How to Teach Your African Grey to Talk

African Greys are extremely intelligent birds capable of reasoning and talking rather than just repeating what they hear. This article will explore teaching methods to get your African Grey talking.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Small treats (pine nuts, sunflower seeds)

1. One way you can teach your African Grey to talk is by playing a video for him. You tube has several videos of other birds talking. Choose a video you like and play this for your bird every day. Consistency is a must. Usually after about two weeks of this you will hear your bird trying to repeat what he has heard. When you hear him repeat what he has heard, give him a treat.

2. Another method is to get a partner involved. You say the phrase to your partner and he repeats it. When your partner repeats the phrase, give him a treat in front of your bird. Again, be consistent, and when your bird does say the desired word/phrase, be quick to reward with a treat.

3. You also might find your bird will talk most often in an attempt to get your attention. If you are holding him or talking directly to him, he has no motivation to talk. Try sitting close to his cage but engaging in another activity or talking to someone else. Usually he will pull all the tricks in his book to get your attention.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't be discouraged if your Grey doesn't speak at a young age. Sometimes they are 2 years old before they begin speaking. This doesn't mean you should wait until then to start teaching. The sooner the better.
• Use an excited tone when you say the word/phrase... your Grey will be more likely to repeat what you say if you do this.