Pets of all kinds quickly become part of the family (as they should, of course!) and we all chatter away to them almost as if they were humans. But, of course, the majority of our animals can’t perhaps chat back in the way that we’d like – so if you’re keen to maintain an actual conversation with your pet, you might want to consider getting a parrot!
Talking birds make for very popular pets because they’re so good at copying human speech, but you can’t just expect them to start up with witty repartee. You’ve got to put the hours into training them and interacting with them in order to get them to open up.
For near-guaranteed success with conversation, invest in an African grey parrot, a highly intelligent bird that can learn hundreds of words.
These birds are sociable and known to be sweet and affectionate towards their owners if taken care of properly – but remember that they need lots of mental stimulation in order to stay happy, so teaching them to talk is a great way to bond and give them the attention they need.
How to teach your parrot to talk
As soon as you bring your bird home for the first time, you can start teaching them to talk. Pick a few chosen phrases and repeat these as much as possible, focusing on tone to encourage them to talk back. Imagine you’re speaking to a baby!
Whenever you put food or water in their aviary, make sure you say hi to them and always say goodbye whenever you’re walking away or leaving the room.
Repetition is absolutely key, but also bear in mind that time of day is important as well. Aim to cement your phrases first thing in the morning or when you’re feeding them, so you know you have their full attention.
You can also try to create associations between words and actions. For example, when filling up their food bowl, say something like “food is the best” or similar. The more you repeat this, the more likely it is that your parrot will say the same when you refill the bowl in the future.
Another fun trick is to name the food you give them, saying the different words clearly again and again so that they learn the names of each type of food.
Don’t expect instantaneous results, however. It can take many months for parrots to start talking the way you’d like, but you can help speed up the process by rewarding their successes with praise and treats (like our No. 1 Parrot Food!), while ignoring any undesirable responses.
Also be mindful that although your parrot will likely learn words quite easily, they may not necessarily gain any real level of comprehension or understanding.
Research shows that parrots are able to use some words meaningfully and also apply simple vocal syntactic rules in a limited way, but imitation rather than full engagement or understanding seems to be the norm.
