MercyA Posted December 13, 2023 Share Posted December 13, 2023 (edited) My canary Peep is incredibly social. He loves to have conversations with people. Now that DD is in public school, he doesn't have company as often. I do try to visit him throughout the day and I even carry on conversations with him across the house, but I can't be with him all the time. He loves, loves, loves pop music and will happily sing with it for at least 30 minutes at a time. He doesn't enjoy bird song or bird videos (or really any videos) like my female canary did. I think he sees them as threatening. I think he would enjoy some audio books. 🙂 He doesn't like angry or scared voices or yelling. He prefers female voices. He likes variety in tone. I'm trying to think of audio books that are longer than picture books but without sadness and violence. I'm drawing a blank! Any ideas? They would need to be books I could borrow from the library. Edited December 13, 2023 by MercyA 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted December 13, 2023 Share Posted December 13, 2023 52 minutes ago, MercyA said: My canary Peep is incredibly social. He loves to have conversations with people. Now that DD is in public school, he doesn't have company as often. I do try to visit him throughout the day and I even carry on conversations with him across the house, but I can't be with him all the time. He loves, loves, loves pop music and will happily sing with it for at least 30 minutes at a time. He doesn't enjoy bird song or bird videos (or really any videos) like my female canary did. I think he sees them as threatening. I think he would enjoy some audio books. 🙂 He doesn't like angry or scared voices or yelling. He prefers female voices. He likes variety in tone. I'm trying to think of audio books that are longer than picture books but without sadness and violence. I'm drawing a blank! Any ideas? They would need to be books I could borrow from the library. Maybe he would enjoy some podcasts? Something like a book conversation where the tone is cheerful? Our birds like TV and radio with music but also mostly dislike bird calls. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted December 13, 2023 Share Posted December 13, 2023 I’d probably just put on NPR, or kids podcasts. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted December 13, 2023 Share Posted December 13, 2023 (edited) Would YouTube work? Ms Rachel is extremely cheerful. Edited December 13, 2023 by klmama 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted December 13, 2023 Share Posted December 13, 2023 LeVar Burton Reads is a podcast with him reading short stories. He has a great voice for reading. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarita Posted December 13, 2023 Share Posted December 13, 2023 Purple Rocket Podcast. It's stories for children. Although it's a male voice reading. Stuff happens in the stories but nothing is overly sad or violent. Sadness and disappointment in the stories get resolved. (I had a cat who liked watching TV and she would be bothered until the sadness/bad stuff gets a happy ending.) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted December 13, 2023 Share Posted December 13, 2023 1 hour ago, Clarita said: Purple Rocket Podcast. It's stories for children. Although it's a male voice reading. Stuff happens in the stories but nothing is overly sad or violent. Sadness and disappointment in the stories get resolved. (I had a cat who liked watching TV and she would be bothered until the sadness/bad stuff gets a happy ending.) Along these lines, check to see what children & young adult audio books are available through your library. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drama Llama Posted December 13, 2023 Share Posted December 13, 2023 6 hours ago, MercyA said: My canary Peep is incredibly social. He loves to have conversations with people. Now that DD is in public school, he doesn't have company as often. I do try to visit him throughout the day and I even carry on conversations with him across the house, but I can't be with him all the time. He loves, loves, loves pop music and will happily sing with it for at least 30 minutes at a time. He doesn't enjoy bird song or bird videos (or really any videos) like my female canary did. I think he sees them as threatening. I think he would enjoy some audio books. 🙂 He doesn't like angry or scared voices or yelling. He prefers female voices. He likes variety in tone. I'm trying to think of audio books that are longer than picture books but without sadness and violence. I'm drawing a blank! Any ideas? They would need to be books I could borrow from the library. So, these are both male, so not what you want, but I think of Shel Silverstein and Robert Munsch as two wonderful upbeat storytellers who do a great job on audiobooks, and use varied tone but are never scary. I am sure there are female writers who are similar. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted December 13, 2023 Share Posted December 13, 2023 The Swallows and Amazons series has a female, very cheerful, British reader who varies her voice for each character. As a plus, they are long and there is something like 14 of them. Emily 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted December 13, 2023 Author Share Posted December 13, 2023 You are all so helpful! Thank you from me and from Peep! 🐤 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted December 13, 2023 Share Posted December 13, 2023 Another for you, @MercyA - Julie Andrews has done some audiobooks, and she has a collection of poems and songs as well. I love listening to her when I stumble across something with her voice. Oh, except the WDW opening show. That was a crazy 60 minutes that never should have aired. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted December 13, 2023 Share Posted December 13, 2023 Peter and the wolf? It’s not relentlessly cheerful but he might like the musical parts. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted December 13, 2023 Share Posted December 13, 2023 I just thought of one. Mrs Harris goes to Paris! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
***** Posted December 14, 2023 Share Posted December 14, 2023 Ooh, Pretty Peep! What a social bird, that is so sweet! How fun to have a bird that enjoys singing. As a child, I recall Kay Landing, reading about Smokey the Bear. (lonnnnnnng ago!) Her voice was so soothing and friendly. Anything by Mister Rogers? I also remember a record I had about Peter and the Wolf, especially the music. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eos Posted December 14, 2023 Share Posted December 14, 2023 21 hours ago, MercyA said: My canary Peep is incredibly social. He loves to have conversations with people. Now that DD is in public school, he doesn't have company as often. I do try to visit him throughout the day and I even carry on conversations with him across the house, but I can't be with him all the time. He loves, loves, loves pop music and will happily sing with it for at least 30 minutes at a time. He doesn't enjoy bird song or bird videos (or really any videos) like my female canary did. I think he sees them as threatening. I think he would enjoy some audio books. 🙂 He doesn't like angry or scared voices or yelling. He prefers female voices. He likes variety in tone. I'm trying to think of audio books that are longer than picture books but without sadness and violence. I'm drawing a blank! Any ideas? They would need to be books I could borrow from the library. This might be the cutest post ever. 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted December 14, 2023 Share Posted December 14, 2023 18 hours ago, klmama said: Would YouTube work? Ms Rachel is extremely cheerful. You stole my answer! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted December 14, 2023 Author Share Posted December 14, 2023 Oh my goodness. I may have to be a little jealous, because I'm playing Ms. Rachel right now and Peep ADORES her. Like maybe more than me. 😉 Literally within 30 seconds of starting the video, he was puffing his feathers, doing little wing flaps, and waggling his tongue (all signs of pleasure). He then started flying back and forth across his cage. I left the room and he is currently chatting away and singing loudly. Thank you! Looking forward to trying your other suggestions, too! 1 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted December 14, 2023 Share Posted December 14, 2023 I'm a huge bird lover, but I don't have a bird. Yet. I once rescued a parakeet and I found her the most amazing home with another rescued parakeet, Sunny, who "came alive by 300%" according to Daffodil's new mom. I had seen Sunny's first reaction to seeing Daffodil. They were in separate cages and she rushed Daff like "oh, yes!" That's when I realized that birds need at least one other bird. They aren't solitary animals. They're meant to be in a group. And it's cool that your bird and daughter have already bonded. A new bird won't take that away. ♥♥♥ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted December 14, 2023 Author Share Posted December 14, 2023 2 hours ago, Alicia64 said: That's when I realized that birds need at least one other bird. They aren't solitary animals. They're meant to be in a group. And it's cool that your bird and daughter have already bonded. A new bird won't take that away. ♥♥♥ Most birds! Not canaries. That's one of the reasons we went with a canary instead of, say, a finch, who absolutely would love being in a flock. Even male and female canaries may fight and injure or kill each other if it's not breeding season. And males hate the sight of another bird. Our last canary, Sunny, had previously been caged with her sister, but she bullied the poor thing and kept her from their food. By the time we adopted her they had already been separated for a while. Canaries can be kept together in large (really large!) aviaries though. Parakeets are awesome!! I hope you will be able to have your own birds someday. 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted December 14, 2023 Author Share Posted December 14, 2023 @klmama and @sassenach, thank you again for recommending Ms. Rachel! Peep literally sang for two hours straight, the whole time her program was playing. He only stopped when I went in the room and one another time. I have a story about that! Peep had been singing steadily for about an hour when he suddenly stopped. I was curious, so I started listening. Ms. Rachel said something like, "Oh...oh....uh-oh! I fell down!" I peeked in the room. Peep was standing up VERY tall, looking at the screen. I heard Ms. Rachel say, "That's ok! I'll get back up again!" and after a minute Peep gave a questioning little chirp and then started to sing again. He's a very empathetic bird, LOL. I'm glad he likes to watch the video as well as listen to the audio. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted December 14, 2023 Share Posted December 14, 2023 Thanks for getting me up to speed on canaries. My MIL has a huge cage for the many finches. I'm glad you found something that's worked. You sound like a wonderful bird mom. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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