| Teaching a Bird to Talk |
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I remember the first time I heard a bird talk to me. I was about five and a white cockatoo said, "Hello". I still remember being surprised and even now, when I hear a bird talk, it brings back memories of my childhood. Having a talking bird is a lot of fun and generally a sign of a happy, healthy bird. Teaching your bird to talk can be difficult and frustrating. However once your bird starts talking to you, it is worth the effort. We have included eight tips to help you teach your bird to talk. We also welcome ideas from others who have successfully taught their bird to talk. 8 Tips to Help You Teach a Bird to Talk Whilst at a BBQ at a friend's place, we all heard the telephone ring next door. The phone kept ringing all afternoon. It turned out that is was the neighbour's pet Parrots mimicking the phone. One of the first sounds most birds mimic is the telephone or the doorbell. It appears they do this because they get a reaction from us. We stop what we are doing and they observe this. To help you teach your bird to talk here is Think Big Pet's bird talk guide. 1. Regular talking. One of the best ways of teaching your bird to talk is to talk to it regularly. Start with labelling things that are meaningful to your bird. When you offer water, say "Water". When you offer food, say "Cracker". Then try a few main phrases. Repeat them often and speak very clearly to your bird. Once your bird has learnt one phrase, you can then teach your bird new phrases. Try not to introduce new phrases and words too quickly. 2. Bird CDs. Some people also suggest buying CDs made especially to help you teach your bird to talk. These CDs can expand your pet's vocabulary easily and work in addition to you spending time talking to your bird. 3. Choose the right type of bird. Choose a bird that is known for talking. Popular talking birds include Parakeets, Canaries and Budgies. Birds like Lovebirds and Cockatiels can also talk but are sometimes harder to train. If you are looking for a parrot, the African Grey has a good reputation for talking. Look for a bird with an outgoing personality -a bird that is alert and is interested in you and its environment. It's also generally better to purchase a male, and a younger bird. 4. Reward your bird. We always find that encouragement and giving rewards is the best way to teach animals. When your bird does start to talk, make sure you reward the bird with a special treat. 5. Health. For a bird to talk they need to be in excellent health. They should always have fresh water and an adequate diet including healthy and interesting treats. 6. Cage position. Keep your bird in a non-drafty area. They need to be part of the family but not kept in an area that is too noisy or gets too much traffic. If you have noisy teenagers who enjoy loud music and loud television, it can be upsetting for a bird that likes a quieter lifestyle. Sometimes we do too! 7. Size of cage. Cage size is also important as birds need a good sized cage but will feel uncomfortable if the cage is too large. A rectangular cage is often better so the bird can fly from side to side. 8. Time of year. If your bird is not talking it may be due to the time of year. Canaries may molt for six to eight weeks and will generally not talk whilst molting. Good luck with teaching your Bird to Talk. Add your comment
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| Last Updated on Friday, 02 January 2009 12:08 |