How to Make a Parrot Talk

An African grey is one of the best talking birds. However, with patience and training, other types of parrots can become social. Teaching your parrot how to talk is a great bonding experience. It's an opportunity to get to know each other and find out what interests the parrot. Parrots are more likely to talk about things that they enjoy like toys and food. Read on to learn about how to make a parrot talk.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bird swing
• Cage

How to Make a Parrot Talk

1. Tell your new parrot everything. Treat it as if it was your child and explain to them where you are going and what you are doing. This will help them become more comfortable around you and provide a social environment where the parrot will feel the urge to talk back.

2. Keep your parrot's swing, perch or cage in a the television room or kitchen of your home. The more conversations and words they hear, the more likely they will try to formulate those words and join the conversation.

3. Avoid teaching them how to whistle before they learn how to talk. Sometimes when a parrot learns how to whistle, it's more challenging for them to learn how to say words.

4. Train your parrot for no more than 15 minutes a day. If you try to teach them for a longer period of time, you will bore them and it will become frustrating for you and the bird. Try using associations to help them identify objects. For example, show them their food and say "food" then use that word in a few sentences. Do the same thing for their toys or other objects.

5. Speak clearly and sometimes hold the bird near your mouth. This will enable the parrot to see how you are forming the words and making the sound that they are hearing.

Tips & Warnings

• Be patient with your parrot and don't get frustrated if they don't say anything for awhile.
• Talk to your parrot everyday and have friends and family greet it too.
• If you work a lot, play a recording of your voice for your parrot to listen to before you leave the house.
• Don't train your parrot for too long, because you don't want the bird to lose interest.
• Remain calm when training your parrot so that you don't make it nervous.

[cweis]

on 9/29/2008 Interesting. thanks.