As far as I am concerned parrots will do much more than mimic; they can communicate. In fact, I think the case studies done by Dr. Irene Pepperberg–the world’s foremost authority of parrot intelligence and trainer of Alex the African Grey Parrot. Pepperberg proved that parrots can use sophisticated language and can have an extensive vocabulary.
Alex was able to deal with abstracts as well, as problem solving. Pepperberg was able to exchange thoughts with Alex. I believed she proved to any non believers that birds can do much more than mimic; they in fact, communicate.
I never taught a bird to talk by repeating a phrase or word over and over. I taught simply by example.
When I was a young child we had a parakeet. I am not really sure whose pet it was but remembering back it was my mother who spent the most time with it.
This is one of those moments when you think to yourself, I can call mom and ask. No, I can’t she passed away last month. Don’t put anything off that you can do right this moment. Anyway, back to the subject. She would repeat a phrase over and over again, and that is exactly what Blueboy did, said the same thing, over and over again; pretty bird, Blueboy, pretty bird, Blueboy. That is why you teach communication not repetition.
One of my first parrots was a hand-fed baby. I would spend hours a day with this bird. Even if I couldn’t spend one on one time with him, even if I was just cleaning house I would always talk to the bird. I just simply described what I saw, what I was doing, asked him questions, it was a while until I saw the results of my efforts.
When I put the cage cover for the night, I would sit close by and listen. In the sweetest, lowest voice imaginable I could hear this bird mumbling to himself, over and over, mumble mutter, until he went to sleep. He was practicing speech. I also didn’t recognize any formed words in the mutters. It was a while until he uttered his first words. However, as the nights went by I could hear more variations in tone and inflections in his mutters.
I had an exhausting day between my two toddlers and work. I had the kids bathed and down for the night. I went to tuck my parrot in, told him how much I loved him. Asked him how his day went. He seemed a little huffy because we weren’t able to spend as much time together as usual, but we made up and I went to bed. We had a pretty set pattern starting each morning, the first thing I would do, would be to uncover his cage, and voiced everything I was doing. Things like, let’s get your cage door opened, and I will go get you some fresh food and water. I would ask things like; do you want to go outside with me today? Or, would you like to go for a ride in the car today? I voiced everything.
The next morning, after my exhausting day, I did something I rarely did. I slept in and it felt great. Something woke me out of a deep sleep. I set up and listened. My parrot repeated what he had just said, I thought I was dreaming. “Come here and open this darn door, now!” I had been late getting him up. He had never heard those words in that sentence before. I am sure with all my vocalizations he had heard everyone of those words in different sentences.
Maybe he heard me yell at the kids, close the darn door. I am sure he heard me say, come here, to either him or the kids. He heard me say, as I would wake him up; let’s get your door open so that you can play. He repeated the sentence one more time, and then I came out to the living room and opened his door. He never said that exact sentence again.
In fact his very next words were; BUG mama BUG. I came running. He was up on his playpen, with one feathery eyeball following a bug up the wall. He saw me come in. BUG mama! I went and got a little cup and captured the bug and took it outside. He seemed pleased that the bug was gone. I was thinking to myself, if you were in the wild you would probably had eaten that bug.
He was walking across the living room floor one day, searching for me most likely. I heard another BUG mama! Goodness gracious kiddo why are you so concerned with bugs?
His speech improved tremendously over the years; though he never, ever repeated that first sentence again, Come here and open this darn door, now! Though, I doubt if I have ever slept in since then.
Birds that I have had that have talked
The only reason I am including this in this article is because not all birds talk. Even some birds in the African Grey species will not talk. You must choose a bird to be your companion and love your companion if it learns to talk or not. Many subspecies within a species may not be as good of talkers.
African Grey, African Gray (can have vocabularies to 1000 words)
Starlings (they can whistle a pretty good tune as well)
Amazons – mostly Yellow Napes, Blue Fronts, and Double Yellowheads
Conures – not great talkers; enjoyable for their clowning around.
Macaws – they have rough monotone voices but many learn to talk well
Cockatoos not great talkers but can learn some words, (better at snuggling)
Parakeets or budgerigars – smaller birds are more difficult to understand
Cockatiel – can talk but could be difficult to understand
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Diana Geiger Exotic Pets Editoron
Teaching Your Bird to Talk
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