Training a Parrot to Talk

The innate ability of a parrot to talk (well, mimic anyway) has to be the main reason why parrots are so popular as pets.

Whenever somebody visits our home, one of the first questions they ask about our African Grey is whether he can talk. I have to tell them that, sometimes, I wish he would stop. Needless to say he is often silent when a stranger is present. He will sit there looking at them quizzically refusing to utter a single peep.

So how can you train a parrot to talk?

Firstly it really does depend on the type of parrot. Some species, or indeed individual birds, will learn far more readily. Many African Greys have a vocabulary of 1,000 words or more. Others, including parakeets and cockatiels, will hardly make a meaningful sound, unless you have a very talented bird, however long you spend trying to teach them.

The younger your parrot when you start to train him, the easier it will be. You can start once your bird has been mostly tamed. Training a parrot to talk will be frustrating and not very effective if your parrot is not settled and comfortable in your presence. A wild parrot may pick up some sounds but it is likely they will be sounds he hears on his own, such as the telephone.

Often, your parrot will start to mimic common phrases heard inside your home without specific training. They are much more likely to imitate words or phrases when shouted or said with strong emotion. If this is the case you may want to be careful what you say around your parrots since he will be just as happy to repeat cuss words as anything else.

Start training your parrot to talk with a couple of 10 or 15 minutes sessions twice a day. Any longer than this and he (and you) will become bored. Begin with something simple like “Good morning” or maybe his name. You will have to repeat the phrase many times at first. Try and add emotion to your voice if you can since he will be more interested in the sound and hence more likely to try and copy you.

Once you get some sort of response, even if it's only a peep, praise your parrot and give her a treat of her favorite food. It will only be a little noise at first but be sure to offer him a small treat every time he tries. After a number of attempts it will become closer to the sound of your voice. It may take two or three weeks even for a natural mimic, so don't give up hope if it takes a while for the first words. Less talented birds may take several weeks or even months.

The first word or phrase always takes the longest time but subsequent words will come more quickly. Once he has the first few words, he will often pick up new words with only 2 or 3 easy training sessions.

It's a good idea to have a certain phrase at each time of day. For example, mine will happily call out “Good morning!” when I come downstairs in the morning since this is the phrase I used during the morning training session before work.