Exotic Pets: Teaching your Parrot to Talk

As far as I am concerned parrots will do much more than mimic; they can communicate. In fact, I think the case studies done by Dr. Irene Pepperberg–the world’s foremost authority of parrot intelligence and trainer of Alex the African Grey Parrot. Pepperberg proved that parrots can use sophisticated language and can have an extensive vocabulary.

Alex was also able to deal with abstracts and was good at problem-solving. Pepperberg was able to exchange thoughts with Alex. I believed she proved to any non-believers that birds can do much more than mimic, they can communicate.

I never taught a bird to talk by repeating a phrase or word over and over. I taught simply by example. I would talk to the bird, ask questions, describe what I was doing while going about my daily activities.

When I was a young child we had a parakeet. I am not really sure whose pet it was but remembering back it was my mother who spent the most time with him.

She would repeat a phrase over and over again, and that is exactly what Blueboy did, said the same thing, over and over again; pretty bird, Blueboy, pretty bird, Blueboy. That is why you teach communication, not repetition.

One of my first parrots was a hand-fed baby. I would spend hours a day with this bird. Even if I couldn’t spend one on one time with him, even if I was just cleaning house I would always talk to the bird. I just simply described what I saw, depicted what I was doing, asked him questions, though it was a while until I saw the results of my efforts.

When I put the cage cover over the cage during the night, I would sit close by and listen. In the sweetest, lowest voice imaginable I could hear this bird mumbling to himself, over and over, mumble mutter until he went to sleep. He was practicing speech. I also didn’t recognize any formed words in the mutters. It was a while until he uttered his first words. However, as the nights went by I could hear more variations in tone and inflections in his mutters.

BIRD TALK

I had an exhausting day between my two toddlers and work. I had the kids bathed and down for the night. I tucked my parrot in for the night and told him how much I loved him. While putting the cover over the cage I asked him how his day went and told him about my day. He seemed a little huffy because we weren't able to spend as much time together as we usually did, but we made up and I went to bed.

My bird and I had a pretty set pattern beginning each morning. The first thing I would do would be to uncover his cage. During the morning routine, I voiced everything I was doing. Things like, "let’s get your cage door opened, and I will go get you some fresh food and water". I would ask him questions; do you want to go outside with me today? Or, would you like to go for a ride in the car today? I voiced everything.

The next morning I did something I rarely did. I slept in and it felt great. Something woke me out of a deep sleep. I set up and listened. My parrot repeated what he had just said, I thought I was dreaming. “Come here and open this darn door, now!” I had been late getting him up. He had never heard those words in that sentence before. I am sure with all my vocalizations he had heard every one of those words in different sentences.

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