It is true that parrots can talk. Talking parrot: which birds speak, are the easiest to learn and how to teach to speak

The developed brain of parrots makes possible all the versatility of their emotions: these birds can care and be jealous, be offended and show curiosity, get angry and inspired, defiantly mischief and unbridled fun. In nature, birds communicate exclusively with each other, but the life of a tamed parrot is closely connected with a person - and no matter how hard the bird tries, sometimes its rich sound vocabulary remains misunderstood, and therefore ignored ... The owners of talkers should remember: any chirping, screaming and mumbling is always carry a certain semantic load.

If the parrot chirps

The main sounds that the parrot makes include the "peak", in which in the loudest phase it is easy to hear the "chivik", reminiscent of a sparrow's "chirp". This is the first sound that chicks learn to pronounce when their voice is just breaking through: so they ask them to feed, pay attention to them. Therefore, even in adulthood, this sound is usually associated with some kind of request from the bird. What the parrot wants to convey to the owner depends on the melody and volume of this sound. If the bird is ignored, the sound becomes louder and sharper.

"Pik" or "piu", said in a calmer tone, is usually translated as a question asked calmly and patiently. For example, a bird can use such sounds if its cage is moved to another place for some reason. Or if the owners started rearranging the furniture in the room - the parrot may be a little perplexed why everything is out of place. Or if a person appears in front of a pet in an unusual way - in big sunglasses or, say, with a colander on his head (you never know?)

Parrots are great explorers. They love to arrange excursions to the little-studied corners of your house and learn something unfamiliar to themselves. So in the lexicon they have a special sound that the parrot utters without looking up from the case, when it is very good and interesting for him. It usually sounds like a quiet “chivi-chivi-chivi”, and is periodically repeated after a pause.

In a calm state, a parrot can simply calmly “chivik” - as if whistling, thereby informing those around him that the situation is generally favorable for him, but there are not enough reasons for a longer tirade.

If a parrot makes noise...

The sharp cries of a parrot, which can be reproduced as “cha-cha! cha-cha!” have different meanings depending on the situation. The parrot may rebel and demand to be let out for a walk. He can "call" a bird that he heard outside the window. He can also be excited about something, intrigued to the limit - the loud rustling of cellophane and foil, the fall of a spoon or stack of books from the edge of the table, and other "emergency incidents" lead to a peculiar ecstasy of many birds. You can run into such a cry even when the parrot has an excellent, cheerful and even impudent mood. Usually, screams are accompanied by an active cross around the cage with jumping onto the grate and flapping wings.

Anyone who has ever tried to pick up an untamed parrot in their hands has come across a heart-rending cry of “qua!” The sound can be frightened or indignant, and sometimes resembles a pig squeal. It signals that the parrot wants/demands you to leave it alone immediately. But the parrot emits a loud and sharp single squeak if it hurts - for example, if another bird has pecked at it. This is, so to speak, a bird's "oh".

Parrots are prone to both fun and some negative emotions. For example, a parrot, dissatisfied with the behavior of a person or a feathered partner, throws up a scandal: it emits a very unpleasant “electric” chirp, which can be translated as “piti-piti-piti” with a very elevated intonation, sometimes breaking into a final loud “peak”!

If the parrot sings and coos ...

Most of the time, budgerigars have a great mood, which they accompany with singing. The parrot takes a comfortable position, most often in front of a mirror or some prominent object like a nail, a teaspoon, a scroll of furniture, or another parrot, and begins to sing. In this state, it is better not to touch the parrot - do not spoil his mood. And the song itself, although simple, is quite pleasant to the ear.

Usually a parrot combines sounds arbitrarily, depending on the mood and creative fuse. The combination of the sounds “chivik” (but deeper and more melodic) and “chuck” gives rise to the famous trill, which the parrot makes it clear that he is in a good mood and sees life in rainbow colors. In general, it sounds like “tuyu-tuyu-tuyu-chak, tuyu!” This may give the impression that the water is murmuring. Sometimes there is a click in the song, which in itself is a sign of inspiration.

If the parrot mumbles...

If the parrot is tired of his own fun, but not yet to such an extent that he wants to fall asleep, you can hear cooing sounds from him, like uttered quietly and under his breath, with his beak closed “que, que-e, que-e-e”. In this case, the intonation of sounds decreases. In a sleepy state, talking about how tired he is and how good he feels is reduced to a simple “kyo-yo-yo”.

The funny sound of a bumblebee rumbling, which can be played as “pork-pork-porn”, signals that there is some very pleasant and confidential conversation between two birds - they can feed each other or simply “rattle” with their beaks. Just do not confuse good-natured grumbling with signs of illness - wheezing and shortness of breath, which are sluggish and disheveled birds with a dull look and poor appetite (such a pet is definitely sick and urgently needs to be shown to the veterinarian).

If the parrot spoke...

As for the “speaking”, which is dearly loved by the owners, for a bird this is a valuable additional way of communication. Most often, parrots speak in a good and calm mood, but they can skip a word or two in some emergency situations or out of place. It's no secret that feathered talkers know how to pronounce words at the right time: the remarkable intelligence of these birds allows them to correctly use their vocabulary.

To simplify the task, you should always say the most important moments of interaction with the bird out loud - so that the parrot knows how to convey basic information to a person if necessary (eat, drink, swim, walk, go home, hello, come to me, it's time to sleep). This vocabulary can gradually expand - for example, a parrot will learn how to ask for a favorite treat (apple, banana, grass, etc.)

It's no secret that people talk to their pets all the time. Surprisingly, some of them can respond in quite human language, and not just purr and wag their tails. Of course, “thank you” from a dog, and even more so from a cat, you can’t wait, but some birds can talk quite fluently.

In contact with

talking birds

Among the birds, of course, the parrot became famous for its conversational skills. But not only this family knows how to repeat words after a person. Crows, jays, jackdaws, canaries and starlings can chat.

The latter, in general, due to their unique hearing, are able to surprise, repeating not only words, but also whole melodies. Most often, birds do not need to be taught to speak, they, having a role model, can acquire the ability on their own.

Sometimes this leads to incidents - a feathered creature can break out in a selective obscenity!

A talented bird will begin to repeat words after a person after just a couple of repetitions. And her vocabulary can be measured in tens and hundreds of phrases.

Types of the most talking parrots

Of the more than 300 species of parrots, only 40 are considered speaking. The African gray is considered the most talented among them. gray. This is a real artist who not only remembers up to 600 words, but also pronounces them appropriately. The bird, of course, cannot understand the meaning of the sounds it utters, but it accurately correlates words with objects and phenomena, copying the speech of the educator. Jaco perfectly repeats after a person his manner of speaking, intonation and even the timbre of his voice. The pure speech of the parrot makes him an excellent parodist.

And the most capable students are considered amazons. They quickly remember words, but they cannot mimic a person.

Compliant cockatoo repeat speech clearly and clearly, but they constantly need the attention of the owner and his caress.

If Jaco is the main artist among parrots, then they are considered intellectual macaw.

His vocabulary will not be rich, but he can learn to answer questions, connect events with famous words.

Lorikeets they can learn up to 50 words themselves, but they cannot achieve a clear pronunciation from them.

Noble green-red eclectus not the best student - he says reluctantly and little.

Our popular unpretentious budgerigars they quickly grasp the words and can surprise their master, albeit fuzzy, but with words.

Outsiders in this "class" can be called roselle and parrots Corella, which are able to remember only a couple of phrases, but they reproduce sounds and melodies well.

How to teach a parrot to speak

In studies, the most capable do not always achieve success - a lot depends on the teacher, who reveals his ward. Simply repeating words in front of a parrot, in the hope that he will begin to repeat them, is not enough. Parrots achieve good results in isolation from fellow tribesmen, in conditions of close emotional contact with a person and constant communication with him. Parrots remember words recorded on a voice recorder worse than those spoken live. Yes, and it is better to start training birds from a young age. It has been observed that the best results are shown by parrots that are allowed to fly freely around the rooms. There are also specific recommendations in training:

• It is much easier to teach a male parrot to speak than a female.
• Ideally, start training at an early age.
• It is worth choosing in advance the words or phrases to be learned.
• Classes should be regular, preferably at the same time.
• The parrot should not be distracted by extraneous sounds, it should be occupied only by you.
• Words spoken with emotion are best remembered. That is why birds often repeat curses and exclamations.
• It is necessary to talk with a bird in a quiet and comfortable place.
• Successful repetition should be accompanied by praise or treats.
• Do not expect a positive effect from installing a cage with a parrot near the TV, where something is constantly being said (repetitions of the same words or phrases are necessary).
• Being next to the pet, you need to repeat the necessary phrases 10-20 times, alternating them with the following.
• If you have no time to study, you can pre-record a two-hour audio lesson, which consists of a 20-minute repetition of phrases followed by a 30-minute rest, and so on.

Many parrot owners expect quick results from their pets in memorizing speech. This leads to a series of mistakes that slow down the learning process. You shouldn't shout at parrots - much depends on individual natural talent. Long lessons can not stand even the most capable students. Teaching a parrot to speak is a task that requires patience. But this will be rewarded with a pet that pleases the owner and guests with human speech.

Some people are simply crazy about exotic birds and are ready to pay fabulous sums of money for the acquisition of a feathered fellow. A talking parrot is of particular value, as people see some kind of zest in it, some buy a bird, because of loneliness, so that this cute creature brightens up their dull days, someone in order to please their children, some dream of teaching the parrot to speak on their own and have a friend with whom you can exchange a few words.

Talking parrots are the only birds capable of memorizing and pronouncing from 50 or more than 300 words, the degree of vocabulary varies depending on the parrot breed.

We can distinguish 5 main types of domestic talking parrots, and understand which parrots speak best:

• budgerigars
• Corella
• Cockatoo

Jaco

Consider the first type - Jaco. It is the most famous talking parrot breed.

• Bird length - from 30 to 35 cm
• Wing length - 22 cm
• Span - 65 cm
• Tail length - 8 cm
• Has a black curved beak
• yellow eye pigment
• Lead gray legs
• Life cycle reaches 50 years
• Price from 15,000 to 30,000 rubles.

Feather color has 2 colors - ash gray with light edges and purple-red color of tail feathers. They live in North Africa, they love large deciduous forests stretching over long distances. They feed on seeds, palm tree fruits, a variety of fruits and foliage. They are great favorites of people, as they can perfectly reproduce a variety of sounds and copy human speech. They love to take the lead in the family.

Important! Jaco is characteristic and touchy. It will undoubtedly be better to teach a pet conversational speech from infancy, as training problems may arise with adult birds.

If you don’t want to suffer and tirelessly repeat the same word while sitting by the cage in the hope that the bird will hear and speak to you, you can purchase a specially trained pet that already has these skills, but the cost of such birds is much higher than the prices for young mindless birds.

budgerigars

Main characteristics:

• Bird size from 17 to 19.8 cm
• The body of individual individuals reaches up to 21-23 cm
• Wing length from 9.5 to 10.5 cm
• Tail 8 to 10 cm
• Weight from 40 to 45 gr
• Main color grassy green
• Beak powerful curved
• Paw color grayish blue and pink
• Life cycle 10 to 15 years
• Price from 400 to 4000 rubles.

Prefer grassy plains. They feed on grass seeds.

This breed of birds is also included in the lists of the most talking parrots. They can distinguish colors and speak over 100 words. The only negative is that these talking birds do not have intelligibility in their speech, so it is worth trying to decipher their debate.

This talking species does not require special care. Friendly, kind birds. Full of energy, love to crackle and fly from one place to another. They are not indifferent to attention and are very attached to people.

In terms of pricing, talking budgerigars will cost an order of magnitude higher than their untrained counterparts.

Corella

Also included in the lists of the talking breed of parrots. Has a number of features:

• Length with tail from 30 to 33 cm
• Tail from 14 to 16 cm
• Height +/- 30 cm
• Weight about +/- 100 gr
• Tuft from 14 to 16 cm
• Color dark olive gray - male, dirty grayish - female
• Life expectancy 15 to 25 years
• Price from 2000 to 3500 rubles.

Habitat arid regions of Australia. They prefer to live in forests with rivers flowing nearby. They feed on the seeds of herbaceous and woody plants, midges and the nectar of flowering eucalyptus.

It is possible to teach Corella to speak, but it will take you a lot of time, especially since the vocabulary of this talking bird is not large and is only 10 words.

The bird does not require much care. Corella loves when the owner pays a lot of attention to her, takes care of her, picks her up, but if the bird is unhappy, she will instantly let you know, expressing her indignation with a loud and sonorous cry.

Some talking parrots may not be suitable for home keeping, especially if you live in an apartment with good audibility. So, for example, Corellas are very noisy and talkative, they make their sounds very loudly, so you should warn your neighbors about a new alarm that has appeared in your house.

These talking birds do not like to be bored, and if you go to work, do not forget to turn on some light music for your pet, then the time of your absence will fly by for your feathered friend.

Cockatoo

Quite a large breed of birds.

• Length from 30 to 60 cm
• Weight from 300 to 1200 gr
• Wingspan from 60 to 80 cm
• The beak is large and powerful
• Tuft from 12 to 20 cm
• The color of the tuft may consist of white, yellow, pink and black feathers.
• Life expectancy 30 to 40 years
• Price from 30,000 to 150,000 rubles.

Habitat Australia and New Guinea. They love mangrove forests, but they will not refuse light forests either. They feed on plant seeds, and sometimes encroach on grain fields, thereby causing considerable damage to farms. Also, thanks to their powerful beak, they can afford to eat nuts and cones, love juicy fruits and flower nectar.

Cockatoos are very attached to the owner, who loves and cares for them. They are not very talkative, but if we are talking about the pronunciation of several dozen words, then Kakadu can be safely considered a talking breed of parrots. Real artists, so they are often used in circus acts.

Sometimes they can show their temper. If Kakadu is angry, he starts screaming loudly and flapping his wings. They remember the offense for a very long time, so if you are planning a child, you will have to refuse to purchase this talking bird. Since if an offended cockatoo grabs a baby by the finger with his powerful beak, this can result in very serious injuries.

The cockatoo does not tolerate parting or a long absence of the owner, in connection with this it can get sick and even die. Therefore, if you often travel on business trips, it is better to abandon this type of talking pets and not torturing them in vain.

ara

Characteristics:

• Body length from 37 to 95 cm
• Wings from 37 to 40 cm
• Tail length - 52cm
• Weight from 900 to 1300 gr
• The beak is black and very powerful.
• Legs are brownish black
• Straw yellow eyes

Habitat of parrots Panama, Brazil, Paraguay. They prefer tropical forests with rivers flowing nearby.

The diet of a talking parrot includes:

• Fruit
• Vegetables
• Cereals
• Seeds
• nuts
• Greens

It is necessary to monitor the parrot so that he does not eat foods that can be poisonous to birds. Let's highlight some of them: coffee, alcohol, cherry pits, avocados, chocolate, salt.

There are several varieties of talking Macaw parrots:

• soldier macaw
• Blue-yellow macaw
• green-winged macaw
• red macaw
• chestnut-fronted macaw
• yellow-necked macaw

The breed of these talking parrots is not very verbose, usually around 20 words. But in the pronunciation of sounds, this parrot has no equal, whether it is rain, the barking of dogs, the meow of a cat or the sound of water pouring from a tap.

Talking parrots are very difficult to keep and require a lot of attention. The character is soft and docile.

If the parrot is angry, then it will certainly begin to make loud cries, so you will understand that the pet does not like something. Of course, many may not like the loud cries of a talking parrot, so it’s better to come to the pet store and listen to how vocal the pet is, and only then draw the appropriate conclusions.

We got acquainted with the main types of talking parrots, learned their varieties, lifestyle, behavioral features. Now you can safely follow the talking pet, armed with our tips, and choose the one you like the most.

Parrots are very unusual birds. Exotic appearance, bright color and high mental abilities are just some of the advantages of birds that attract the attention of people who want to have an unusual pet. The main reason for the popularity of parrots is the ability to reproduce human speech. But how they do it and why parrots can talk in principle is a mystery. However, it has a completely logical explanation.

In fact, not all species can speak. But those who have similar inclinations have some difference from the rest. There are only three main reasons for the talkativeness of birds.

1. Mental capacity

Without the presence of mental abilities, parrots would hardly be able to speak. The presence of mind is also proved by the fact that most of the birds who have learned to speak not only constantly increase their vocabulary, but also use the learned words and phrases to the point. It is impossible to do this automatically or at random.

Birds remember the sequence of actions. For example, some are taught to say "hello" when household members or guests enter the house and "bye" when leaving. Yes, sometimes birds start to say a word out of place. Most often this happens when they just learn it. Birds enjoy its repetition and the emotions it evokes in the household.

Without the presence of mental abilities, parrots would hardly be able to speak.

Parrots also associate certain phrases with certain actions, such as eating or wanting to attract attention. If a bird knows that after a particular word or sentence it will receive a treat or encouragement, it will definitely take advantage of this. But for this she must have a mind. And he really is! This confirms the understanding of cause and effect, also proven by research and by most parrot owners.

1. A pack is a house and a house is a pack

Parrots live in a flock, which is a family. Toddlers adopt the habits and skills of adult birds. In the absence of a role model from their circle, they choose one from the environment. So people become a family for a bird. It is to them that she begins to imitate, both in habits and in voice intonations. Often birds can not only speak, but also imitate the voice of the owner.

Often birds can not only speak, but also imitate the owner's voice.

Important! By itself, a parrot will not speak unless it is a rare talent. In order to achieve positive results, you will have to deal with a feathered pet often and a lot, starting with simple exercises and words through regular repetition. It's easier to teach one parrot to speak. If two or more birds live in a house, and even more difficult - in a cage, then they will speak to each other in a language that is understandable from birth.

1. Human-like mechanism for producing sounds

A person reproduces sounds through the vocal cords, and parrots - with the help of the lower part of the larynx. Functionally, their work is similar, as is the formation of sounds. In addition, the bird makes sounds similar to the frequency of a woman's voice. It is difficult for parrots to copy a male voice.

There is a theory that one of the factors in imitation of the human voice is a thick tongue, similar in structure to a human. Zoologists refute this theory, since many other species of birds have a similar language, but they are not able to speak. The theory is not completely dismissed, since this feature, in combination with other factors, can indeed allow birds to imitate people's speech.

Types of talking parrots

Almost any parrot can be taught to speak. But there are five of the most talkative birds that learn faster and please with a large vocabulary, these are:

• Jaco. The most talkative birds. Gray birds can chat incessantly. And speak consciously. This allows you to communicate with the bird almost on an equal footing. Jaco can not only talk, but also imitate intonation, timbre, accent.
• Amazon. Learns from 60 to 100 words. Cannot copy intonation and timbre.
• Cockatoo. Very easy to train birds. Subsequently, they need a constant interlocutor. They require a lot of time and attention.
• Ara. It remembers up to 20 words, but is used by the pet in the case, that is, according to the situation. In addition, macaws can imitate various sounds - car alarms, door creaks, convulsive coughs.
• Karela. Can learn 10 to 20 words. However, it gives great joy by imitating the sounds of nature and everyday objects. The bird also sings beautifully.

Budgerigars are very hard to learn human speech. Yes, it is possible to teach a bird to speak some words and even phrases, but it is quite difficult. These birds like to communicate more with their soulmate or their own reflection in the mirror.

Budgerigars are trained very hard for human speech

Another type of difficult-to-learn parrots is lovebirds. It is better to buy these birds in pairs. So they will live a long and happy life. It's just that they will communicate with each other. If the bird does not have a partner, it can learn up to 10 words, which it will repeat with pleasure to the delight of the owners, however, with or without reason. Males are more trainable than females.

How to teach a parrot to speak

Having an idea of ​​why parrots talk, you can safely proceed to the study of information on their training. The implementation of a number of rules will allow you to succeed even with those species that do not differ in special abilities:

• The ideal age for training is a chick of three months. Teaching an adult bird is pointless. It is also unreasonable to start classes with a newly hatched chick, it has other goals and objectives - to strengthen the body, gain strength and survive. At this time, the brain of a feathered pet is not functional. But as soon as the bird begins to approach the age of three months, you can safely begin regular classes.
• For successful learning, certain conditions are necessary: ​​the absence of other birds and toys at the mirror, mutual understanding with the owner.
• The first thing to teach a bird is its name. It is necessary to start each lesson with it.
• The first words used for learning should be short. Usually these are nouns. To get started, 3-6 words will suffice. They can be pronounced both in a row, and changing the sequence so that the parrot does not perceive them as a whole sentence or one word. After some time, you can add new words, but no more than one per week with daily classes.
• Pay attention to intonation! When pronouncing the same word, it should be the same so that the parrot does not perceive what it hears as different words. When pronouncing words, it is recommended to use a similar intonation, without changing it during one lesson or different ones.
• The training should be done in silence. Background sounds (radio, TV) distract the bird and prevent them from hearing the words as clearly and correctly as possible.
• Diction. Just as important is intonation. Each word being studied should be pronounced clearly and distinctly.
• Attention and positive attitude. Regardless of which bird is being trained, it must be loved first and foremost. The pet always feels good attitude. Only in the case of genuine attention, the parrot will learn with pleasure. That is why you should not start classes even in a bad mood, not to mention a negative attitude towards the bird.

So why do parrots talk? Because they have the ability to do this and attentive owners who spare no time to study with a feathered friend!

parrot cockatoo

It's a very exciting moment when your beloved little parrot says his first word, especially if it's your name. Some parrots are able to memorize a prayer or a poem. But you are interested when you hear a parrot reciting poetry, does he understand what he is saying?

Maybe he's just mindlessly imitating words? Or are parrots smarter and smarter than we think? According to research by Irene Pepperberg, parrots are capable of more than just imitation.

Interesting fact: parrots in the wild learn to communicate with each other by imitating the cries of adult birds.

Do parrots understand what they are saying?

Then the behavior of domestic parrots becomes clear, receiving a reward for repeating the words that their owners pronounce. To speak the truth does not mean to understand. To find out how well a parrot understands what it says, Pepperberg set up an experiment at Northwestern University. In 1977, for this purpose, she bought Alex, a gray African parrot in a pet store (these parrots speak better than others). At first, Alex was friendly, like his other gray relatives. Then it turned out that this is a very intelligent bird.

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Experiments with a parrot

Alex is sitting on the perch, and the experimenter shows him the key on the tray. "Key," the parrot says, and Pepperberg gives him the key. Unlike a pet parrot, Alex receives a reward only if he correctly names what is shown to him. Having named the key correctly, he immediately receives it. “In the beginning,” says Pepperberg, “no one believed that a parrot could name things correctly. But now Alex is able to correctly name 100 items: from a sheet of paper to a grain and a cork.”

Having learned to name objects correctly, Alex got a new task. Now he had to not just name the object, but give it a definition, for example, not just a key, but a blue key. Alex quickly learned to distinguish colors. If he was shown two keys - red and green, and asked: “What is the same here, and what is different?”, Then the parrot joyfully shouted in response: “Color!” Alex knows how to answer the same question: “Form” and “Material”. Pepperberg says that the parrot has certain difficulties with the word material, he pronounces it in abbreviated form: “Matter”.

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The years of apprenticeship passed, and Alex got tired of the tricks of the experimenter. For example, he will name the key, and then, taking it in his beak, he will throw it on the floor. When he is often shown a subject he knows well, Alex may ask for something new. When, say, he is shown too many keys, he can be capricious and say: “I want a cork!” And they give it to him.