When my parakeets learn to talk....

Question

When you teach parakeets to talk, can you hear them trying to imitate what you're trying to teach them, or do they just randomly blurt it out one day?

Answer 1

It takes time for a bird to learn to talk.  But parakeets don't talk they whistle.  Like mine whistles "Pretty bird"  "Juju"  "hello beutifull"  and she sings take me out to the ball game.  If you teach a bird to say something,  and keep trying, it will learn it in a week.  You will hear it strugling to say whatever your teaching it to say.  Like if you tell it to say Pretty bird it will probably say pwet

Answer 2

Eeeek!  Polly wants some heroin.

Answer 3

Repeat one 2-syllable word until the bird says it.  Pick a word with p's, t's and r's because they can say those sounds easier.

Copy the bird's sounds, too.  He'll notice you're trying to connect with him and since it's easier for him to make bird sounds you'll make progress faster when you mix it with human speech.  If you're really serious about getting him to talk take any mirrors out of the cage.

Once he gets the idea you're trying to communicate there's no holding him back because he wants to please you.  By and by you'll notice the bird makes a similar sound to what you been teaching.  It may only be 1 syllable or you may even think it was your imagination but it'll become clearer, just a baby's first talking does.

I have a cockatoo that not only talks but has learned to whisper.  I may have whispered a time or two, but the bird has learned to whisper all those phrases on his own.  He does it because he knows I'm trying to talk to him or at least share sounds.