How to teach your bird to talk

Birds are social creatures and love to interact with their owners. Many parrots are the hit of their families because of their ability to talk and carry on a conversation. Other parrots seem to talk endlessly, mimicking the words that they hear their family use. If you've ever wanted to teach your parrot to talk, here are tips and tricks that you can use.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Parrot
• <br>Patience
• <br>Quiet location within your home

1. Birds respond to words that are spoken that are laced with emotion. This is why so many birds can easily learn to curse. When people swear, they are typically said in a highly charged emotional state. Parrots sense this heightened emotion and learn to repeat these words to elicit emotional responses from their owners.

2. Birds learn best when they're removed from their cage and familiar surroundings where they may feel territorial. Take your bird to a neutral, quiet, location in your home where you can be alone with your pet. Do not bring your parrot's cage or toys with you.

3. While you are alone with your parrot, focus your attention on them. Give them love and make them feel secure. Some birds like to have their back scratched, others prefer to have their head scratched. Repeat the word or phrase that you are teaching your parrot while they are getting love and attention from you. Continue this process for 15 minutes, several times a week.

4. Return your parrot to its cage, affirming the new word or phrase as you return them to their cage. For the next few weeks, whenever you approach their cage, repeat the new word or phrase that you want them to learn.

5. When your pet begins to repeat these words or phrase, praise them and give them love and attention. This will serve as a positive reinforcement, encouraging them to continue to say these words.

Tips & Warnings

• Focus on teaching your parrot one or two words at a time until they have learned that word. Then progress to other words or phrases that you want to teach your bird.
• <br>Continue to reinforce their use of the other words that they can say while they're learning new words, by repeating these words to your parrot.
• <br>Remember that birds learn words that are accompanied by emotions easier than other words.
• If you try to teach your parrot too many words at once, they will become confused.