I have seen young Pigeons attempt to talk...ones I had raised from Babys, where, while I was talking to them, they would open and close their Beak to exactly duplicate the number of syllables, of whatever i just said.

We'd do this for a little while, and it was always so interesting to see.

The ones who did this, stayed with it for maybe fifteen or twenty minutes, even a half hour or so, we'd just keep going back-and-forth like that, but, then after about that length of time trying, they'd give up.


These were always around fledgling age.


Though they would do what they could, without a suitable vocal apparatis, no sounds would come out.



Along a different line, one Pigeon I had some years ago, and at that time there were only a few free fly Birds in here, and no large common waterers.

This Pigeon could drink by himself just fine, but, because of a Beak injury, he could not eat on his own, so every day we'd do a few sessions of 'Seed Pops'.


So, he'd be perched up high in here somewhere, and, if I looked at him and said "Would you like a drink of Water?" or "Are you thirsty?"

If he did not want a drink of Water, he'd pause, stand still, and just look at me 'blankly'...then go back to whsatever he was doing.

If he did want a drink of Water, he'd pause, look at me vividly, and then he would slowly bend down, and pretend like he was drinking, and, then slowly raise back up, and look at me really brightly.

Where-upon, I would go get a nice Teacup of cool Water, and hold it up to where he was, so he could have a drink.


Similarly, with food - if I looked at him and said "Are you hungry?" , or, "Is it chow-time?" or 'would you like some supper?" or whatever variation, if he was not hungry, he would just pause, stand there, and give me a blank look for a moment, and then go back to whatever he was doing.


If he was hungry, he'd do a little short 'dance' of excitement and twirling, fly down, and land on my shoulder, and we'd go do 'Seed-Pops' then, usually like 100 Seeds or Seeds and Goji Berrys.


And once done with the 'Seed-Pops' he would do his 'Victory Dance' as I called uit, which was a short celibration dance of twirling and raising up and and down and other moves, then he'd fly off to go back and goof around with the other hand full of free fly ones in here.


I sure wish they did have the vocal apparatis for speech...



Phil
l v

That's so cool, Phil! Pigeons are smart and I think if you talk to them regularly they learn what you are saying, like a dog or a cat. I think they pick up on visual cues too and when someone spends a lot of time with them, like you do.

My pigeons know exactly the sound of the bag I keep my sunflower seeds in them...their favourite. Even though the bag is in the same spot where all their feed is kept, they seem to know by cues, sound or something just when I'm going into that bag rather than another bag of seed. I have separate bags of individual seeds all kept in one big plastic bin. They can see the general area where the bin is, but not the bags of seeds themselves.

Thanks for sharing this story and example.

Hi Brad,




A couple days ago, one of the 'wild' Pigeons who live in the Workshop, who I have known - if at a distance - for golly, four years now I guess, anyway, I walked into the Bathroom out there, and he was standing in the sink.


Now, the one's out there would almost never have any chance to see into the Bathroom, since I keep the door usually closed...and even when the door is open, it is not as if one can see in and see the sink or sink operations, either.


But, he knew that the sink was where 'Water' comes from, and, seeing him in it ( he flew off instsantly though when I walked in ) I thought, "Oh...I better check the Shop Waterer ( a one Gallon size, for the Shop Birds to drink out of ) which is situated about seven feet up on top of a flat area, and sure enough, it was dry as-a-bone.




One thing I felt was especially interesting with 'Crow Baby's manner of indicating whether he wanted a drink, or wanted some chow, was that his manner of indiacting he was not interested, was to pause, and indicate definitely, a 'blank' expression, and to hold it for a couple seconds, then go back to whatever he was doing.


This then being a 'positive' way of saying "Not interested' by literally making himself 'look' positively not-interested, but doing so to me, with eye contact.



Phil
l v

It's amazing to me how our animals manage to communicate with us despite the fact that no spoken language is involved. Actually, I've also always been amazed that we humans also manage to figure out how to communicate with our babies when they are infants. I remember when my son was an infant, and would cry, I could usually figure out what it was he wanted or needed or if there was something bothering him just by observing and really listening to the differences in their crying. Most babie's crying sounds the same to the casual observer, but there really are different cries signaling hunger, pain, discomfort, boredom, etc.

I think we usually manage to do the same with our pets. And the animals also seem to have the intellegience to give us hints or cues as to what they want. I know my Penny has a special "hungry" meow...lol. She will come up to me and let out that certain Meow and wait for me to follow her and then lead me to her food dish....she certainly has me well trained!

Linda

ROFL...there is NO doubt that our birds and animals train us very WELL! Which brings up the question of "who" is training "who?"

When Squeaks is on the back of my couch, I will take my glass of water, tip toward him and say, "Water?" He knows what that means! Sometimes he will take a sip and sometimes, not...

Shi