Feathered Family Inc.

Teaching your parrot to talk.

First let me say that not all parrots will talk. Even those species that are known to be good talkers don't always talk. It's rare to see an African Grey who wont speak, but it happens. If you got a parrot just because you want a talking parrot, you got it for the wrong reason. Remember; above all parrots are companions not chatterboxes. They are so more than that.

Ok, now that you understand that, do you know which parrots are talkers and which are not? African Greys of course talk, as do Macaws, Amazons, and some Cockatoos. Did you know that Budgies also talk? What about Ringnecks? Take some time to make sure that your parrot is one of those species who is capable of talking, you'd be surprised how many are!

The first step in teaching your parrot to talk is repetition. If you want to hear it, say it... a lot! Make a ritual out of certain phrases, such as saying "Good Morning Sunshine" each morning as you uncover your bird. When you hand over a favorite treat take a moment to say "Yummy". This is the best method for teaching your bird to speak. Some people advocate the use of recordings, but I have to warn you that while hearing "Pretty bird" once in a while feels fantastic, hearing it 300 times in a row can be a bit hair raising!

Remember when teaching your bird to talk that it is important that he hears you. Don't have the T.V. running in the background, music is distracting, and sometimes even other birds can be too much. Try to pick a time when your bird and you can be one on one for lessons. A bird that is listening to you and learning will show you by his body stance. He will stop and stare at you, you may notice his pupils changing (flashing), and you can tell that you are the center of his attention.

Many birds will initially begin to talk with "Mumbles". This is the speech emerging, and often the parrot will practice this alone. Many parrots prefer to talk only to themselves, or to the people they know and trust. Don't be surprised if you wake up some morning and hear a litany of phrases coming from Polly's cage.

Some parrots will pick up household sounds, some of which might become annoying. It can be entertaining to hear though, its pretty funny when a bird rings like the phone and then answers itself  "Hello". It's not as entertaining when your parrot decides to imitate your alarm clock for an hour at a time. Protect your bird from picking up these nuisance sounds as best you can, remember you are the one who will have to live with them.

Speaking of nuisance sounds, remember when you speak that there are little feathered ears around. Some words and phrases you don’t want the bird to say are favorites for imitation. It can be highly embarrassing to have Snookums squawk out "Oh S***!!" during the middle of a family dinner. This means you need to be careful of using profanity. It's not fair to expect a bird to learn only what you want to teach, and its heartbreaking when a parrot loses his home because of it.

Don't forget the whistles. While many people believe teaching a parrot to whistle will discourage it from talking instead; a good whistle can be a lot of fun. Most talking parrots can wolf-whistle, and a few can whistle tunes. Our own Cockatiel Whitey has never uttered a word in his life, but it's truly charming to hear him whistle out "I left my heart in San Francisco". Make sure your whistle is clear though, if you can’t whistle well your parrot wont either.

Keep in mind that while some birds might be muttering while still unweaned others begin to talk later in life. Ceebee (our U2) never uttered a word until about 18 months until she one day spat out "Hiya Momma". Cody on the other hand (our CAG) has been babbling his little beak off forever, and is known to sit and call "Michael" or "Pretty Bird" at whim. And of course there are the late bloomers like our darling Buddy (IRN), who never did much noise making at all until one day he decided to blurt out "Good Boy!"

Enjoy your parrot, speaking is not the end of the world, it's just a fun stop on the journey.