Due to their inherent
intelligence, parrots have demonstrated the wonderful ability to “learn our
language”. Much of this learning is done thru their intense observation of
our interactions with other humans and household pets as well as our responses
to certain situations such as a ringing phone or doorbell. Their ability
to use complex and meaningful communication is one of the most enchanting
aspects of these wonderful beings.
Teaching your bird to talk
and sing can be accomplished by consistently applying language appropriate to
what is going on in the house. Interaction, persistence, patience and most
importantly, a good relationship with your bird, are key to teaching your bird
to talk. A few more important points regarding speech training are:
Speak clearly and repeat phrases.
Conduct training in a quiet place free
from competing distractions.
Birds are naturally most vocal in the
early morning and at sunset. They are more likely to learn if training
is conducted at these times.
Limit training sessions to 15-20 minutes
twice a day.
Start at as early an age as possible.
Some species such as the African Grey are able to learn new words and
phrases throughout their life but, for many species, the learning period
effectively shuts down within the first few years of life.
Birds have an appreciation for the
dramatic. If you use emotion and enthusiasm in your speech it will
catch their attention even more.
Use praise and positive reinforcement
liberally to acknowledge their attempts to communicate. The best
reward for a parrot is always attention!
If you want your bird to learn to use language
in a meaningful manner, it is important to speak in context to your bird.
For example:
Use names to consistently identify
individuals and pets.
Explain and talk about routine actions as
they occur (i.e., feeding, cage cleaning, showers, scratches, bed time,
etc).
Birds learn best from observation of your
interactions with other humans and animals. The model/rival
technique has been employed by Dr. Irene Pepperberg in her interactions with
Alex and other birds in her lab. Using this technique another human or
bird "models" correct or incorrect responses to your questions and also
serves as a rival for your attention during training.
There are also many helpful products on the
market to facilitate speech training.
If your bird doesn't learn to talk, don't stop
trying to communicate. Not all birds will learn to talk but they still may
be very capable of understanding some of our words as well as interpreting our
tone and body language. Additionally, if we are astute students of their
vocalizations and body language we may just notice that they are trying to
communicate with us in other ways.
