Training Talking Birds

Ask anyone what parrots are famous for and they will likely answer that they can talk. This is the most common reason that lures people to own one as a pet. Many birds will even learn to use their vocabulary in the appropriate context, such as saying “hello” when the phone rings. But keep in mind that all birds are individuals and even if you acquire a variety that is famous for their talking ability, you can still end up with a bird that refuses to say the words that you are trying to teach it. This is a brief summary of some of the varieties that are noted for their talking ability and the best methods of teaching them to talk.

 Talk is cheap

When it comes to selecting a talking bird, there is not much middle ground in price. Parakeets (also called Budgies) and Cockatiels are very inexpensive and both posses good abilities to mimic speech. Lovebirds are also in this price range, but they have poor talking ability. Budgies and Cockatiels are available in a price range of ten to fifty dollars, so if you are not ready to spend close to a thousand dollars on a pet parrot, then they may be the right choice for you. One drawback is that only the males of these two species are gifted with the talking talent. The females rarely learn to talk. It is also essential to start with a young bird to develop a good vocabulary, and unfortunately, it can be difficult to determine their gender at this young age.

More talk for the squawk

All types of parrots posses some ability to mimic speech, but this ability is very limited in most varieties. The commonly kept smaller parrots, such as most conures, are not likely to develop a large vocabulary, but many can learn a few words. Of the smaller parrots, Senegal Parrots and Blue-crowned Conures can develop a fair vocabulary. If you want something that is significantly better at learning to talk than the inexpensive cockatiels and budgies, the price range jumps to roughly a thousand dollars for an African Gray, Eclectus Parrot, or one of the Amazon Parrots.

Yellow-naped Amazons, Double Yellow-headed Amazons, and African Greys are the types of parrots most often considered to be the best talkers. Amazons are more gifted at singing and can carry a tune (lyrics and all!) better than the African Grey. African Greys, however, have the advantage of accuracy. It is not unusual to be able to recognize the different voices of the people who taught the Grey to speak. In addition, Greys seem to be more talented at mimicking a variety of sounds other than human speech. They often learn to imitate ringing phones, car alarms, doorbells, etc. Greys are equally adept at imitating deeper male voices as well as higher pitched female voices. Amazons generally learn better from the sopranos among us.

My Grey is a Dud

African Greys are noted for beginning to speak later in life than many other talking parrots. Some owners become discouraged when they have spent the entire first year trying to get their Greys to talk without much success. Have no fear; Greys are learning in their first year even though they may not be actually repeating much yet. A Grey’s vocabulary will normally blossom after he reaches the age of 12-18 months, but it is important to start speech training while they are younger.

Age

Age is an important factor in how easy it will be to teach your bird to talk. Once a bird begins to imitate human speech, they can add to their vocabulary later in life, but the initial training must be done early. For Cockatiels and other types of parrots, it is important to start with a bird less than 1 year old, or ideally a bird that is around 2-3 months of age. Sometimes they pick up a word or phrase very quickly, but other times it may take months. For Budgies it can help to start speech training even younger, at around 5-6 weeks of age.

Getting Started

The best way to teach any bird to talk is simply to talk to the bird. Birds will learn to repeat the words and sounds that they find interesting, so interacting with them will better hold their attention. Giving a favorite treat while repeating the desired words will make the words even more interesting to your bird. This will develop a positive association for that word and parrots will often begin to say the word in an effort to get their treat.

Training Tapes

Training tapes can help in the training process, especially for longer phrases. They are not a substitute for talking to your bird in person, but they can reinforce words that you are working on, or help to assemble them into longer phrases. It’s best to get your bird started by repeating the words yourself, then use the tapes to build on your lessons.

Routine

Birds become accustomed to a regular schedule and will look forward to the training sessions. Try to set up a regular routine for speech training at the same time each day. It helps to keep training sessions short –10 minutes is about right. Birds often will become disinterested if forced to pay attention for longer than this.

Voice

Try to imitate the pitch of your bird’s natural vocalizations. Most birds will learn to talk better if you use a higher pitched voice since this is more similar to their voice as it is easier for them to mimic. For this reason, women are often more successful at speech training. Birds are also captivated by words that are said with feeling. This makes it important to be careful what you say if you stub your toe around a talented talking bird. He may learn a word that you don’t want him to repeat!

Bird Words      

Many parrots, amazons especially, like to babble natural noises that sound like garbled speech. A useful tip is to use your imagination to turn these natural sounds into short sentences or words. You can develop a unique vocabulary this way and your bird will be more likely to repeat words that are similar to his natural vocalizations.

Conclusion

Talking ability is one of the most notable traits of parrots. It is often what first attracts people to owning a parrot, but there is so much more that a pet parrot can offer. A talking bird is fun, and it is truly amazing how well these birds can use their vocabulary in the proper context, but for most parrot owners, the personality and intelligence of their pets are the true rewards for owning one.