(Commonwealth Union)_ Building a relationship with your bird companion and developing realistic expectations of it is the first step in teaching it to talk.
Not all bird species have the ability to communicate verbally, and those that do occasionally opt not to do so. Conduct some study on the species of your bird to see if it’s a good candidate for speech training. You shouldn’t expect your pet bird to speak more than it is capable of because some birds are known to speak more fluently than others.
Some bird species are exceptionally skilled vocalists. If you own one of these species, you might be itching to train it to speak but unsure of where to begin. To learn how to educate your bird to vocalise and acquire words, refer to our guide.
Choosing a few simple words for birds to start with is the greatest method to encourage them to speak. “Hello”, “bye-bye”, “nite-nite”, and even your bird’s name are examples of good first words.
The majority of parrots appear to find simple words more intriguing when they are spoken enthusiastically. Make careful to use a joyful, encouraging voice when speaking to your bird.
As you repeat the words you’ve chosen, keep an eye on your bird. If you listen carefully, you’ll undoubtedly notice that some words stand out to it more than others. As your initial “training word” choose the word that your bird responds to the most. Repeat the word as often as you can to your feathery buddy once you’ve identified a word that piques its attention.
The only way to get your bird to mimic you is to say the word repeatedly. Parrots learn to mimic through repetition, thus doing so will help your bird say it back.
While it’s usually preferable for owners to instruct their pets personally, some owners choose to employ additional teaching aid like tape recorders and CDs to assist with teaching their birds to talk. These technologies can be helpful and won’t necessarily impede training, but owners should be aware that they shouldn’t be utilised in place of one-on-one engagement and should only be used as extra tools.
Pay attention to your bird’s vocalisations throughout the day. You might be shocked to learn that some of them sound familiar to you because they are noises that you frequently hear in your house, such as doorbells, microwave buzzers, and telephones.
Don’t be disappointed if your bird never uses any human language. Even if your bird is mute, you can still be sure that you’ll get a lovable, perceptive, and fascinating companion in return, and as far as having a bird goes, that’s the best part! Speech training, interaction, and socialisation all assist to build the link between you and your pet.
