Gretta the Starling - Saying she loves Grandma.

Posted this one for my mom, Grettas grandma.

[@scottfitzpatrick1939]

He even perfectly mimics the imperfect human whistle

[@AndrewFord]

You mean it knows which part was imperfect?

[@sylusasher3456]

I think he meant most people have kind of a breathy, out of key, “Not quit perfect” kind of whistle, maybe.

[@ninaelsbethgustavsen2131]

Bird version of Roger Whittaker ! And then some...🤗

[@Sypherz]

I lost it when she said "whisper, whisper". So sweet.

[@royerayers3176]

Crem de la Crem

[@olliefoxx7165]

I had no idea Starlings could mimic human voices. The range of sounds they make is amazing. Thanks for sharing this video!

[@jsand5389]

You should read the book "Arnie, the Darling Starling"

[@richbrake9910]

Crows and Ravens do also.

[@boomer3150]

They're related to Myna Birds.

[@johnhickman106]

We have one near our house that has copied a house alarm. Another (could be the same one) that mimics sirens.

[@olliefoxx7165]

@johnhickman106 That's crazy! I had no idea Starlings could mimic so many things. There's a bird called a lyre bird. I've seen videos of them mimicking chainsaws, cellphones, camera shutters, etc... Birds are such fascinating creatures.

[@sjs260563]

imagine hearing "whisper whisper" outside your window at 4 am

[@taniakrause9253]

😂

[@JosephineArmstrong-l1u]

😂😂😂

[@user-ii7gy1rw5w]

Awwwwwww he is Lovely.

[@kristinamullen4066]

What a beautiful little soul. Her markings are so pretty and her voice is precious!! You are lucky to have her as your friend..

[@muffs55mercury61]

Birds are wonderful to have a bond with. You don't necessarily need to have one as a pet (but that's ok too) Interact when they come around and they'll never let you down. Gretta is so special. Those people are blessed.

[@bluefox9436]

Imagine breaking in and hearing the bird talking not knowing what it is.

[@chellesama8256]

I would never stop running.

[@arcticgoddess]

"WhIsPeR....wHiSpEr.." 😮😅

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

Hahaha, _"whisper, whisper"!_ 🐦 OMG, I lost it! 😁😂🤣

[@LKre-vi5oq]

Her intelligence is astonishing. Never realized how beautiful starlings were until I saw this princess.

[@lifewriter7455]

Such a wonderful bird. Magic whisper... And this glistening plumage in different almost metallic colours! Starlings are just mesmerisingly beautiful.

[@OtterLovesYouSo]

That human voice coming out of it though! 😳

[@ClarkRuell]

Yeah, it's a bit spooky,. Amazingly like a recording.

[@danielesussarello8340]

😂😂😂😂😂un po inquietante 😅😅😅😅

[@rigo1124]

That is crazy!! Whisper whisper then proceed to laugh 🤯

[@fliegeroh]

What a sweet bird.

[@TheShamwari]

Fantastic !

[@melissacicio4688]

She’s a beauty. Love birds. Gods everyday blessings 😊

[@annecohen8927]

They are hilarious! Smart and amazing birds.

[@walter9724]

Just so people know and are aware, kitchens laundry's and bathrooms are places where birds should avoid. Fumes from cooking, gas hotplates, cooking oils etc are not good for birds to be around as they put off fumes we can't see or even notice. Same as bathrooms where we use spray deodorant and toilet fresheners and laundry's where chemicals are used to wash . birds should avoid fireplaces and radiant heaters and oil and gas heaters where possible which is hard in cold environments. Its like the canary in the coal mine. If you are unaware of the saying you can google it. Don't mean to sound like a party pooper, just need to look after our feathered friends 👍😎

[@bbdn5123]

💗

[@ShutUpCleanYourMonitor]

also meth labs... I mean humans should avoid cause they start to go a little bat crazy about little things.

[@NoName-zn1sb]

laundries and

[@TieDyeVikki]

Yes, and I was thinking the same thing while watching this.

[@echodelta9]

Teflon (TM) is lethal to birds if overheated. One forget and poly is dead! Whole house action.

[@NovaTurtlez]

So cute. Birds are amazing creatures

[@cahg3871]

I hear birdsong every morning in my backyard and when I ride the trails in my rural area.Its a beautiful moment I enjoy immensely.

[@mitchellharsch8887]

Sweet bird...looks like he's just having a good time visiting

[@nickrider5220]

❤❤❤❤❤ How could you not love this little bird...I love birds in general, but this Starling is gorgeous !

[@timmsavage7912]

It must be wonderful to have that much beauty and love all around you all the time. She really loves you. Great video. Thank you.

[@fawziaanker]

So sweet...❤ Gretta is a pretty bird!!!😘

[@dannylaw7367]

Just wonderful.

[@petewheelus2662]

A wonderful little bird!

[@lifeasanexperiment]

Beautiful bird.

[@butterduck_2895]

I love this bird, he sounds like my grandpa whistling 😞

[@JavierU.S66]

Wow !!!! 😳😲😳😲 I can't believe that starlings are so vocals... I saw many starlings on Street but I never put attention... They are Amazing Birds 😍🐦🐦😍

[@jasonhauger1469]

My hypothesis is that Starlings in the wild have a language that is more complex than humans give them credit for. Imagine if someone could crack the code to their hidden language.

[@creampuff4721]

I also believe that animals have their own language and culture 😊 I think scientists are studying starlings for their language capabilities as well.

[@michaelsullivan8497]

@@creampuff4721They do. There is a bonobo tribe at a research facility, who have learned sign language, but had also developed their own hieroglyphic written language. There was also an Elephant tribe who was observed every full moon gathering in a circle waving branches up at the night sky in a somewhat ceremonial fashion. There was even a group of apes found on an untouched island who were discovered to have been in the midst of an early stone age given their observed hunting tactics with flint weapons and tools, along with strategic movement for corralling fish in the shallow water to hunt them.

[@anisfatima1559]

😂😂😂😂😂😂👍👍

[@Michael-j4l3d]

Not the same bird but there's a video that has a list of seagull noises and what they mean. Would be hard to do for starlings since they interact with us much less. What the bird is doing is essentially the same as us phonetically memorising a phrase in a language we do not speak or making a specific noise/whistle. And it looks like the voice box of some birds are much more apt at playback of the sounds in their memory. Some birds can learn a vocabulary and use it in conversation but those are specially trained but most are just copying noises phonetically

[@Straitnet]

You should check out my reply above about starlings not having their own language. Very few species of birds fit into that category. Starlings really are very fascinating little creatures. Same with cowbirds, even though most people seem to hate them both.

[@RishiSharma-ti4bt]

She just so happy with its human❤

[@ajsaunders4425]

It's awsome and extremely creepy at the same time lol

[@bbdn5123]

Uhuh 💗🤯🎊🎉

[@JosephineArmstrong-l1u]

😂😂😂💯

[@RishiSharma-ti4bt]

Beautiful ❤

[@canadapainter658]

sweet,,,

[@sohailmahmood9051]

Wonderful pretty bird 🧡🖤🩵

[@stevewilliams3850]

I did not know starlings are so vocal. They're all over northwest Florida. I've seen them here in Graceville, Florida. We;re three miles south of the Florida/Alabama State Line; in the northwest corner of Jackson County.

[@annapaolavolpe1099]

Birds incredible!Smart and funny,lovely!❤❤❤❤

[@LotarLee_2TL]

Haha, lovely.

[@RebeccaBTusquare]

Love it!! My baby girl Stella was such a joy to have! (I have several videos of her talking here on my channel as well- "Stella the startling" brings her up too). Gretta reminds me of my little Stella! :) I really believe they are one of the best companions around! :)

[@Straitnet]

They really are! Gretta change my life forever... mostly in good ways. ;) I love all birds but there's something so unique and special about one that imprints on you - there's nothing like it.

[@beautiful28679]

Imagine this voice in a dark room alone at night 😶‍🌫️

[@taniakrause9253]

😂

[@eschwarz1003]

what a nice song there; sweet birb. that syrinx is amazing at mimicking human sounds without external lips

[@kaarenklingel3098]

At Trailside Museum in River Forest, IL there was a starling who could say I'm a darling starling" & also "Birds don't talk"!

[@AXE668]

It's such an incredible thing. It's not an impression, it's almost as though it were an actual recording: the accuracy is phenomenal. Hopefully, somebody has managed to established how this is achieved.

[@Straitnet]

A very fascinating thing about starlings is that they don't have their own language. Most birds will have a language that's very similar to others of their kind, no matter where in the world they live. Groups of starlings establish their language based on the sounds of their environment, which means starlings in one part of the country wouldn't be able to communicate with a group of starlings from across the country (I mean, if it were even possible for them to meet). So when they imprint on and grow up with humans, our language becomes theirs. Gretta doesn't just mimic human sounds but uses those words to communicate. Most types of birds who can learn to mimic human language are just making sounds with no real meaning to them. With human-imprinted starlings, it is their language and song.

[@scootypuffjr.]

What a sweet little creature

[@Guroji]

that sounds like someone talking to me on a old style telephone. thats horrifying

[@rogerrowles8702]

SHE CAN WHISPER!!🤯

[@Westleigh92]

Never seen such special bird, truly amazing

[@nagehanelif]

She looks just like my Minnak… “My love, my love, long live my daughter, I love you so much…” he would say to me. He always followed me, came with me wherever I went, and could never stand being without me. He was in love with my hands and would dance love dances on them. When he wanted to impress me, he would fluff up his feathers to look like a bigger bird and sing to me. I lost him when he was 7 months old. He came to me on 06.07.2023 and we were together until 16.01.2024. I miss him so much and he is my eternal love… ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@deborahsandoval7633]

Thankyou. So amazing!

[@JosephineArmstrong-l1u]

That's incredible 😮😍🥰

[@rheajohson4420]

They're amazing. Lots of unexpected birds can talk.

[@pedrotome9119]

My friends: there can be no doubt, that we still have lots to learn...

[@karenbenavente1124]

I love the kisses and I'm gonna get you and her laughs she so Cute!!! ❤

[@anthonymaxim9487]

Absolutely beautiful 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@AlexCMoro81]

❤❤❤❤❤ What a cute love sandwich!😄

[@MarleyBu]

What a sweet, precious wee soul. Bless her. She is amazing ❤

[@paranoidhumanoid]

Imagine you're out camping alone and in the middle of the night you hear a cute little voice laughing and saying "I'm hungry!" outside your tent. 😱😱😱

[@iluha_b]

wowww what an impressive bird!!

[@alexjason7741]

Pretty big, also magnificent mimic😂

[@DonEdward]

That's amazing! Apparently LOTS of birds can mock human words!

[@rosecroix2467]

Revered by the Druids. I am trying to appreciate Starlings. They decimate the meal worms I feed the Bluebirds.

[@frankyparker6004]

Good one . Nice birds

[@Johnny-sj9sj]

Unless they are disabled, I do hope this array of charming little critters that we see on here are free to fly in the outdoors. To permanently keep them in doors would be cruel.

[@Straitnet]

The only starlings I've ever known of or heard of as pets are those who are unable to survive outdoors. Wild creatures should always remain in the wild unless it's not possible for them to do so. I think we agree on that, and I wish more people would understand that concept.

[@Meditation409]

Much love and respect for animals. They really are superior to humans in many many ways 💕🥰💋

[@debrakleid5752]

If that bird was out of sight we would have thought the tv was just on the fritz. They are amazing

[@bruzzaab]

Wow I'm so amazed 😮

[@walterkersting9922]

My rat terrier has a thing about whistling, and he goes a little nuts when he hears your bird. He goes nuts when he hears the old spice jingle when he goes nuts when he hears your bird.

[@rodri6095]

In Italy There are so many birds like this

[@aidenmornay]

She is beautiful

[@itsjim2875]

How nice! I've never seen a pet Starling before.

[@redghost3170]

Gonna get you 😮. ❤

[@elizabethcross12]

Wow, this is crazy! I didn’t know starlings could do this. Kinda scared me, cuz I thought only parrots and parakeets were able!

[@michellejuly21970]

Omg! My heart.

[@ramonhamm3885]

Cute bird! Be careful or it might add some "creamer" to your coffee!

[@Straitnet]

Oh, he has before! And to plenty of other things. I can't count the number of times I left home, ran some errands, and came back home to find dried starling poop in my hair that had been in there the whole time I was out in public. Starlings are flying poop factories... so much messier than parrots of their size. But so worth it!

[@anythingoldmechanical]

Awwww bless it!

[@yourbasicguy1098]

I had no idea that starlings could talk.

[@MrJiggerG]

It's both creepy and wonderful at the same time.

[@rhiannonrede]

Amazing!

[@carlapedro4406]

He’s precious ❤

[@СветлаПеткова-о4л]

Чаровен прекрасен домашен любимец.😊😊😊

[@LarryLaird-eb8rp]

Starling's are one of the most intelligent bird's on the planet 😊

[@michellejuly21970]

That voice though!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!!!! ❤

[@sandro8089]

Semplicemente impressionante!

[@aqdrobert]

Local starlings and peach-faced lovebirds sit next to each other on Peoria Ave. telephone wires in Sun City, Arizona, having long conversations. Doves and pigeons glare at them.

[@RogerDiotte]

OMG are you kidding me.. this is phenomenal! I'm beyond words... thank you for this...I have a barn yard full of Starlings which I've always fostered..

[@Robert-n5t9v]

It is amazing how they can imitate sounds from other sources. The parrots have competition.

[@ibeetellingya5683]

Remarkable!

[@poorthing]

Greta is a pretty bird...❤

[@tehutimes1]

I've known Starlings can mimic earthlings vocals since the 70's by reading books.

[@walterbriggs272]

Pretty amazing

[@viewer-r]

"♪ I'm gonna knock on your door, ring on your bell.♪"

[@citizendc9]

Amazing

[@jakdurok561]

HR: ..Sir, can we verify your employment with your manager? * passes phone to bird 👀

[@AtomicDogg0213]

"I'm gonna get you, I'm gonna get you." Alright I gotta thing to do over.......not here.

[@Straitnet]

😆

[@klientklient6133]

Птицы наши друзья! Мы за ними скучаем! А они за нами! 😊

[@wms72]

Hard to believe they're related to dinosaurs. Maybe dragons did talk.

[@theoriginalkyttyn7724]

One of the most intelligent creatures, along with all corvids and psittaciformes.

[@josebsoto5510]

Qué pajarito más descarado ellos son los que té alegran él alma pero sí que es descarado mírenlo cómo habla qué clase dé tipo jajaja.

[@wisecoconut5]

If I had a starling I think I would name it "Memorex". 😂

[@The_Prodigy88]

Love it

[@totti.]

What a wonder that birds can imitate 👏👏👏 But do you think they can understand ?

[@Straitnet]

Most birds that can mimic humans are doing just that... mimicking the sound with no real meaning behind it. Starlings are one of only a small handful of species that can adopt those sounds as their own language and use those words and sounds to communicate. They may not understand the meanings of the words like we do, but they're able to correlate certain words and sounds to certain actions or items. Gretta, for example, would always tell me when he was ready for bed by saying "Gretta sweepy go night-night?". He would tell my cat "good girl" after she laid down when I told her to. He would say "Gretta splish splash?" when he wanted to take a bath (starlings LOVE their baths!). He knew what those phrases meant because those are the phrases I taught him that go with these things he wanted. I could have just as easily taught him to say "Momma is a donkey" when he wanted to go to bed, and that's the phrase he would use to tell me it's bed time. So do they understand the words? Not really. But they definitely can learn the concept behind the words that they're taught.