Cockatiels can talk if the time has been invested into teaching
them to do so. A talking Cockatiel sounds as if it is whistling
syllables--they are somewhat understandable. Most talking
Cockatiels are those that have been incorporated into a household
and are stimulated by constant interaction and praise. Though
they will never have the clarity of parrots their size, such as
Indian Ringnecks or Quaker Parakeets, they can still learn to
talk.
Buying a parrot for its talking ability is not advised. Sadly,
many people purchase parrots in hopes that it will develop a large
vocabulary and be great at talking. When the parrot does not meet
their expectations they quickly move the bird to a backroom or
give him away. This can sometimes mean moving from house to
house. A parrot’s ability to talk should not be the defining
factor in selecting a parrot. Rather, the traits the particular
specie has should be.
Interacting with your cockatiel
Interaction is an important factor if you want a talking
Cockatiel. Before the internet, owners were advised to play tapes
that repeated phrases over and over. This method works; however,
parrots taught this way quickly lost interest and only learned a
few words. Another age old method was covering the cage in a dark
room and repeating phrases over and over. Through more research
and education, we learned that parrots are not machines. They
thrive on human interaction and will do anything to attain their
owner’s attention.
A
Cockatiel cannot be expected to talk if the bird is only limited
to its cage. The bird has nothing to identify with and will only
resort to their natural calls. Human interaction is a must.
Incorporating time with your cockatiel
Time should be
spent teaching the bird to talk. Actives that include the parrot
and you are ideal. For example, taking your bird to a mirror and
repeating “pretty bird,” is a good start. The bird will enjoy
looking at his refection, benefit from having you around, and take
pleasure in listening to you. All this stimulation will hopefully
lead to the parrot repeating “pretty bird.” Just continue this
exercise until your parrot starts to talk.
Another example of promoting talking is to take the bird with you
during dinner. While the bird is eating, repeat something like,
“Is that yummy?” Keep repeating your phrases and be
animated—Cockatiels enjoy this.
Keep your exercises short and interesting. The more you practice
with your Cockatiel, the more he’s going to pick up speech. If
you find your bird will not pickup certain phrases or words, move
on to something new. Try various combinations or different tones
with your voice. The best talkers are from owners who constantly
stimulate their bird’s brain.
Increasing Your Changes of your cockatiel talking
If you want a
talking Cockatiel then starting with a handfed baby will help. A
Cockatiel who is just weaned is a perfect candidate. After
weaning they are very impressionable to human behaviors—speech
included. This is such an important window for development of
speech. Parrots that have large vocabularies are those that were
simulated as early as possible to human speech. A wolf whistle
is perfect for introducing them to mimicking us.
Another factor is the sex of the Cockatiel. Males talk with much
more clarity than females. Why is this? Males use vocal chirps
and calls during courting to stimulate their mates; they are
vocally designed to talk. Females can talk; however, their voices
are usually not be as clear as the male’s.
If
your Cockatiel is going to talk, most start around four to eight
months, eight being the average. Remember, older birds can learn
to talk, but more time and patience is required.
parrot Cognition
Do
they understand what they are saying? This answer is unknown but
research done by Dr. Irene Pepperberg has yielded some fascinating
results. She is currently working with three African Greys, Alex,
her star pupil, can answer simple questions and identify many
objects. Through her
research she has come to the conclusion that parrots do have the
ability to label objects and use communication as a tool. Most
Cockatiels will pick up words or phrases that it believes are
important to its relationship with you (interpersonal
communication).
