"Polly Wants a Cracker": Teaching your cockatiel to talk.

Cockatiels are extremely intelligent little creatures and can be taught to talk.

It is important to start the training process for talking at an early age when cockatiels are more susceptible to learning new things.

However, with presistence older cockatiels can learn to talk.

I should have trained Loki earlier on how to talk, but I had never had a bird before Loki and I did not really know how to go about it. Plus, she was already a year old when I found her.

However, I have recently decided I want to teach her how to talk.

Some people will tell you that female cockatiels do not talk; only the males do.

But, there are many female cockatiels out there that can talk, it is just more difficult to train them.

Loki and I are out to prove that female cockatiels can talk!

No matter what sex your cockatiel is the training process can be somewhat difficult in the beginning, just remember to stay consistent.

It is also notable that women and children are better at training cockatiels to talk because of the pitch and tone of their voices.

How to teach your cockatiel to talk:

1. Create a schedule for teaching your pet cockatiel. Initially, do three 30 minute sessions a day for the first four days. Then, continue with four 10-minute sessions a day. Cockatiels, like many other animals, need repetition when learning.
2. Take your cockatiel out of her cage for the training. Removing your cockatiel from her cage will eliminate distractions from toys, food, etc.
3. Hold your cockatiel and make sure that she can clearly see your lips and hear your words.
4. Repeat one simple word to your cockatiel. Words that have only one syllable are a good starting point. Repeat the word throughout the duration of the sessions, keeping the same pitch, tone, and volume.
5. Give your cockatiel a treat every time she shows an interest in the words you say. Providing treats to your tiel is positive reinforcement and encourages her to listen.
6. Repeat the words in a sing-song or high-pitched tone.
7. Listen closely to your cockatiel because her first attempts at repeating a word may be garbled. Reward her for trying and continue to encourage her to talk through verbal phrase, treats, and affection.
8. Keep your tiel away from other sounds during, and at least 30 minutes after each training session. Distractions such as, television, radio, and even other people talking can ruin the training process.

Ways to encourage your cockatiel to talk:

• Purchase and play compact discs that use repetitive speech to catch your cockatiel's interest.
• Speak to your cockatiel in a high-pitched voice.
• Use repetitive speech. Exposing your cockatiel to the same words over and over will make her more likely say those words.
• Greet your cockatiel by saying “Hello” when you enter the room, and speak your cockatiel's name.
  

Things to remember when teaching your cockatiel to talk:

• Teach your tiel one word at a time; wait for her to master a word before you move on to teaching her another.
• Be patient. It could take months before your cockatiel will begin to talk.
• Stay consistent.
• DO NOT punish your cockatiel if she is not interested in learning; this will only create more deference in your tiel.

It may be beneficial to teach your cockatiel to talk in front of a mirror, as many are more susceptible to learning this way.

I love watching cockatiel videos online, especially the ones where they talk. Below I have listed some of my favorite talking videos.

Female cockatiel talking

Spike the cockatiel talking, whistling, and barking

Sunny the cockatiel's large vocabulary