Talking Parrots
All About Talking Parrots
Nothing can brighten a home like hearing “hello!” from talking parrots, as you come home from the grind of your work day. There are many things to enjoy about parrots, but one of the most enjoyable is the way they are able to mimic your speech patterns.
If you are looking to purchase talking parrots, there are some factors that you need to weigh before you buy them. Some birds tend to talk more than others, and you don't want to be disappointed.
As a general rule, the smaller parrots don't always learn to talk, and even if they do, they don't speak very clearly. Lovebirds, cockatiels, ringnecks and budgie parakeets are not known to be very frequent talkers. Of course there is the exceptional bird of these types who can talk, but there are many more who won't. They are hard to teach, and it's better to select a larger parrot if talking is high on your list of importance. You may find that even some of the larger parrots sometimes will not learn to talk, but you'll have a better chance than you will with the smaller varieties.
If you still decide on one of the smaller types, select a bird who chirps and babbles when you visit the shop or home that is selling them. Watch the various birds they have available, and select one who likes to make noise. A male may be a better bet for conversation than a female.
The king of the talking parrots is the red-tailed, Gray African parrot. The Timnas Grays talk less. Most grays have great talking abilities, but there will always be some grays who don't talk.
If you want one of the new world's breeds of talking parrots, look for Double Yellowheads, Blue Fronts and Yellow Napes. A younger bird is better, because they seem to retain more of what they learn when they are young. If a parrot reaches a year and a half of age and hasn't talked it, it is doubtful that he will ever talk. Overall, if you select a young Amazon with yellow on his head, he will likely be a good candidate to become a talker. Some macaws are great talkers, but most are not. When gold, blue or scarlet macaws do learn to talk, they will sometimes speak with rough, loud voices, and they don't usually learn very many words. Cockatoos can be taught to speak too, but they have small vocabularies like the macaws. Cockatoos do have softer, sweeter voices than macaws, though.
Don't select timid or fearful birds if you want to raise talking parrots. If you don't mind the hassle, mean biting birds are usually great talkers. But for your best bet, select birds who look like they're cheerful or laughing, and those that approach you with their head cocked, wanting petted. These are talkers.