Translated by Nick R
Parrots are one of the most fascinating bird families because of their amazing ability to imitate human words. However, be aware that only some species are likely to learn to talk while others can barely imitate any sound. Stay to learn 5 simple steps to teach your parrot to talk.
Remember that your bird is not an accessory or an entertainment being; having one is an act of responsibility that requires time, patience, love, and knowledge.
Table of Contents
1. Create an ideal learning space
Parrots are very social birds and should feel comfortable in the place where they are so they can learn and communicate with you as if you were part of their flock. This depends greatly on the conditions in which they are as:
- The size of the cage.
- The toys and accessories (perches, swings) in the cage.
- The place where the cage is located.
- The company they keep.
If you manage to make your parrot comfortable and it doesn’t move away or feel afraid of you, it’s time to start teaching it some words, which you will have to repeat on different occasions for your bird to repeat them.
2. Arrange a schedule for teaching
Parrots and birds in general are very organized with the things they do throughout the day, so select a time of the day when your parrot has a lot of energy and walks from one side to the other as if it wanted to get your attention.
The schedule you choose has to stay the same for the next months of training. If you can do it out of the cage and in a fixed place where there are no distractions, it will be much better, so your parrot will focus all the attention on the activity they are doing.
Remember that the training sessions should be short, from 5 to 10 minutes. You will be able to decide by how attentive your parrot is during the session, maybe at some point it gets tired and starts to ignore you.
If you have trouble getting your bird’s attention, don’t forget the infallible trick of treats such as snacks, fruits, or favorite vegetables, but do it in moderation!
3. Take care of the intonation and clarity of words
Parrots perceive the intonation of a word more than the word itself, it won’t be the same if you say a simple “hello” as an animated “HELLO!”, although it is best that you always try to change the intonation to know which one calls her attention the most.
It is also important to be clear with the words you want to teach your parrot; many times we tend to talk to our pets in a much more comical or cuddly way.
4. Repeat the words and accompany with actions
The way to teach your parrot to speak is different depending on the moment and the conditions in which you do it. What matters is to always reinforce the learning process without tiring it.
Remember that you should have selected a repertoire of words that you want your parrot to learn, about 5 or 10 may be enough, start with simple things such as:
- Hello!
- Bye! Or Bye!
- Your name
- How are you?
- Some food such as “Seeds”, “Food”, “banana”.
Repeat the word and give a reward
This method is useful for training sessions, although you must be very careful when doing so, as your parrot’s intelligence may lead it to know that a certain word leads to a reward.
For this step, you have to start repeating the word with the prize at your parrot’s eye level; it’s important that he recognizes that it is something he likes and that he knows that you won’t give it until it repeats the word or tries to do it in a similar way.
Speak at the right time
This method is great for a more advanced level where you want your parrot to speak at the exact moment you want him to, such as responding “Good” after asking a “How are you?”.
For this, you need to count on your parrot already having a better ability to learn words and relate them to certain situations, actions, or sounds. If so, then what you will do is wait for it to say a word it already knows and respond to what you expect it to say. e.g., when it says its name you should respond “Your name?” and if it says it, give it a treat.
Repeat words with actions
Parrots are astute to relate words to situations, hence positive reinforcement is the easiest method for them to learn to speak, but it can also happen with actions. You can accompany a word or phrase with something you do in your daily life, for example:
When you leave home or leave the place where your parrot is, tell him “Goodbye”, and say it every instant you are going out, it can also work with daily care, such as changing food.
5. Socialize with it frequently (talk to it)
Outside the learning sessions, you can talk to your parrot, without insisting on repeating any word but rather making him a summary of your day. Remember you must do it with an intonation that addresses it. This will help to capture its attention so it can respond to you or pay attention to some words.
This kind of action will not only help them learn new words but will also strengthen the bond between you and your parrot.
Some facts you need to know before training
- Do not expect your parrots to repeat the words exactly as you say them, pay close attention to what they say, as they may repeat it in another tonality and speed.
- If you adopt a parrot from a young age, it will probably be easier to teach it to speak and repeat many more words.
- Male parrots are the most willing to learn to speak, probably due to the relationship between singing and courtship.
- Female voices attract the attention of parrots more than male voices.
- If you adopt a parrot that has already been taught to talk, you should ask the person who taught it to explain the way it was taught, as using new methods may confuse your pet.
What to do if your parrot learns bad words?
Watch your language for swear words, unless they are funny to you, they are the expressions that some parrots learn more easily, perhaps because of the repetition or intonation in which they are expressed.
Learning bad words can cause problems when your parrot socializes with someone else such as children or visitors since they do not control what they say or know what they mean.
If your parrot learns a bad word and you want it to stop saying it, just ignore it in every way, without looking at it or making any gesture or expression. Just let it happen until it knows that this word does not generate any kind of reward or action in its environment.
What to do in case your parrot learns no word?
Something you should keep in mind when training a parrot to talk is that each parrot, regardless of species, has a personality and the way it socializes and behaves with you depends on it, as well as how likely it is to learn a word.
In some cases, even if the species is known for its ability to talk, it happens that they do not. Don’t be discouraged if this happens to you, there are many other alternatives to share with your parrot and understand it, one of them is whistles and sounds, which you can try to teach in the same way to teach them words.
Remember to know and understand your parrot’s body language so you know how it feels in training and if you may need to find a new way to teach it words.
What is a good way to get parrots to talk?
There is no reliable proof that any kind of food or drink, such as chili or wine, can make parrots talk. These are myths that many people tell and spread among neighbors, families or on the internet.
The only way a food can make a parrot talk is when you give it something to eat after it has done something you would expect it to do, such as repeat a word. The reward can be any favorite food, fruits, vegetables, or seeds. Remember to be careful with some foods that can hurt them.
Top 3 best talking parrots
1. African parrot or yaco (Endangered)
| Difficulty of care | High |
| Difficulty speaking | Low |
| Life expectancy | 40 to 60 years |
The African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus) is the most popular parrot to have as a pet because of its incredible ability to speak. Remembered or known to many by psychologist Irene Pepperberg’s parrot Alex, who learned more than 100 words in English, related to colors, objects, shapes, and numbers.
Keep in mind that this parrot is an endangered species largely due to its captive care as an exotic pet.
2. Blue and Yellow Macaw
| Difficulty of care | High |
| Difficulty speaking | Medium |
| Life expectancy | 30 to 35 years |
The blue and yellow macaw (Ara ararauna) is the star species of the macaws family that can learn to speak most easily. It will surely be a good companion for you and your whole family since it loves to talk a lot.
3. Argentine Parakeet
| Difficulty of care | Medium |
| Difficulty speaking | High |
| Life expectancy | 22.1 years approx. |
Also called monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) is one of the smallest parrots that can speak more easily, although contrary or the first two will have a repertoire of words perhaps more reduced and will be able to learn better of some sounds.
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