How to Teach a Blue Parakeet to Speak

The parakeet is an inexpensive exotic bird that makes a cheery, friendly and social pet. Like their larger parrot cousins, these birds can be trained to speak human words. Teaching your blue parakeet to speak is fairly easy, requiring little more than some of your time and patience. The first words will be the hardest for the bird to learn; however once it has them memorized, it will be able to increase its vocabulary much quicker and soon speak the names of items and the names of people.

Things You'll Need

  • Towel
  • Mirror
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Instructions

    • 1

      Create an environment conducive to learning for your parakeet. The animal should be comfortable and well-cared for in a clean cage with plenty of food and water. While it may seem obvious, this is an important step that will make the bird more alert and happier, and therefore more able to learn. Also, place a mirror in the cage for the parakeet. This will encourage the bird to "practice" its human words with its mirror image after each training session.

    • 2

      Place a blanket over the cage when it's time to begin training. This will ensure the bird isn't distracted by other activities or objects in the room, and that it will focus on your voice and the words you're speaking.

    • 3

      Repeat a word to your parakeet that you want it to learn. Start with a simple word or phrase that starts with a hard sound, such a K, W, T, P or B sound. The simple phrase "pretty bird" is an easy saying to teach your parakeet in the beginning of its training. Repeat the word slowly and clearly in front of the cage for at least 10 minutes a day. A half hour of this repetition in the beginning of each day is the best and fastest way to train your parakeet to speak.

    • 4

      Repeat a second phrase to the bird only after it is able to say the first. Keep the phrases separate, so the bird doesn't get confused and jumble them together.

    • 5

      Teach your parakeet more advanced words once it is repeating simple phrases well. Hold up an object and repeat its name until the bird is able to say it. For example, hold the bird's food in front of the cage and say "yum yum." The bird should soon learn the phrase and say it when it sees or wants its food.