How Parakeets Talk

Parakeets don't ̶0;talk̶1; in the way that humans do. Theirs is a learned behavior that mimics sounds. A parakeet can learn to say words that you teach it, or it can learn to mimic sounds such as the doorbell or the kettle's whistle. A parakeet does not speak with vocal chords, but by controlling the airflow through its throat with muscles. Watch a parakeet when it's talking and you will see its throat vibrate. So although it seems as though a parakeet is speaking with you, it is repeating sounds, words or phrases that it hears repeatedly.

  1. Which Parakeets Talk?

    • Male parakeets are the best candidates for learning words. A parakeet talks to communicate with its flock, so if your parakeet bonds with you, there is a stronger chance that it will learn to talk. The bird is trying to make the same sounds you do. Young parakeets are the easiest to train. You can tell how young a bird is by the color above its beak. A male parakeet's cere, the area above his beak, will turn blue or purple as he ages. A female's cere turns tan or brown. A young parakeet's cere will be colorless or a very light shade of blue, if it's a male.

    Female Parakeets

    • It's not clear why female parakeets rarely learn to talk, since they are considered louder than their male counterparts. They squawk and chirp more, but generally don't mimic words. Male parakeets are also considered more sociable than females, making males easier to teach to speak. Female parakeets tend to be more aggressive with other birds if there is more than one parakeet in a cage.

    How Parakeets Learn

    • Talk to your parakeet while it sits on your hand.

      Parakeets like to bond, so it's best to have a single parakeet that will bond with you. If you have more than one, it will bond with the other birds and the need to mimic you will not be present. Parakeets learn words by repetition. Repeating a word or phrase consistently to the bird is key. If your bird is finger-trained, let it sit on your hand while you speak to it. Start with a simple word or phrase. The bird will begin to mimic part of the sound and then the entire word. Once the bird is speaking, you can build on its vocabulary.

    Do They Understand?

    • Parakeets don't understand what they are saying. They are only imitating the sounds that you make. If you teach your parakeet phrases, don't be surprised if the bird occasionally mixes up the words in the phrases and jumbles them together. Parakeets can understand simple actions, however, and will learn to say words such as ̶0;hello̶1; if it is spoken consistently when you enter the room.

    Parakeet Training

    • Parakeets respond to food. Feed the bird while it sits on your hand to encourage bonding. Hard sounds such as ̶0;k̶1; and ̶0;t̶1; are easier for them to repeat than soft sounds such as ̶0;s.̶1; Parakeets learn better after resting, so train it in the morning. They also respond to taped words, sounds and music. Parakeets love mirrors, and will frequently talk to themselves if there is a bird mirror in their cage.