How Long for a Macaw to Talk?

Seventeen different species of macaws are known, all of which are medium-to-large birds belonging to the parrot family. Not all macaws are created equal and some have better talking abilities than others. How long it takes for your parrot to start talking will depend on the individual bird, but some may never talk at all.

  1. Best Talkers

    • Some species of macaw have more of a propensity to talk than others. If talking ability is your main criterion, think carefully about which species you want. Blue and gold macaws are known to be good talkers, capable of developing fairly large vocabularies. Others, such as military and scarlet macaws, are less likely to develop good talking abilities. Although hyacinth macaws don't tend to have huge vocabularies, they're highly intelligent and often learn to use words in the correct context, rather than simply mimicking.

    How Long?

    • The time it will take for a macaw to learn to talk varies. Most of them won't start to talk until they're between 6 and 12 months of age, but it's never too early to start encouraging them. Young macaws take in your lessons, but need a while to start vocalizing. If you get your parrot as an older bird, she's less likely to learn to talk at all, especially if she spent her formative years in a large flock or with little human contact.

    Talking Abilities

    • Just like people, all macaws are individuals, and their talking ability is individual as well. Some are real chatterboxes and will talk your ear off for hours, whereas others will say only a few words now and then. A few might even shun talking completely and communicate in other ways. One thing you shouldn't expect from your macaw is a clear speaking voice. Unlike some parrots, such as African grays, they have distinctly parrot-like voices and their words will sound squawky.

    Other Vocalizations

    • If your macaw doesn't talk much, it doesn't mean she won't vocalize in other ways. Some birds prefer just to shriek or squawk, which is their natural form of communication. Others like to whistle̵2;especially species such as Hahn̵7;s or noble macaws̵2;or mimic household noises, such as bleeps from the microwave or noises from the television. Don't be too disappointed if your macaw chooses to make these kinds of sounds rather than talking; she has many other great attributes that make her a wonderful companion.