Mimicking?

[adelhide]

my guinea pigs seem to mimic the sounds of other animals. sometimes they will bark, today they are cooing like a pigeon. anyone else have that?
i have checked that they are breathing normally and not choking or anything. they just weird

 

[Wiebke]

Guinea pigs have a very intricate and differentiated social life that is very vocal because they evolved living in roaming groups in South American grasslands. That means that they have to stay in contact via vocal communication because they often can't see each other, so they make lots of sounds. They do not mimic other animals as such, unlike some birds.

The most impressive (and to date still puzzling) expression is chirping, which sounds like birdsong, but it is quite rare and by far not all piggies do it, or do it regularly. I have currently got a chirper; the most eerie time she did it was just hours after a group mate of hers had died. That gave me goose bumps.
http://jackiesguineapiggies.com/guineapigsounds.html

 

[Freela]

They make a very cool assortment of noises... I don't know what all of them mean, but presumably they do! I have heard chirping on a few occasions with my pigs (though not often, perhaps four or five times between my two pigs over about six years of time.) It's very similar to the noise that chipmunks make to warn off other chipmunks, though I know the meaning is not really known in guinea pigs. Mine do stop and listen to the chipmunks do it when they are outside at the cottage, though!

I also think it's interesting how they have different 'voices.' I can easily tell which of my pigs is wheeking without seeing them, as they sound different. Linney is more shrill, Sundae always sounds a little bit huskier.

 

[adelhide]

well mine did chrip once. but i swear to all the guinea pig gods that they bark and coo. which they only started doingd like a month ago. and they only bark after the neighbours dogs have been barking.