Amazing fact: The largest recorded vocabulary for a bird was counted at 1,728 words!  The record holder was a parakeet named Puck from California.

So, why do birds talk?

According to Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji, a 72-year-old guru who can be found at his bird sanctuary in Mysore, India:

A single parrot cannot forage for fruit and watch for predators at the same time; it depends on its chittering flock for protection. Therefore, to teach a bird that can talk — parrots, parakeets or mynas, for example — to talk, find one that for lack of better options thinks of you as its flock.

 

Birds aren’t like babies—you can’t expect them to pick up speech just by babbling away at them.  You need a PLAN.You will need The right breed of bird and patience.

Step 1.

If you haven’t already bought Tweety, pick a breed that is known for its chattiness. Amazon parrots and African greys are the gabbiest, followed by macaws, male cockatiels, mynahs, and parakeets. Female cockatiels, female budgies, grass parakeets, rosellas, and canaries don’t talk.

Step 2.

Once you’ve narrowed your choices to a talkative breed, focus your attention on choosing a bird that seems alert and interested in what’s going on around him.  These are clues that he’ll make a good talker.

Step 3.

Get a young bird.

Like the proverbial old dog who can’t learn new tricks, an older bird is going to have more trouble picking up speech.

Step 4.

Give the bird a name that is no more than two syllables. A longer name reduces the chances that he will learn to say his own name.

Step 5.

If you’re married and/or have children, pick one person to teach the bird. If several people are trying to instruct the bird, it will only confuse it.

Birds learn more easily from women.

Step 6.

Start training at the optimal time. For smaller birds, that’s at four to six months.

For bigger birds, wait until they’re six to twelve months.

Don’t teach a bird to whistle before training him to talk, or it will make the speech lessons that much harder.

Step 7.

Start training by saying a few simple words to Tweety, always using them under the same circumstances.

For example, you could say “Good morning” every day when you first rise, and you could reserve “Bye” for when the bird can see you walk out the door.

Step 8.

Repeat the words several times in each instance.

You want the bird to start associating the sound you are making with the context.

Step 9.

Give Tweety a treat every time he repeats something you are teaching him.

Remember that birds don’t just repeat what you want them to; they mimic sounds they hear. So if you’re suffering a bout of loud flatulence, or getting ready to rip someone a new one, stay out of Tweety’s earshot.

Step 10.

If Tweety has picked up a bad word, washing his mouth out with soap won’t work.

But ignoring him when he repeats the word will, because getting your attention is his main incentive.

Step 11.

Now enjoy chatting with your fine-feathered friend!

Did you know Talking birds often will imitate your phone’s ring tone because they get a kick out of watching you come running.

 

Please visit us BirdCages4Less for the largest selection of bird cages, bird friendly products and more tips on our feathered friends.

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