How to Teach Parrots to Talk

By Kendra Dahlstrom

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

Bird treats

Step 1:
Purchase a parrot newly out of the nest. While this is preferable, you can still train your old parrot to talk as well.
Step 2:
Maintain a normal routine with your bird. For example, feed her, clean her cage, and play with her like normal.
Step 3:
Speak appropriate phrases while you tend to her needs. When you feed her, for example, you could say, "Yummy, that tastes good." This gets your parrot used to interacting.
Step 4:
Schedule two 10-minute training sessions per day. These should be in a location as quiet as possible to avoid distraction.
Step 5:
Start by saying a one-word or two-word phrase over and over again in these sessions. If the bird responds with a squawk or a squeek, praise her and give her a treat.
Step 6:
Continue with the one-word phrase. This could take weeks or months for your parrot to repeat. Once she does repeat the first phrase, move on to the next. It will happen much quicker than the first.

Tips & Warnings

Each bird is an individual. Some birds will never be great talkers. Others won't learn how to say much before they are one, but will then talk your ear off.
Training CD's don't work very well. They simply talk at your parrot.
Parrots tend to find whistling easier than talking. Prevent teaching your parrot to whistle since there is a chance she will switch from talking to whistling.

Resources

Petcare information

More Puppy Pages

How to Teach a Parrot to Laugh

Enjoying the company of a talking parrot is one of life's little pleasures. Some species of parrots learn to talk easily and continue to gain vocabulary throughout their long lifespan. Teaching a parrot to learn specific phrases or to laugh takes...

Teaching a bird how to talk can be one of the most entertaining, yet rewarding experiences you can have with your beloved feathered friend. While some may believe that birds are not smart, they really are quite intelligent. With some time, effort, and...

Training your parrot to learn tricks can be a rewarding process for both you and the parrot. It does require patience and a lot of love for your bird, as you will most likely have to repeat the training several times before your parrot can master the...

Parrots are very intelligent animals and can easily be trained. With a little patience a parrot can be trained to do tricks and even talk. The key to training a parrot to talk is to know how to talk to a parrot. By knowing how to talk to a parrot you can...

You just brought home a new parrot--it doesn’t matter which breed--and he wants to bite every time you stick your hand in his cage. With a little bit of time and patience, you can train your parrot not to bite you and to step up nicely onto your...