# Do you had a trick to talking?



## Nickiey (Jul 11, 2008)

Does anyone have any hints on how to teach a bird to talk. My tiel can whistle like crazy and really wants to learn to talk but just hasn't learned how yet! Any tricks to get him to talk?

Thank You


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

Hi there, repetition is the key. Not sitting there hour after hour saying "Pretty boy" or whatever, but when you do something, say the same thing. Like when I uncover Dooby in the morning, I say "Good morning" so every morning, that's what he says, then at night when I cover him up, I say "Night night!" and so does he. Same thing, same time and they get to know. It doesn't come easily, it might take a few weeks, Dooby was around 4 or 5 months old when he started to talk........now, he just doesn't stop.


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

I agree with Plukie repetition is the key I have heard of some methods where you sit and say the same thing to them over and over for like 15 minutes and I am so not a fan of that I mean really would you want someone in your face saying the same thing over and over...lol Like Plukie said when you greet them say the same thing everytime and sometimes you don't even realize your doing it with Lee when I saw the tiels I would say whatcha doing and one day he said to me whatcha doing now everytime he sees me he says whatcha doing to me , pretty boy is another one when I would see Ollie and Lee I would say who is a pretty boy and in no time they both picked that up.


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## SunnyCockatiel (May 26, 2008)

*Good to Know!*

Aw, this is great... Does it help if you say it a little higher pitch then you would normally talk? I notice that Chanel pays more attention when I say pretty bird in a higher voice...

Please, don't laugh...


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

I talk to my birds in a higher voice than normal regardless of whether i'm trying to teach them to talk, lol!!!  I can't help but use baby talk.

I taught my budgie Blinkie to speak using the many short repetitive sessions a day method, he picked it up real quick. I've tried teaching Snickers to talk just by saying Hi Snickers, who's a pretty boy? each time i approach him (with emphasis on Snickers and pretty boy), and he will open his beak and make sounds at me when he sees me, but no words yet.


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## Nickiey (Jul 11, 2008)

My male is a great leaner and I've had him sence he was little and loves to whistle like crazzy but then I put a young female in the same cage with him for some company he stopped learning new things and only does him old whistles when he feels like it. She doesn't do any whistles or words at all she doesn't (talk) (bird talk) much so I really never tryed to teach her any words. I've tryed "Hello Pecker" ( Yes Pecker is his name :blush: he didn't do so well with hand training when he was little and that's what I would call him when he would bite me and My 11 year old son desided that that was a great name so it stuck) Well, When I say " Hello Pecker" he looks like he wants to learn to say it but hasn't picked it up yet  But I'm not going to give up till he says it. I've been doing it like you have all say. I do it when I walk into his room or when He's looking out the door at me but I don't take him out and drill him of hours at a time I would go out of my mind doing that! Thank you all of your help! Keep that help coming!!!! I like this forum you all seem like get HELPERS LOL!


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

Although some females can be vocal generally they will not talk like males do and they make even less effort to make noise if there is a male around, if Hello Pecker is to hard for him I would just start with Hello when you walk in the room and see if he picks that up first.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

My friends, Mom's budgie is named Pecker :blush: I have heard that hello is quite a hard word to learn, so I taught Spike how to say Hi instead. Some birds could still learn to say hello


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## Avalon_Princess (Feb 13, 2008)

I've found with Echo if you say a word an interesting way he'll respond, generally standing up tall crest straight up and trilling at me, if he finds it interesting enough he'll 'practise' it when we're not around and add it to his vocabulary of words. He knows what a lot of the words mean, or at least where they should be used but it doesn't stop him incorporating virtually everything into his long stream of noises he does whenever things get quiet, its really strange to hear him yell Echos a pretty boy and then switch immediately to growling like a ferocious dog, then whistling happy birthday, strange bird.


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## Nickiey (Jul 11, 2008)

Avalon_Princess said:


> I've found with Echo if you say a word an interesting way he'll respond, generally standing up tall crest straight up and trilling at me, if he finds it interesting enough he'll 'practise' it when we're not around and add it to his vocabulary of words. He knows what a lot of the words mean, or at least where they should be used but it doesn't stop him incorporating virtually everything into his long stream of noises he does whenever things get quiet, its really strange to hear him yell Echos a pretty boy and then switch immediately to growling like a ferocious dog, then whistling happy birthday, strange bird.


Than is so funny LOL


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## Nickiey (Jul 11, 2008)

Sometimes when pecker is running down the hall or on the counter getting or eatting my bills all I have to say is Pecker and He ether comings to me or stops eatting the bills ( not that I really want them anyways). He's really smart I think! But when you get Pussy:blush: (my female) out at the same time he not the brightest bird in the world. Can't fly, falls to the floor, doesn't liston, and just doesn't have a brain at all.


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## Nickiey (Jul 11, 2008)

well, I've tried all of your tricks and he's still not talking but now I'm always whistled at the sexy whistle. But No words at all. But I'm not going to give up. as of right now he's going to be breeding ( I HOPE) the nesting box has been up for a month:wacko: and they still haven't even been in it. I think he's not talking because so much stuff is going on in him life!

Nickiey


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

Just keep in mind not all Cockatiels will talk most don't say more then a word or two if that, if its been a month and there not going in the nest box they are not ready to breed I would take it down until there ready.


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## Nickiey (Jul 11, 2008)

I've been trying all of your suggestion and still he's not talking . But I do think that he has been trying to say it when we are not home. I'd really like to know what they do when we aren't home! I think that one of the resons that he is not talking is because Pecker and his woman is going to be having baby's soon and has been having a attitude sence they have had there nesting box! So we really haven't been practicing talking not till all the breeding is over!

Nickiey


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## br0ken (Aug 17, 2008)

I dont even like saying I taught Penguin to talk. I just talk to Him like he is a little human being, when they find a voice they like they usually mock it. They get bored of one saying and move to the next. There are times when he wont say one phrase for a long time then he starts it up again.
They like high voices like womens. I use a voice that I know he likes. In the morning when uncovering i say Good Morning Babies. And when i feed i say wanna bite? and we play peek a boo. When i leave i say momma going bye bye. momma going to walmart. 
So far he says so much that people are amazed by this. He even sings a song word for word on the chorus. 
So my advice is to talk to him like he is a little human being.


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## Nickiey (Jul 11, 2008)

br0ken said:


> I dont even like saying I taught Penguin to talk. I just talk to Him like he is a little human being, when they find a voice they like they usually mock it. They get bored of one saying and move to the next. There are times when he wont say one phrase for a long time then he starts it up again.
> They like high voices like womens. I use a voice that I know he likes. In the morning when uncovering i say Good Morning Babies. And when i feed i say wanna bite? and we play peek a boo. When i leave i say momma going bye bye. momma going to walmart.
> So far he says so much that people are amazed by this. He even sings a song word for word on the chorus.
> So my advice is to talk to him like he is a little human being.



If you don't mind me asking how old is he? He looks just like my male Pecker.. Sorry about the name but when I got him that's what he was!!! He doesn't say words but he loves to whistle at me Sexy!

Thanks Nickiey

Ps. I'll try what you said and see what happends!


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## spike's mom (Aug 21, 2008)

Yep I know how that is Spike my Wf Cockateil will do that also it usually starts with hello pretty bird pretty pretty bird whistle babyface pretty pretty bird whatca doin hello and so forth an on ward he's only 10 months old but I didn't even try to teach him to talk he just picked it up one day and noe he learns new stuff all the time. I hand fed and weaned spike myself mabie thats why he picked up talking so easily when he was being hand feed i would whistle and sing the song baby face you've got the cutest little baby face to him and now he can whistle the whole song. I just constantly chatted away to him like he was a baby and he learned. I don't know if my new Cockateil will talk he's not very tame right now he's about 8 months old but has not been handled much in the last 4 months or so and has been locked in a cage for all that time also. It's going to take some time and patients to get him to come around. I'm sure he will though. I rescued 3 big birds from very abusive homes and managed to get them turned around and they are very tame and loveable birds now and Bandit will be also I hope with a little help and advice from other Cockateil owners. I haven't owned a Cockateil for many many years so any and all advice is welcome


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## Nickiey (Jul 11, 2008)

Thanks so cute I wish Pecker would do that he's only 1 years old and has learned only a few wistles and Hello But he stopped trying to talk when I got a female friend for him. and now they are TRYING to have babys so I might as well forget trying to teach perker to talk he's all about his girl now not me!


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