- Teaching a bird to talk starts with assessing how verbal your species of bird is likely to be. Some species can be taught to speak many words fairly easily, such as macaws and African grey parrots. Budgies and cockatiels may only pick up half a dozen words, or may only learn to imitate a specific whistle. Mynahs and crows may also be taught to speak a few words or to imitate other animal sounds.
- Individuals within breeds vary, too. Most larger birds in the parrot family can learn to speak, but the speaking talents of smaller species-- especially budgies and cockatiels--are more variable. It's difficult to assess whether an individual bird will speak by the way he behaves in a pet store. You may bring home a quiet bird, only to find he is excellent at imitation once he's in a more quiet environment.
- The most important step in teaching a bird to talk is to bond with her and make her feel comfortable. You can buy tapes and CDs that promise to train your bird to talk, but interaction with a live and loving human will almost always get a better response. Speak to your bird in a friendly and upbeat tone of voice.
- Choose simple words or phrases, such as "hello" or the bird's name to start with. Saying short words or phrases with enthusiasm will be most likely to catch a bird's attention. If you try a few different words, see which one seems most interesting to your bird and stick with that word or phrase. Once the bird begins attempting to repeat the word back to you, repeat that word often to make the learning stick.
- The best way to encourage a bird to pick up more words is to set aside some training time at a regular time every day. You may have to repeat one word or phrase often for a few months until the bird is comfortable with it. Once that's accomplished, try introducing a new word. Remember to reward your bird with a food treat or a new toy when he successfully learns a new word.
