How to teach a parrot to speak? First of all, the choice of a bird is important. Not all parrots are equally talkative. By the way, despite the fact that the most popular as feathered "interlocutors" are budgies, the most talkative species are the cockatoo, jaco, macaw, amazon. The wavy look, of course, is also sociable, but to a much lesser extent.
The gender of the parrot also matters. So, the males of these birds learn to talk easier, but the females, as practice shows, pronounce the words more clearly.
In order to teach a parrot to speak, one should acquire a chick of the chosen gender and species at the age of no more than 2-3 months. Older birds will no longer be so trained in conversation.
How to teach a parrot to speak: basic principles of training
1. The same family member - the one to whom the feathered trusts - must be engaged in parrot training. Therefore, the first step in teaching conversation should be taming the bird so that it is calm in your presence and not afraid of your hands. By the way, parrots are the best performers of female and children's speech - it is much easier for them to reproduce high timbres of voice .
2. Conduct lessons with the parrot only when he is in a calm state. The bird should not be distracting - neither the noise of a working vacuum cleaner, nor the voice from a TV or radio, nor the ringing of dishes. If you have got several budgies, then training should be done separately, as birds will constantly be distracted by each other.
3. Conduct lessons systematically and regularly. Classes should be held daily and several times a day. For example, before morning feeding, exercise with a parrot for 10-15 minutes, then in the afternoon - 30-40 minutes and in the evening - 15 minutes.
4. During lessons, do not yell at the bird, do not scold it, do not raise your voice at all. On the one hand, this can excite the parrot, and on the other, it can inadvertently learn the abusive words that you pronounce. Remember that those words that your pet remembers are stored in his memory forever. Therefore, generally try not to express yourself at home.
Budgies: how to teach simple words
As a rule, the first thing a trained parrot begins to pronounce is his own nickname. Not for nothing that many owners call their feathered pets Kesha, because the parrot is most easily given consonants like “k”, “w”, “h”, “r”, “t”, “p”, and such vowels as “ a, o. It is with them that you can start your lessons.
As the parrot learns more and more new words, sometimes repeat with it already "passed material". You should be aware that these birds only imitate human speech, but have absolutely no idea what a particular word means. Therefore, parrots and say words and phrases are mostly out of place.
How to teach a parrot to speak: we develop conditioned reflexes
If you want the parrot to start verbally reacting to some actions (for example, greet you upon arrival home), then you should start working out conditioned reflexes in your pet . So, every time you return home, say: “Hello” in an even and distinct voice, and immediately after the lesson treat the parrot to his favorite treat. Over time, the bird will associate the word "Hello" with your return, which promises her the receipt of goodies.
How to teach a parrot to talk: do you need to turn on a tape recording?
This question is relevant for those owners who can not devote enough time to parrot classes. The speech recorded on the tape recorder can be used, but subject to certain conditions.
1. A tape recording is best used when the bird has already learned to imitate at least a few simple words.
2. Even with the recording turned on, you still need to be in the room during the "self-training" of the parrot. Otherwise, the bird will get so used to talking in an empty room that then you will not be able to “pull out” a word from it.
And finally, be prepared for the fact that learning to talk a parrot is a long process. Depending on what abilities a bird has, it can learn from 10 to 200 words and phrases. The main thing is to remember that your benevolent, attentive and caring attitude to the feathered pet is much more valuable and important for your mutual love and friendship.