Read About Teaching Your Bird to Talk

Teaching your bird to talk is something many bird owners look forward to with a mix of excitement and apprehension. Most bird owners have plenty of questions about how best to go about this task, how soon they can expect results, and how many words their bird will learn. All of these answers, of course, will vary from one breed to another and even from one individual bird to another.

Most experts agree that the most successful method of teaching your bird to talk is through regular, frequent, consistent interaction. Most birds learn to talk in much the same way that babies do - by repeating what they hear most often. Keeping a running dialogue, albeit a one-sided one, with your bird will help in your efforts at teaching your bird to talk. Each time you enter the room, be sure to greet him. Try to use one or two short phrases and use them consistently. Saying, “Hi, Bird!” or “Hello, Petey!” each time you enter the room will help him learn to associate these phrases with greetings. This is more effective for teaching your bird to talk than if you say, “Good morning, birdie” and “Hello, handsome guy” later and “What’s up, bud?” the next time.

While each bird is different, some don’t begin to talk until they are around 12 months old or older. Of course, you should not wait until then to begin teaching your bird to talk! Birds are learning all the time, although they may wait a while to demonstrate just what they have learned.

By learning to talk, birds are actually learning to communicate. They are interested in the interaction that comes from a conversation, not just the repetition of words and phrases. This is why you could leave your television on all day, or play “Teach Your Pretty Parrot to Talk in 5 Days” tapes nearly nonstop for a month, and your bird may never actually learn to talk more than a few words, if at all. Teaching your bird to talk involves interacting with him and teaching him words and phrases that are meaningful to him. He will be more likely to learn words that result in getting him dinner or a treat, for instance, than in learning how to say the dog’s name.

Teaching your bird to talk is a fun and fulfilling process. More than just getting him to repeat words, by teaching your bird to talk you are helping him learn to communicate and bond with you. Keep in mind that your bird may eventually repeat nearly anything you say, so you may want to be careful what you say in front of your bird!