How to train your bird to talk

Would you like to teach your parrot, parakeet or other bird to talk? Here are some tips that may help.

• Start early. It’s best to train your bird when it’s young. You can teach an older bird to repeat what you say, but it’ll take more time and patience.

• Repeat the words often. It’s best to start with simple words and phrases like “hello,” “bye-bye” and the bird’s name.

• Speak excitedly. Saying the words in an excited or sing-song tone is more likely to grab your bird’s attention.

• Be consistent. The more you repeat a word or phrase, the more likely your bird is to learn it. This goes for words you don’t want it to learn too, so try to avoid saying things you don’t want repeated.

• Use rewards. Each time your bird successfully repeats a new word, be sure to praise it and offer it a treat. This will encourage it to continue to learn.

Above all, be patient. It may take years for your bird to learn to say a few words, and some never do, even breeds who are known to be talkers.

Not all birds can be trained to speak, but some species are more likely to pick up the habit than others, including:

• African grey parrots
• Parakeets
• Amazon parrots
• Eclectus parrots
• Quaker parrots
• Mynah birds