How to Teach a Parrot to Talk
Parrots are very popular pets the world over. Many bird owners keep parrots because of their high intelligence and ability to mimic sounds that they hear. If you have a pet parrot, here are some ways that you can help your pet talk.
How Parrots Talk
Parrots are highly intelligent birds from the order Pscittaciformes. Many parrots are colorful species that are highly regarded as pet animals. For centuries, people have valued some parrot species for their natural ability to “talk,” or to mimic sounds, noises, and voices they hear from their environment. Some parrots also exhibit a high level of intelligence and memory; scientists and animal experts often study the behavior of parrots to discover more things about animal intelligence.
Imitation and Mimicry
Human beings speak through highly-developed speech organs like the brain, the mouth, and the voice box. Parrots do not “speak” like human beings do; although they have highly-developed brains compared to other birds, they do not have the vocal cords or highly-developed mouth parts that humans use to talk. Instead, parrots create sounds through a bifurcated trachea, or a windpipe split in two. Parrots use their ability to imitate and mimic sounds to adapt to their environment, although this trait is what makes parrots very popular among bird lovers.
Teaching Parrots to Talk
Not all parrots can talk, so you need to ask the pet shop manager if the parrot you plan to buy is capable of talking. Teaching a parrot how to talk is a lot like teaching a child his or her first words. Here are some tips to keep in mind when you’re teaching your parrot to talk.
talking parrot
Age. A young parrot, preferably around four to six months old, is at just the right age to learn words. Remember that a younger parrot can learn more words than an older bird.
Use simple words. Unless you have an exceptionally intelligent bird, you can’t teach a parrot how to properly pronounce big words like “onomatopoeia” or “decentralization.” Stick with simple words like “morning” or “hello.” Using simple words can also increase the possibility of teaching the bird more words over time.
Get the bird’s attention. Instead of teaching the parrot to mimic words while it’s inside the cage, you can take the bird out of the cage and safely hold the bird close to your face as you teach it a word. Another way to get the bird’s attention is to associate a word with an action; for example, you can raise your hand before saying “Hello.” That way, every time you raise your hand, the bird will respond to the action by saying “Hello.”
Treats. Fruit, nuts, seeds, or even small bits of crackers can be used as a reward for your pet when it gets the word right. Treats serve as an excellent form of positive reinforcement for the parrot.
Other Birds That Can Talk
If you’re not interested in actual parrots but you still want to have a talking bird as a pet, here are other interesting choices:
Crows
Budgerigars
Myna birds
Lyrebirds (they imitate sounds from the environment, not speech).
“Polly want a cracker” is just one of the many phrases you can teach your parrot to imitate and to repeat. With these tips, you can make your pet parrot learn how to talk; just don’t expect it to engage in hearty conversation with you.