CHOOSING A BIRD THAT CAN TALK

A lot of people decide to purchase a parrot because they are intrigued with the idea of having a pet that can talk. An animal that has the intelligence to actually form words in the same language that you use – IT IS AMAZING!!

Many birds can talk, but will they? That is another issue altogether…..Just because a bird can talk really doesn’t mean that it will. Some birds enjoy mimicking the sounds that we make and others prefer to make their own sounds. So what is the best way to make sure that the bird you choose will talk……

In my opinion, the only real way to make sure that the bird you bring home will talk is to bring home one that already knows how. Of course, many of the best talkers don’t show their abilities until they reach a year or more in age. If you want a newly weaned baby to bond with then you may not have the option of choosing a baby that can already talk. You may have to make a choice.

Think about it. Are you bringing home a new bird because you are looking for someone to talk to? Or, are you looking for a companion, a family member whose personality fits in to your lifestyle and that of your family?

If your answer was someone to talk to (and who will sometimes talk back at you!), then perhaps you should re-evaluate your plans. I would have a very hard time recommending any type of bird to someone who is just looking for noise. Birds come with a lot more than that. If you want noise, turn on the radio or TV. Don’t condemn a bird to a life where it won’t get anything more than a conversation from you.

The Best Talkers ---

Every bird lover, bird owner, bird breeder will have a different opinion about which birds talk the easiest/most/best. Most people have heard of the Congo African Grey, Alex, who was the subject of so many studies about the intelligence of birds. Because of Alex’s notoriety it is easy to understand why so many people associate Congo African Greys with the ability to talk.

Greys are great talkers! Many of my babies are starting to mimic before they are fully weaned (3-4 months). Generally, Greys learn to talk at about a year old. They can continue to pick up new words over the course of their entire life but it has been my experience that they learn the fastest between 12 and 24 months old.

Amazons have always been one of the great talking species in the bird world. I have rarely met an Amazon that didn’t have a few words in its repertoire. In fact, in my experience, Amazons often ‘out talk’ Greys hands down!

These are my two favorites if you are really looking for a talking bird but don’t limit yourself to these species alone. Many parrot species can talk reasonably well and offer other personality traits that can offset their speaking abilities with other equally intriguing habits.

Males vs Females –

You will hear a lot of opinions about whether males or females talk better. It has been my experience that the teacher makes the difference, not the sex of the bird. In fact, one of my best talking cockatiels, as a kid, was a female that I got because its owner thought it couldn’t be taught to talk. In reality, the owner was just too busy to spend the time necessary to teach the bird. I, on the other hand, had nothing better to do with my time than talk to my bird….thus, she became an excellent talker!

Remember my reference to Alex? I think this is one of the stories that has served to perpetuate this belief. Again, I have had and have known a lot of Grey Parrots that were female and had bigger vocabularies than many of the males I’ve known. My most recent Grey is the best talker in the breeding aviary right now…She spends a lot of her time teaching the other Greys to talk. It’s a thrill to walk into the bird barn and be greeted with “I love you” from all of the grey cages – thanks to her!

Don’t underestimate the females just because you’ve heard the stories!

Getting Started –

There are a couple of things that you should think about before you start to teach your bird to talk. First, you have to gain the trust of your bird in order to gain its interest. If the bird is afraid of you, it won’t be concentrating on what you are saying; it will be too worried about what you are doing. Spend your time getting to know your bird and gain its trust before you start to teach it to talk.

Next, think about who is going to teach the bird to talk. If you live with other people, you might be surprised by which voice the bird decides to mimic. There is some truth to the thought that birds more easily copy the voices of women and children but that doesn’t mean yours will. When starting to train your bird, all members of the household should be in agreement to the ‘phrase of the month’ - one phrase that everyone tries to repeat in the bird’s presence. Eventually, if your bird is going to talk, it will let you know which voice it likes the best!

First words and sessions –

The phrase you choose can make a difference in how fast your bird begins to talk. Many people think that a simple, single word is best. In my experience, I have found that birds find a phrase that is more rhythmic/sing song to be more interesting. I like 3 syllable phrases like “Hi Baby’ or “I love you” to start. Pick something that you don’t have to think about; something that comes natural for you when you see your bird.

The first sessions should be short but frequent. Birds don’t have a long attention-span, especially when they are young. Five minutes is probably as long as they will pay attention and not become bored. If you can work with them one-on-one without distractions and face to face, five minutes should be plenty. Repeat these sessions whenever you can, ideally totaling 30 minutes over the course of a day.

Rewards –

Some birds will start to make noises right away. Of course their speaking will probably be goofy sounding mumbles. Don’t be discouraged! This is the most common first step. Patiently repeat your phrase slowing down and enunciating each word carefully. Your bird will keep trying and most likely eventually get it right!

In the beginning, rewarding your bird’s attempt with attention or a treat is a good means of encouragement. Praise is usually what your bird is seeking by trying to mimic your speech. As progress is made, begin to hold back your rewards until the bird completes the task successfully – speaking clearly and understandably. Food rewards, at this stage, should be stopped. Save food rewards for training your bird to understand words. As with Alex, when he used the word grape, his handlers gave him a grape; drink/liquid; toy/toy; etc. Working in this way, you can actually teach your bird to communicate, not just repeat.

Pay Attention to What You Teach –

Be aware of what you are teaching your bird during any training session. Many breeders and books will advise you to partially or completely cover the cage during training sessions to gain your bird’s complete attention…This can work to help your bird start talking sooner but you might not like to hear that initial phrase every night, when the lights are out, for the next 30-50 years! Training your bird in the dark can teach it to talk primarily when the lights are off or the cage is covered – pay attention!

Think of your bird as a young child; a little sponge that will copy whatever you say. Pay attention also to the words that you use within hearing range. If you lose your patience and resort to inappropriate language it will probably come back to haunt you at the most inopportune moment!

Using another bird to teach a reluctant talker its first words can be a very useful tool. Again, be sure that you pay attention to what that other bird says, when it says it, and how attached the two birds are becoming. If they get too attached, they can prefer to talk to each other rather than talking to you.

Using Words Appropriately –

I briefly mentioned it above, but birds can be taught to use our language in the proper context. As mentioned, giving the bird the appropriate reward for the appropriate words will result in a patterned association. Rewarding birds with an appropriate “treat” can teach it to tell you what it is thinking….

Reward a bird emotionally when it says “I love you”. Reward it with grapes when it says the word grape. Give it a scratch when it says tickle….You can come up with a myriad of things that you might like to have your bird ‘tell’ you it needs – think of creative ways to let it know how.

One bird I know has been taught that “bye-bye” means that the people around it are leaving for a while. The bird has taken that one step further. Now, when strangers are around that either ‘bug’ or ‘frighten’ it the bird will say “bye-bye” – her way of asking the stranger to leave!

As you and your bird develop your communication skills over the next 50 years you will be surprised by what you are able to tell each other with a little creative thought, practice and a lot of patience!