I have heard varying reports regarding the learning curve of parrots and seen some who say most parrots learn their vocabulary by the age of 2 and not much else new after that. Others who say parrots add words to their vocabulary for several more years than that. My 'zon, Stella, is an excellent talker, continues to learn new words and she is turning 5 next spring. My next best talker is Jello, a CAG. But she is not even 3 yet and I feel she has not stopped learning (she's really just started taking off within the last year). What is your experience with your birds?

(At last count) Boca has a vocabulary of 83 although, he mostly says the same 10-20 words. He is always coming up with new words or saying someones name. I have only had the new puppy for about a month and a half now and Boca calls out her name. Boca is seven.

Jerry should be roughly 2.5 now and he's still learning new words and still making new word combinations.

I think it's very interesting that Winston is now speaking a little English - he's only supposed to be maybe 1.5 years old (but who really knows), and considering he's more than likely been cage bound and hasn't had human interaction before coming to our home. I think it's pretty cool.

Our Maple is 8 and she still learns new words. She has her favorites, but over the last year she has learned to say kiss and blows a kiss, she has learned Mama, Rob, Robert, and a few more here and there. I don't think they stop learning, maybe just slow down....probably depends on the individual bird.

Kady and Kita, 17 years old (I think Kita is older) and they both have learned many new words and phrases since being with me.

I've always heard they never stop learning.

I've read that too, Kelly, that they stop learning new words fairly young. I don't have the personal experience, being that Tausi and Quito are both roughly a year and a half old. Chico is purportedly around 20, but apparently doesn't talk at all. His previous owner had him for a couple of years, and claimed when she got him, he spoke a little Spanish. I've never heard him say anything yet.

Going by what bird owners say, it just doesn't seem to hold true that they stop.

I think they always keep learning. I posted about that Grey I rehomed at my store he was over 12. Went from just some quiet polite talking to being a rowdy, hell raising, boss of a farm. LOL

He totally directs all the days activities telling my girlfriend exactly what it's time to do every hour from morning till night. He yells commands at people learning to ride (the opposite commands on purpose), directs the farm animals, house dogs, and bosses everyone around at the Friday night poker game that he's allowed to participate in for a while.

When they mess with him pretending to skip his turn keeping score, he waddles across the poker table saying "Son of a Bxxxx", grabs the pad and takes it back to his place and says "Gizmo score". And sits there till it's time to write on the pad with his special pencil. He also lays his suits down (not actually right) but in his little mind he has a hand and he's playing it. !

He's about 25 now and I haven't asked her about his vocab but I will next time I talk to her.

How funny is that Cindy.....some of our birds repeat the same words over and over and some continue to learn more. I think it is just the bird, not the age, kind of like us, some are extraverts and some are intraverts!

I agree with you and it's the humans they live with too maybe. My girlfriend is just like the bird she's an extrovert and very funny. She's also about 5'11 and about 300 lbs and that Grey loved her the moment he set eyes on her. It took him months to win her over when she'd come in the store to shop, poor guy always flirting with her. So funny, his previous owners were a little quiet couple. So I guess he was ready for a different life and made it known.