How to teach a parrot to talk

Nothing sounds more relaxing than hearing your parrot say ‘hello’ upon your arrival from work. But not all parrots are the same, some talk much better and there are some that usually learn late. The first thing to consider is to choose the right breed for you, remember that the smaller specie of parrots you have, the later it will learn to talk and when they do talk their speech may be very difficult to understand.

Conures, parakeets (budgies) ringnecks, plumheads, cockatiels, alexandrine, lorikeets and lovebirds are poor talker and so it is a good decision not to choose one of these small parrots if talking ability is what you are looking for in a bird. However, if you are decided already to buy small ones then you need to spend some time on the bird shop to observe which one is constantly babbling and chirping.

Placing your parrot at the right place of the house is also important in its talking ability. As much as possible, keep it in the kitchen area since families have the tendency to gather together at this place consequently exposing the bird to various human activities and sounds. Start teaching your parrot when it reaches 4 to 6 months old. The ambiance should be relaxed and it should be equipped with a lot of foods since the bird will love surroundings such as this.

Generally, if you have a problematic and unhappy bird then it would not become eager to talk. Focus your mouth to its face to get proper attention. Begin with a general word such as ‘hello’ and repeat it everyday. Do not try to compare your friend’s pet to yours since parrots normally differ from one another. Some will pick up words sooner than the others. Have patient. Practice reward system, give some treats when it starts to mimic the word.

Proper diet is also important if you want you pet to learn faster. Stop feeding diet rich in sunflower or safflower seeds since study shows that bird fed by these are usually duller and they are not responsive to the environment given the fact that seed diets are nutritionally deprived. As much as possible give bird pelleted diets.

Teach the parrot to talk through the process of associating the word with action and feeling; for example, when you say ‘hello’ attempt to wave your hands at it. The effectiveness of this technique is proven among African gray parrots which can learn up to a hundred words through this way. Also, it would be better for women or children to do the teaching since parrots respond more to high-pitched feminine voices. Keep the training periods no longer than fifteen to twenty minutes because it will only bore them. Following these tips will surely make your bird talk at the soonest possible time. Be firm and never give up right ahead! Do not as well try to teach using tape recorders since mechanical systems lack the human interaction consequently making the bird bore stiff.