years old at the time, determined what the problem was, who caused it, figured out what else dog's did, planned out how to get the dog to come to him and then what the punishment would be. He carried out his plan perfectly solving his problem!
Determining and executing a plan shows the African Grays' incredible intelligence. Their owners must be on their toes because their African Gray has all the time in the world to out-think them! We have had many a battle of wits with Buster. Usually he wins or gets bored with the whole thing. When we do win, we celebrate!
One morning my daughter and I sat at the kitchen table having a cup of coffee. I saw Buster's cage door was open and Buster stood at the bottom of the cage in the open doorway eating. A newspaper collected the food he dropped. Sandy ran over and gobbled up the dropped food. Then she went under the kitchen table and stared at Buster hoping he'd drop more food.
Well, Buster didn't like being stared at and soon he started rocking back and forth and whirling around nervously. I watched Buster, after pausing for a moment, he went over to his food dish, grabbed some food in his beak, ran over to the opening and dropped the food on the newspaper.
Sandy immediately ran over and bent her head down to grab the food. Instantly, Buster reached down and pulled a wad of fur off the top of Sandy's head! Sandy let out with a big yelp and that was the last time she tried to eat food off Buster's newspaper...and...she stopped staring at Buster!
Buster, only three years old at the time, determined what the problem was, who caused it, figured out what else dog's did, planned out how to get the dog to come to him and then what the punishment would be. He carried out his plan perfectly solving his problem!
Determining and executing a plan shows the African Grays' incredible intelligence. Their owners must be on their toes because their African Gray has all the time in the world to out-think them! We have had many a battle of wits with Buster. Usually he wins or gets bored with the whole thing. When we do win, we celebrate!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
AFRICAN GRAY CHILD SPEECH
Many people believe the African Gray merely "parrots" words, phrases,sentences and sounds. They disbelieve references to these birds carrying on a conversation or making an observation and then commenting appropriately or making up their own meaningful sentences. These disbelievers haven't lived with an African Gray. Even some who have their own African Gray proudly announce the number of words their
parrot can say...not stories of appropriate responses to many situations.
Many other birds, including parakeets, Quaker parrots, yellow nape parrots and more, do "parrot" and have impressive word counts. I once had a Quaker parrot named Barney who could recite the whole "This Little Piggy" rhyme including the "wee, wee all the way home". I used to marvel how the small bird with it's corresponding small brain could do this!
My African Gray parrot, Buster, often observes situations and people and then comments on the situation. For example, we sat out on our front porch one summer day and Buster was in his outside cage. A neighbor, dressed in a swimming suit with a towel thrown over his shoulder obviously going to the pool, walked up to Buster's cage and said "Hi, Buster!" Buster looked at the man from top to bottom. The he said clearly, "Goin' for a little swim?" The man, speechless, turned and continued on his way to the pool. Since he hasn't seen this man again in the same dress, he has NOT ever said it again, even when he is just jabbering whatever comes into his mind.
Now, Buster does imitate phones, smoke and car alarms, answering machines, microwave and timer beeps and a large assortment of sounds accurately fooling us in many ways. He also likes to whistle since African Grays don't squawk like other parrots.
Don't be surprised if you come to visit us and Buster doesn't like you or he thinks you have stayed too long. I have no idea what criteria he uses but he will say "Gotta go", "See ya later", and repeat these phrases until you leave. The minute you step out the door, he says, "Thank you!". We apologize, but Buster gets his way!
Next time I'll write about how African Grays can size up a situation, plan a response and then carry out the plan to get the results they want. Incredible to observe!
parrot can say...not stories of appropriate responses to many situations.
Many other birds, including parakeets, Quaker parrots, yellow nape parrots and more, do "parrot" and have impressive word counts. I once had a Quaker parrot named Barney who could recite the whole "This Little Piggy" rhyme including the "wee, wee all the way home". I used to marvel how the small bird with it's corresponding small brain could do this!
My African Gray parrot, Buster, often observes situations and people and then comments on the situation. For example, we sat out on our front porch one summer day and Buster was in his outside cage. A neighbor, dressed in a swimming suit with a towel thrown over his shoulder obviously going to the pool, walked up to Buster's cage and said "Hi, Buster!" Buster looked at the man from top to bottom. The he said clearly, "Goin' for a little swim?" The man, speechless, turned and continued on his way to the pool. Since he hasn't seen this man again in the same dress, he has NOT ever said it again, even when he is just jabbering whatever comes into his mind.
Now, Buster does imitate phones, smoke and car alarms, answering machines, microwave and timer beeps and a large assortment of sounds accurately fooling us in many ways. He also likes to whistle since African Grays don't squawk like other parrots.
Don't be surprised if you come to visit us and Buster doesn't like you or he thinks you have stayed too long. I have no idea what criteria he uses but he will say "Gotta go", "See ya later", and repeat these phrases until you leave. The minute you step out the door, he says, "Thank you!". We apologize, but Buster gets his way!
Next time I'll write about how African Grays can size up a situation, plan a response and then carry out the plan to get the results they want. Incredible to observe!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Funny Bird Video
Here is an African Gray named Einstein...he is an excellent example of the high intelligence with the ability to show humor. I think you will enjoy watching him as much as I did!
Introduction
This site is under construction...you can look forward to experiencing bird mentality especially of the African Gray parrot.
These parrots have been studied extensively by various universities to determine their intelligence which is considered the highest of all birds. One African gray in England named Alex showed his examiners during testing, the intelligence of a five year old child and the mental maturity of a two year old child! I will expand about this in a later blog.
I have had an African Gray parrot named Buster in my family for about seventeen years. Let me say just this...he is perhaps the funniest being I have ever met AND the most frustrating being in the world! There is no compromise with Buster...it is ALL his way!
This blog will be devoted to his antics and how to cope with a bird who is not only very smart but has the emotional development of a two year old! This blog will also express lots of information about raising birds, how to enhance their development, making sure they stay healthy and many other aspects.
I will also share videos of special birds and their hilarious antics and give readers a chance to include their bird stories for everyone to enjoy. You won't want to miss a single day because you will never know what funny story may have been posted since you last visited!
At one time I published "The Spotlight" whose readership included lots of senior citizens and their families. The section they all enjoyed most was Buster's column which was sent to friends and family all over the world! One man even cut out every column and displayed them all on the wall over his workbench and showed them proudly to everyone!
I am so excited to write this blog and am looking forward to your comments!
These parrots have been studied extensively by various universities to determine their intelligence which is considered the highest of all birds. One African gray in England named Alex showed his examiners during testing, the intelligence of a five year old child and the mental maturity of a two year old child! I will expand about this in a later blog.
I have had an African Gray parrot named Buster in my family for about seventeen years. Let me say just this...he is perhaps the funniest being I have ever met AND the most frustrating being in the world! There is no compromise with Buster...it is ALL his way!
This blog will be devoted to his antics and how to cope with a bird who is not only very smart but has the emotional development of a two year old! This blog will also express lots of information about raising birds, how to enhance their development, making sure they stay healthy and many other aspects.
I will also share videos of special birds and their hilarious antics and give readers a chance to include their bird stories for everyone to enjoy. You won't want to miss a single day because you will never know what funny story may have been posted since you last visited!
At one time I published "The Spotlight" whose readership included lots of senior citizens and their families. The section they all enjoyed most was Buster's column which was sent to friends and family all over the world! One man even cut out every column and displayed them all on the wall over his workbench and showed them proudly to everyone!
I am so excited to write this blog and am looking forward to your comments!
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