5. Taming cockatiels and learning onomatopoeia

When purchasing a parrot, every owner dreams of an affectionate, tame bird that is not afraid of humans and is capable of talking. Of course, a parrot can learn to talk on its own - such cases are known, but it will still be better if you spend enough time teaching the bird.

Cockatiels have a beneficial effect on a lonely person and provide him with a kind of help due to their ability to copy human speech. A cockatiel can be a lonely person's best friend.

Corellas are distinguished by their cheerful disposition and goodwill in communication. These are very kind and mischievous birds. But true friendship between a cockatiel and its owner is possible only if the parrot completely trusts its owner.

A parrot must interact with its owner daily

Having learned to pronounce their first words, cockatiels themselves become “teachers”, able to quickly teach small children who love to play and watch birds to speak. This situation arises due to the fact that cockatiels often pronounce memorized words, repeating them several times.

A good mood for all family members is what can cause a funny word said by a parrot. Since the cockatiel’s speech serves as emotional relief for humans, these parrots will even help relieve stress for many people.

The main incentive for taming parrots and teaching them to use onomatopoeia is, first of all, their sociability and ease of care. Even a novice breeder who loves birds and has read the relevant literature can tame a cockatiel.

Cockatiels are very popular in many countries around the world, and the demand for them is constantly growing. After spending only a few weeks in their new home, these parrots are able to charm all family members.

In some countries, special schools for talking parrots were formed, where the birds were taught to imitate human speech. The teachers in such schools were mostly women, who constantly repeated certain words to the parrots during the training process. Subsequently, tape recordings began to be used to teach parrots to use onomatopoeia. Cockatiels are able to quickly remember all the words they hear. In Russia, unfortunately, such schools do not yet exist.

Taming cockatiels

When purchasing a cockatiel, you need to be prepared for the fact that the parrot will need to be raised. The future owner of these birds should remember that the relationship between the parrot and all family members will not be the same all the time; during certain periods of the parrot’s life, they can change radically, and sometimes become completely opposite. In this situation, everything depends on the character of the cockatiel owner himself.

In order not to encounter the parrot's disobedience in the future, it is necessary to devote enough time to its upbringing from the first days of its appearance in the house. The task is made easier by the fact that cockatiels are quite easy to tame and love to learn something new and play. Such behavioral features are inherent in them by nature itself.

The personality of the cockatiel, like other parrots, changes approximately every 5-7 years. In the 2nd year of keeping a parrot, you can already notice the first signs of a change in the bird’s character. During this period, the parrot had already more or less become accustomed to its new habitat and got used to the people around it.

Corella transfers to the family in which she lives the relationships that have developed in a flock of parrots in natural conditions. Under natural conditions, there is constant contact between all parrots, as well as the exchange of important information and various signals.

Raising a cockatiel should begin with taming it. Only after properly taming the parrot can you move on to directly teaching it how to use onomatopoeia. An insufficiently tamed parrot will not at all perceive the commands of its owner.

Young parrots are the easiest to tame. The older they get, the more time and effort will have to be spent on taming them, raising them and teaching onomatopoeia.

Experienced parrot breeders recommend purchasing a chick that is only a few days away from leaving the nest for the first time. A chick at this age does not yet know how to feed on its own, and will need to be artificially fed for some time.

If you devote a lot of time to maintaining the chick, after 2 weeks the bird will get used to you and will be completely dependent. As a result of this, an atmosphere of complete trust and friendship will be established between you and the cockatiel. We must not forget that only a well-tamed parrot can subsequently learn to pronounce various words. This is an indispensable condition.

Still, you should not start taming on the first day. You should not let the parrot out of the cage; let him first get used to his new habitat, people, sounds. Otherwise, during the first walk, he may start hitting windows or mirrors, he may get hurt, and it will be difficult to drive him back into the cage. Ultimately, you will have to catch him and pick him up in order to put him in a cage, and this, as mentioned above, is fraught with stress.

Experienced parrot owners do not recommend cleaning the cage during the 1st week of the cockatiel's stay in the house. The bird needs to feel confident and safe in its new habitat.

Subsequently (if the parrot does not die from shock) this will interfere with the taming process, since the cockatiel will be afraid of humans.

In the first days, try not to approach the cage at all unless necessary. If you have small children, the need for this behavior should be explained to them. When feeding or changing the water in the drinking bowl, act as carefully as possible. During this time, you should constantly talk to your cockatiel in a gentle tone. This should calm the bird down.

If you give the parrot time and do not approach him in the first days, he will quickly get used to the situation and the presence of a stranger in the room. After some time, the parrot's curiosity will overcome its fear, and it will strive to communicate with its owner.

The mood of the parrot, as well as its attitude to the events taking place at a given time, can be judged by how it looks at that moment:

› curiosity - the crest is slightly raised, the head is slightly tilted, the eyes are slightly squinted;

› fear - the crest is pressed tightly to the head, the head is tilted back or pulled into the shoulders, the eyes are slightly squinted;

› surprise – the crest is raised and quite fluffed, the head is raised, the eyes are wide open;

› excitement – ​​during the courtship period the parrot raises its crest high;

› interest - reaches out to you or to an object that interests him with his head;

› waiting - the head is tilted, the crest is raised, the eyes are wide open (sometimes the parrot is testing your reaction to some of its actions or seeking approval);

› aggression - the head is thrown up, the crest is raised, straightened and trembles, the eyes are wide open (at this moment the parrot can rush and peck);

› playfulness - the head is tilted forward, the eyes are squinted or closed (this way the parrot makes it clear that it wants affection and attention);

› chills – the parrot sits ruffled, eyes wide open;

› drowsiness – feathers on the chest slightly puff up, press one paw, close the eyes from time to time.

If you have purchased a chick that has just left the nesting box, it will most likely hide in a corner of the cage for the first few days. Don't worry and leave the bird alone. Perhaps the parrot will be afraid to approach the feeder, so a certain amount of grains should be scattered along the bottom of the cage. Every time you pass by a parrot, you should affectionately call its name.

You can teach onomatopoeia to several parrots at once

During the first 7-10 days of being in a new home, the cockatiel should be fed every 3 hours during the day. Thanks to this, contact between the owner and the parrot will be established very quickly and the bird will easily adapt to its new conditions.

If the chick has not yet learned to eat on its own, it should be fed porridge using a pipette. You need to add (once a day) a pinch of calcium gluconate, previously ground into powder, to the porridge. After 7-10 days, you can add a little oatmeal to the porridge. After 2 weeks, the chick will already be sufficiently accustomed to its owner and will calmly tolerate all procedures related to feeding.

If you buy an already grown chick that can eat on its own, first of all you need to ensure that it eats food in your presence. To do this, you need to approach the cage slowly and carefully every time the cockatiel is about to eat. You cannot make sudden movements.

It is possible that at first the bird will be frightened of you and suddenly fly up into the cage. But after a while the parrot will calm down and will let you closer to him every day.

Once your pet begins to take food from the feeder, you can begin to accustom him to handling. To do this in the morning, before you put a portion of food in the feeder, carefully insert an open palm with grains into the cage and wait for the bird to peck them. You need to insert your hand in and out very slowly so that the parrot does not get scared.

Some cockatiels do not like to take grains from your hand, but at the same time they will with great pleasure eat a twig or spikelet that you hold out to them in your hand.

The cockatiel's cage must have its own place. You cannot constantly move it around the apartment.

At first, having grabbed the food, the parrot will jump with it to the opposite end of the cage. But with each subsequent time he will be bolder and bolder to take food from your hands.

After 2-3 days (or earlier), when the bird begins to confidently take food from your palm, you can complicate the task: move your palm further and further away from the parrot until the pet is forced to sit on your hand.

While feeding the chick or when cleaning the cage, you need to talk to it all the time in a calm and gentle voice. This will help the parrot get used to you completely.

The parrot quickly gets used to all family members. If you frequently communicate with the bird, speak calmly and friendly to it, this will significantly speed up the habituation. If you constantly repeat the cockatiel's name, after a while the bird will begin to respond to it. She will be able to turn her head or even fly up to your call.

Taming should proceed gradually, because if you stroke or touch a parrot at a time when he is already taking food from your hand without fear, he can become very frightened. This can ruin all your efforts. Taming a parrot will have to start from the very beginning, which will be much more difficult.

After about 3 weeks of regular training, the parrot will take food from your hands without fear. At this time, you can already remove the box from the cage. The parrot can now calmly stay in the cage; he no longer has such a need for twilight.

When the chick is no longer afraid of all people who approach the cage, it should be taught to sit on a hand. Calm and slow movements should not frighten the parrot and will help maintain his trust. During training, you must talk to the chick.

While other parrots can be taught to sit on a finger, this is unlikely to be possible with a cockatiel. It is uncomfortable for the cockatiel to sit this way, as she has rather long legs and toes. The cockatiel can sit comfortably on a perch, the diameter of which should be 1.5–2 cm.

Based on this, it is better to teach the parrot to sit on your hand or shoulder. Corellas love to sit on the shoulder. Sometimes they even fall asleep while sitting on the shoulder, but at the same time they do not interfere at all with the person who may be working at that time. These birds love to sit on the wrist, and it is very convenient to transfer them to another place in this way.

When teaching your cockatiel to sit on your shoulder or hand, you should not rush. In order to teach a chick to sit on a hand, no complicated exercises are required. It will be enough just to carefully bring your hand to the cockatiel’s paws and lightly press your fingers on the bird’s abdomen. This will cause the parrot to climb onto your hand. After the chick completes this exercise correctly, it should be rewarded with a treat.

In order to properly and successfully raise a cockatiel, you should remember that first the parrot must be tamed to the presence of a person, then to the shoulder or hand, and then to the room (letting it fly).

After this, holding the parrot in your hand, you can carefully remove it from the cage. After some time, he should be returned to the cage and given a treat again. These exercises should be repeated as often as possible, for example every time the bird is fed.

You can also tame your cockatiel while bathing. Before this procedure, you should carefully, without making sudden movements, take the parrot in your hand and talk to it for a while. This should calm him down. After this, you need to carefully bathe the parrot in a warm bath, to which you need to add a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

After bathing, the parrot should be wrapped in a soft cloth and kept near you for some time (about 1.5–2 hours). All this time you need to gently stroke the parrot on the head and around the neck. If you have bright, rustling beads, you can put them on and thereby attract the attention of the cockatiel, since these parrots are very curious by nature. This simple trick helps bring the bird closer to its owner.

After the parrot is no longer afraid of you and feels natural in its surroundings, and has also learned to immediately sit on your hand or shoulder, you should move on to further taming the bird. When the parrot sits on your hand, you need to immediately walk around the whole room with him several times.

The first such walk should not be too long. After 5-10 minutes you need to return the parrot to the cage. Subsequently, taking into account the cockatiel’s reaction, you can gradually increase the walking time. At this moment, you need to make sure that the parrot does not show anxiety.

A bird that is not afraid to sit on your hand can now be released to fly around the room. The more the parrot flies, the better it will feel.

You can release your cockatiel from its cage within 1–2 months after acquiring it.

It is necessary to let the parrot fly around the room for a short time. It is best to take your first independent walks in the evening, when it is already dark outside.

After a while, you can arrange for the parrot to walk around the room during the day, but it is still better to cover the windows with curtains. The parrot will learn to find the entrance to its cage on its own after it has some idea of ​​the size of the room, the location of furniture and other things.

Under no circumstances should you remove a parrot from its cage with your hands. When you want to let the bird fly around the room, it is better to open the cage door so that the parrot can go out on its own. Usually the parrot understands perfectly well that it is time for a walk, and does not keep itself waiting long.

When the parrot is no longer afraid to fly around the room, he will sit on your shoulder or hand. By this time, many cockatiels already know their name well and fly up to the owner when called. This is the first and surest sign of trust.

To teach a cockatiel to fly when called, you need to choose a moment when the bird is hungry. She needs to be released from the cage and after a while show her a treat and give her a nickname.

Before letting your pet fly around the apartment, you must first close all the windows and balcony doors: having flown out into the street, the bird will not be able to find its way home and, most likely, will die.

To further bond your parrot, you should always feed it either in a cage or by hand. If you feed a bird anywhere, it will not return to its cage. It is better not to feed your parrot before starting exercise, otherwise he will be reluctant to do the exercises, even if he knows that he will receive a treat.

When the parrot begins to fly up when called, the further process of taming will go much faster. But it is still not recommended to rush when taming a parrot. You must be patient, because only with a calm and patient attitude can you achieve certain successes.

Sometimes cockatiels, during daily walks around the room, can end up in a place (on a closet, chandelier or curtain) from which it will be difficult for them to get out. In this case, you need to firmly understand that you should not try to get the parrot out of there with objects that are unfamiliar or frightening to it (a mop, a towel).

Once frightened by a person's actions, a parrot may lose trust in him, which will be quite difficult to restore, and in some cases simply impossible.

Try to help the parrot if he cannot get out on his own. To do this, carefully stand on a chair, while trying not to make noise or make sudden movements, carefully bring your hand closer to the parrot. The bird should calmly move onto the hand. After this, the cockatiel must be returned back to the cage.

Cockatiel training

It is impossible to achieve any results from cockatiels if you constantly force them to do something; they are very reluctant to give in to pressure. In general, when training parrots, much greater results can be achieved with affection and constant unobtrusive attention.

There are several basic methods for training talking parrots, including cockatiels:

› negative reinforcement. The method is based on the presence of an unpleasant or frightening object next to the parrot, which is removed after it carries out a command (for example, upon seeing a towel, the bird returns to the cage);

› positive encouragement. This method consists in the fact that the parrot receives encouragement (a treat, affection, verbal encouragement) immediately after performing the required action;

› negative punishment. The method is that the cockatiel is deprived of something that it considers pleasant and positive for itself (for example, treats or communication with a person to which the bird is accustomed);

› positive punishment. If a parrot is exposed to an unpleasant stimulus immediately after performing an unnecessary action (a stream of water is a hostile or aversive stimulus), the parrot will not act this way in the future.

According to most professional trainers, the most successful results can be achieved if you use methods of negative punishment and positive reinforcement when raising a parrot.

Other methods of influence, when used frequently, can cause a negative response from the cockatiel. It is recommended to use them extremely rarely.

When taming and training a cockatiel, you should choose the right training methods.

In some cases, cockatiels react aggressively to the use of aversive methods. In this situation, it is necessary to alternate aversive methods with encouragement. For example, by showing the cockatiel a towel, you let it know that it needs to return to the cage (aversive method), at which time you need to give the command “Into the cage!” and reward the parrot if the command is followed.

It is necessary to reward the parrot for completing a command with exactly what gives him the greatest pleasure. It is important to remember that if you reward him with a treat, it should not be placed in the feeder. In this case, the treat must be given from the hand and only for the completed action.

For some cockatiels, the owner's affection and communication will be preferable to a treat. To avoid monotony, you need to use several possible rewards (2-3 are enough), and then the parrot will never get bored with the exercises.

You can teach a parrot to perform various actions only if they suit its character. If an action is contrary to the bird’s character, even the most favorite delicacy will not force it to be carried out. A cockatiel can only be tamed and taught something by a person who the bird actually likes and whom it completely trusts.

It will be very easy to find out which treat your cockatiel likes best. To find out, you need to mix in a saucer (but not in the bird’s usual feeder) different types of grains, nuts, etc. This mixture needs to be offered to the bird.

All you have to do is remember what the parrot chose first, what then, and what it ignored altogether. The next day the procedure must be repeated. After 3-4 such tests, you can find out several of the parrot’s favorite treats.

The right choice of treats for training with your cockatiel will significantly speed up the training process.

From the very beginning, you should pay attention and set the amount of remuneration correctly. In this case, you will need to make a compromise - you should give the parrot less treats in order to prolong the sessions, otherwise he will quickly get enough and stop following commands.

Also, the amount of remuneration is determined based on the specific activity. The parrot should receive a large reward for a big success; in this situation, this will be several times more effective than several small rewards.

If the executed command does not seem very important to you, you should still reward the cockatiel. The parrot should receive a reward for each command completed. In any case, this must be done until the parrot quickly and correctly carries out all the owner’s commands.

It would be more effective to divide the training of a parrot into several successive stages; you cannot teach it to carry out all commands at once. The parrot will master the action faster if you don’t demand so much from it at the moment. After he clearly understands the command, you can move on to the next stage of training. It makes no sense to demand that a parrot learn to carry out any command the first time. This is impossible.

Better results can be achieved if you properly distribute the time and duration of classes. A parrot should never get tired during training. Exercises should not bore him. The best results will come from sessions lasting no more than 10–15 minutes. It is best to work with the bird 2-3 times a day.

Things and situations that are not dangerous from a human point of view can cause serious harm to a cockatiel.

Before starting classes, you should carefully prepare for them. For a parrot in an apartment, there are many different dangers that should be neutralized if possible before starting training. The following are dangerous for any parrots kept in an apartment:

in the kitchen:

› deep vessels with a smooth neck;

› glass fragments;

› hot plate;

> scissors;

› adhesive tapes for catching insects;

› spices;

› leftover food;

in living rooms:

› toys consisting of small parts;

› electrical cable;

› candles and fireplaces;

› rough pile carpets;

› ballpoint pen refills;

› narrow gaps between shelves and furniture;

› open aquariums;

› curtains with heavy lead balls;

› ashtrays;

› poisonous plants and cacti.

The following plants are dangerous for cockatiels:

› lily of the valley;

› avocado;

› thorn;

› heather;

› sansevieria;

› galtonia;

› narcissus;

› arum;

› colocasia;

› hyacinth;

› gladiolus;

› snowdrop;

› Dieffenbachia;

› primrose;

› black acacia;

› tea tree;

› foxglove;

› alocasia;

› philodendron;

› proleskadracaena;

› spurge;

> potato;

› asparagus;

› azalea;

› saintpaulia;

> tulip;

› camellia;

› cycad;

› aspidistra;

› pteris;

› reo motley;

› crocus;

› trachycarpus.

Direct training of the parrot can begin only after all objects dangerous to it have been removed or covered. The first commands that should be taught to a parrot are usually the commands « Forward!" and “Back!” Remember that these commands do not show the parrot a direction in space. They mean the bird approaching or moving away from its owner, to whom all the parrot’s attention will be directed during training.

When training a parrot, you should stick your hand into the cage and command: “Forward!” The bird should move onto the finger. The parrot can leave the cage only after the appropriate command is given. If the parrot simply moves onto the finger without waiting for the word “Forward!”, this is not considered to be executing the command. Such an action is not obedience, but a habit.

There should be a separate place for regular training (for example, a separate room with a special training stand). His choice depends on the degree of domestication of the cockatiel and its character. At first, some problems may arise: many parrots do not want to leave their familiar cage. If this happens, the parrot should be trained there first.

Corella, like other parrots, always prefers:

› a subject that is more familiar to her (she tries to switch to it);

› more stable support;

› higher perch or perch.

Corella, before setting foot on a new place, always checks it with its beak. Many inexperienced owners are afraid of this, because it seems to them that the parrot wants to bite them. At the same time, they sharply withdraw their hand and scare the bird itself. To prevent this, it is recommended to use a perch when training a parrot, at least at first.

If cockatiels are caught in the wild, they will subsequently be afraid of human hands. This happens because the bird has experienced stress. But even if the parrot was already born at home, it will instinctively avoid the person with fast and sharp movements. In natural conditions, such movements are most often characteristic of predators.

The end of the perch opposite the one you hold in your hand should be placed on the perch near the parrot. This manipulation will give the perch additional stability, since it is quite difficult to keep the perch and the bird suspended.

When the cockatiel is completely convinced of its safety, it will trust its owner much more. An additional convenience for the parrot is that it will not be forced to cross the empty space between the perch and the perch.

Only with the help of long-term training can you ensure that the parrot moves to your hand or perch at your first request. Only a properly raised bird will do this. A parrot may refuse to move to a perch, especially at the very beginning of training, if the perch seems to him a more stable and convenient type of support.

In some cases, the parrot may stop following commands, become distracted, or start playing. In this case, he must be left alone in the room for a while. For the parrot to calm down, a few minutes spent alone by the bird will be enough. After the parrot has completely calmed down, classes should be continued.

To train a parrot, you need to prepare special training items. There are a great many of them. Items for training should be selected taking into account the character of the cockatiel, strictly individually.

Some breeders advise using regular chairs (instead of a training stand) when training your parrot. It is best to allocate a separate chair for training, since parrots usually chew everything around them, especially what they sit on. Therefore, if you have taught your parrot to sit on a chair, it will be very difficult to prevent him from gnawing on it later. This behavior of parrots is initially inherent in nature. If you cannot allocate a separate chair for training, purchase a special stand for this purpose.

Before teaching a parrot the command “Forward!”, you must first attract its attention (for example, name it). After this, show the parrot a treat and say: “Go ahead!”

When the parrot understands the command “Forward!”, you can move on to the next stage of training. To do this, place your hand or perch between the treat and the cockatiel. The parrot needs to be rewarded with a treat or affection every time it comes to you on command.

It doesn't take long for most parrots to learn the "Go!" command. Usually this command is easy for them to remember.

Many parrots do not dare to climb onto your hand and as soon as they approach, they immediately stop. If you press your finger on the bottom of the parrot's chest, it will step onto your hand.

Any time your parrot gets scared, loses its balance, or flies away, you should give it time to calm down. Perhaps the parrot does not like the place you have chosen for training. In this case, there is no need to return the bird to its original place. A change of environment will benefit the parrot, and he will become more willing to follow your commands.

When the parrot has received a treat, he will try to move away, at this moment command him: “Back!” There is no need to stop it at this moment.

In some cases, the parrot is in no hurry to return to its perch. If this happens, try to bring the parrot closer to the perch so that the perch is between him and you.

In this case, the cockatiel will definitely want to come to you and in any case will step on the perch. At this moment, while carefully removing your hand, you need to command: “Back!” (in this case, although the parrot approaches you, after leaving your finger, it still “moves away”).

Training parrots will be more effective if done in the form of a game. Many parrots prefer varied games to boring, monotonous activities.

Never raise your voice to a parrot. If you strictly follow all the simple rules listed above, your cockatiel will not get tired of doing various exercises, and the execution of all commands can be brought to automaticity. If this happens, in the future, in order for the parrot to do what is required of it, it will not be necessary to repeat commands to it several times.

Before moving on to teaching the bird other commands, ensure that the one you are currently teaching your parrot is strictly followed. During training, you should never rush things. If you rush and constantly urge your parrot, moving on to new exercises without learning the old ones, this will definitely harm the entire learning process. In this case, the parrot may lose previously acquired knowledge.

Having taught the bird to follow the commands “Forward!” and “Back!”, you can move on to the next stage of training. At this stage of training the parrot, you should teach it to follow the following commands: “You can!” and “You can’t!” These are very important commands, thanks to them you will save your cockatiel from many troubles.

Experienced parrot owners have not come to a consensus regarding the use of the “Yes!” commands. and “You can’t!” According to some, these commands help establish a hierarchy between humans and cockatiels. When the parrot learns to follow these commands, he will understand that the dominant role in making all decisions and determining the boundaries of what is permitted belongs to you, and not to him. As a result, you will achieve complete dependence of the bird on your decisions. This is necessary to ensure that the parrot is obedient.

According to other parrot owners, this position is fundamentally wrong. They believe that parrots do not have a very developed concept of hierarchy. It is difficult for Corella to understand and recognize someone's dominant position in relation to her.

Increased dependence on its owner can be dangerous for a cockatiel. This can affect the state of the parrot's nervous system.

Constant prohibitions can cause aggression on the part of the cockatiel, while infrequent (only when necessary) use of the commands “You can!” and “You can’t!” will help avoid this problem, as well as constantly seeking your attention.

To rid your cockatiel of habits that are unacceptable to you, you must give your parrot a choice: do the wrong thing and get a well-deserved punishment, or do everything right and get a reward. With the help of correctly chosen methods of reward and punishment, the parrot will quickly learn all the rules of behavior.

First of all, you should teach your parrot alternative behaviors.

There are times when a parrot tries to get your attention because it wants to communicate. At the same time, he behaves inappropriately - screams, knocks on the grill with his beak, scatters food, etc. Such behavior is unacceptable.

But the parrot doesn't know any other way to get your attention, so that's the only way it will behave. In this case, none of the methods of punishment or reward will help. To avoid this, the parrot must be given an alternative. For example, you should teach your bird to call you by name, whistle, etc. when it wants to communicate.

Another bad habit of all parrots without exception is gnawing all the things that come their way. There is nothing you can do about this - such actions are characteristic of the behavior of a cockatiel in nature and are instincts.

You definitely need to teach your parrot to chew only certain things (for example, toys), which should always be at his disposal. When you leave a parrot alone in an apartment for a long time, it is still better to remove all valuable and dangerous things for it.

Before teaching your parrot the “No!” command, you should clearly understand what exactly this command should mean. It is necessary to give this command only one meaning; it should be given only in the case of some specific actions prohibited for the parrot.

In any case, the command “No!” for a parrot should mean: “Whatever you are doing now, stop immediately.” The command “No!” can be given in two cases: when the parrot commits an illegal action or just wants to do it.

If the parrot has followed the command correctly, it must be rewarded with some kind of treat. For example, if a parrot was tearing wallpaper or a magazine, but stopped doing it after the command “No!”, it should be immediately rewarded. By doing this, your cockatiel should develop the necessary obedience skills. But it should be remembered that under no circumstances should you scold the parrot for the harm caused.

If the parrot does not pay any attention to your commands and continues to do its own thing, you must get its attention. To do this, it is enough to make some unexpected movement. A parrot can also be attracted by an unusual sound. All parrots are naturally very curious, so the bird will immediately be distracted and turn its attention to you. At this moment, she will naturally stop doing something illegal. You should immediately praise your parrot and reward him with a treat.

You must remember that you cannot make sudden movements, otherwise this will cause aggression on the part of the parrot. If you scare a parrot, it may even attack you.

Sometimes using an object that the parrot doesn't like can have a positive effect. Such an object can be, for example, a towel; birds usually do not like it. Showing a towel from afar, say in a stern tone: “You can’t!”

If the cockatiel always receives some kind of reward for following a command, this is quite enough. Subsequently, the command “No!” Can be served without a towel.

Team “It’s possible!” is the opposite of the “No!” command. If the action that the parrot is about to do is approved by you, you can give this command. At the same time, you don’t have to reward the parrot for following the command, since the permission itself will be a reward for the bird.

The command “It’s possible!” should also be used in situations where the parrot itself takes the initiative. For example, if he wants to communicate with you, you can allow him to do so by issuing the appropriate command.

If some actions are sometimes allowed to the cockatiel, and sometimes not, the “Can!” command will help you explain this correctly to the parrot. In some cases, this may also apply to his communication with you. If the parrot wants to communicate, but you don’t want it or are busy at the moment, you should command: “No!” After you are free, you should command: “You can!”

All parrots, including cockatiels, are very impressionable and suggestible. Understanding various commands in some cases requires the parrot to think abstractly. To properly tame and raise a parrot, you need it to fully concentrate on you. During classes, neither you nor the parrot should be distracted by anything.

A parrot that is sufficiently accustomed to communicating with humans is much more successful in training.

According to some cockatiel owners, before starting training, the bird should trim its wings a little, this should speed up the learning process. This procedure is painless and will not cause any harm to the parrot. In a maximum of six months, the feathers on the wings should be completely restored. This procedure is also suitable for an untamed parrot, since with clipped wings it will not accidentally fly out of the window during training. Nevertheless, it is still not worth taking a parrot with clipped wings outside.

With clipped wings, parrots can fly only a few meters.

Nonverbal gestures also influence the parrot's understanding and execution of various commands. Therefore, before performing any gesture, think about how the parrot will perceive it.

Before you start training parrots, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

› before you start training, mentally imagine the entire learning process, think through the details of each individual exercise. Think about what command your cockatiel should learn and how you will reward it for it;

› start training with your parrot only when you are in a good mood. Remember that the parrot will definitely sense if you are upset or a little tired. Usually, having felt this, parrots refuse to follow commands and continue learning.

Many experienced parrot trainers note that after a while the bird’s mood begins to coincide with the mood of its owner. If the owner is in a bad mood, the parrot will also often become irritated and show aggression, at which time he even screams more than usual.

When training, adhere to the following recommendations:

› at the very beginning of training, explain to the parrot in a calm voice what you expect from it, what exercises it will have to perform. This should calm the parrot;

› never train for a very long time. Make sure your classes are not boring. Training should be fun for both you and your cockatiel;

› when training a parrot, fully concentrate on your studies; nothing should distract you and the parrot;

› if you are in a bad mood, it is better to postpone training for several hours; you should not practice with a bird if you are in a bad mood;

› do not expect that the parrot will quickly master all the commands and immediately carry them out clearly. Rejoice at every result, even if it is insignificant;

› do not make too abrupt transitions between already mastered exercises and completely new ones. New exercises should be approached gradually, alternating them with old ones;

› the lesson must end on a positive note. If the parrot does not follow a new command, give it one that it already knows. After the bird completes it, the activity should be stopped. Be sure to reward your parrot with a treat or affection at the end of the training.

Various games should definitely arouse the parrot's interest and please him. If several birds are kept in a cage at once, they can play with each other. Cockatiels love to play with their owner. During play, parrots use a wide variety of objects.

By playing interesting games with your parrot, you bring him closer to you. In addition, during the game, the parrot very quickly becomes attached to its owner.

Rope with knots

To play this game with your parrot, you will need a rope, which you need to hang from the ceiling or attach to the bird's tree.

Tie several knots on the rope, which should be at different distances from each other. The rope should be strong enough, but not very thin. Any parrot will love playing with knots. To further entice the bird, you can hang several special rings and a swing between the nodes.

Game exercises

This entertaining game will bring your cockatiel a lot of fun. Secure pieces of fruit or vegetables (apple, carrot, banana) as high as possible. Before eating, the parrot will have to work a little to get them.

In some cases, you can use a pole for variety. Trying to get to the treat with the help of a pole, the parrot will simultaneously perform gymnastics for its paws. Pieces of cookies or fruit can be secured between indoor (non-poisonous) plants.

Swing

All parrots, including cockatiels, love to swing on swings. You can buy them at a pet store or make them yourself.

You can make a swing from half a coconut. After drilling 3 holes in the coconut, hang it with a rope. You can put your parrot's favorite toy or pieces of vegetables in the swing. If you fluff the rope a little or tie branches of varying thicknesses to the swing, the cockatiel will like this swing even more.

Ball

If you have a small ball, you can play an interesting game with your parrot. A ping pong ball will also work. Stand in front of the parrot and carefully push the ball towards it. The cockatiel will quickly understand what you want from it and will join the game, pushing the ball back with its head or beak.

Box

For the next game you will need a small box in which you need to cut several holes of different diameters. Place pieces of vegetables or fruits in the box. Of course, the cockatiel will immediately try to get them.

piggy bank

If you still have an old, unnecessary piggy bank, you can use it in a game with a parrot. Take a few small coins and scatter them on the table near the parrot. So that the parrot understands the essence of the game, put the first coin in the piggy bank yourself. Then the parrot can handle it on his own.

Playing in the water

Puzzle

Put several parts of different sizes on the table, maybe a construction set, and start taking them apart. When the parrot sees what you are doing, he will definitely begin to help you.

Playing in the water

Pour a small amount of water into the bath so that the parrot can bathe in it. Throw your parrot's favorite toy into the bath, this should attract his attention. The noise and splashes when the toy falls will surprise the parrot. After a while he decides to take a swim.

Onomatopoeia training

All over the world, cockatiels are known for their good ability to imitate a wide variety of sounds, including human speech. However, don't expect your parrot to speak loud and clear like a cockatoo, macaw or gray hair. The vocal apparatus of this bird is designed in such a way that the sounds it makes resemble chirping.

The words that parrots pronounce can be more or less intelligible, depending mainly on the individual abilities of the bird. The cockatiel's vocabulary is also strictly individual.

As soon as your pet gets used to the cage, the environment and the owner, begins to fly freely around the room and sit on your hand, you can begin to teach it to “talk”. When the bird sits calmly on your hand, you need to raise it to face level and clearly pronounce the word that the parrot should say. Most often this word is the name of the bird.

As a rule, with constant contact with humans, chicks begin to speak after about 14–20 days.

However, the decisive factors in the learning process are the bird's ability to imitate and the patience of the teacher. Some parrots can only learn 5 words, while others can learn about 20–30. As you know, males are more talented students, but among females there are also talking parrots.

It is best to train your cockatiel in the morning and evening - training is more effective during these hours. If a parrot slowly closes and opens its eyes, it means it is listening to you very carefully. Some inexperienced owners believe that this behavior means fatigue. This is not true, rather the opposite. In this way, the cockatiel better perceives information that is new to it.

Over time, having mastered a certain set of words, the parrot will itself replenish its vocabulary with frequently heard words.

If you want to keep a talking parrot, before purchasing it you will definitely be faced with serious questions - what parameters should you pay the most attention to, who is better to buy: a male or a female, what age should the bird be, what color, etc.

It's easy to teach a cockatiel to "talk"

According to some parrot breeders, females do not have the ability to imitate human speech. Of course this is not true. This opinion was formed due to the fact that male talking parrots are much faster to tame and are easier to teach something new. And their abilities for onomatopoeia are much better developed.

Although female talking parrots are slower to learn than males, they pronounce learned words more clearly and loudly. If you treat your female cockatiel patiently and attentively, she will certainly become an excellent “talker” in the future.

Some parrot owners who do not have much experience in keeping birds find it difficult to distinguish a male from a female. This can be easily done by the shade of the plumage. The plumage features of female and male cockatiels were described above.

When choosing a cockatiel, if in the future you want to raise a bird that can “talk”, you need to pay attention to its age. There is an opinion that adult birds are more cautious about everything new, unlike chicks.

In order to tame a parrot as early as possible, and therefore begin to teach it onomatopoeia, it is recommended to purchase a very small chick (you can just hatch). But in this case, you will have to take responsibility for its nutrition, since small chicks need additional feeding.

Chicks living with a person from birth and accustomed to him are tamed and learn to speak much easier and faster compared to adult cockatiels.

In most cases, it is very difficult for adult cockatiels to get used to their new owner. Parrots acquired as adults will be difficult (or even impossible) to teach onomatopoeia. Such birds are afraid of a new person and are unlikely to trust him. In some cases, such parrots begin to talk only when they are alone in the room.

But in most cases, it will not be possible to completely tame an adult parrot. It will also not be possible to teach it to imitate human speech.

Some parrot owners do not recommend placing a female in the same cage with a “talking” male. In their opinion, because of this he may stop “talking.” This is a wrong opinion. There were cases when, after acquiring a female, males not only did not stop “talking”, but also taught the female words known to them.

True, in this case there is only one limitation: you should not purchase both a female and a male at the same time. The best way out of this situation would be to acquire a male, and then, when he grows up, to acquire a female.

An important point in this regard will be the attitude of the male cockatiel towards you. The female will quickly get used to the new conditions and, perhaps, will “speak” if she understands that the male trusts all the people around them.

Onomatopoeia lessons should be conducted regularly

Taking into account all of the above, we can conclude that if you want to keep “talking” parrots, you should not buy two or more birds at the same time. When teaching a parrot to onomatopoeia, the presence of other birds in the same room with it is also of great importance.

During the lesson, it is advisable to keep the parrot in a separate room and alone - this is one of the main conditions for effective learning. Provided that there are still several parrots in the cage, during training it is better to isolate them from each other, for example, by placing them in separate cages.

The greatest effect can be achieved if you place cages with parrots in different rooms. If you do this too late, the cockatiels may never begin to “talk.”

Most cockatiel owners claim that the color shades of their parrots do not affect their onomatopoeic abilities in any way. It’s just that some colors are much more common than others, hence the opinion about the preference for a particular color of a talking parrot.

Therefore, when purchasing a future “talker,” pay attention not to the gender of the parrot or its color, but to the individual abilities of the bird. Objectively evaluate your own patience and teaching abilities as well.

When deciding to teach your cockatiel to imitate human speech, you will have to take into account a number of necessary conditions that affect the success of training.

The character traits of a parrot are largely determined by its environment and many other factors. Each bird has its own. Under favorable housing conditions, a cockatiel can learn to reproduce a fairly large number of words for this type of parrot, about 30–40.

When teaching onomatopoeia to your cockatiel, be sure to pay attention to its physical and mental state, as well as the conditions in which it is kept.

A cage intended for a talking parrot should be of such a size that the cockatiel is comfortable in it. If the parrot easily moves around the cage and freely handles various objects (toys, swings), it means that it is comfortable in the cage and there is enough free space for it. The parrot must be able to fully extend its wings.

It is best to start teaching your cockatiel onomatopoeia during the first year of its life - the most favorable time for this. The best time to study will last approximately 4-5 years. The words that the parrot remembers during this period will be remembered throughout its life.

Nothing should distract the parrot's attention. As a result, all toys, mirrors and other things should be removed from the cage (especially in the first 2–3 months). You only need to leave the feeders and drinking bowl.

But still, there were cases when it was the mirror that helped the cockatiel master some words and begin to “speak.” This happens because cockatiels, seeing a “different” bird in the mirror, try to attract its attention and “speak” their first words. But this is rather the exception than the rule, so the greatest effect in training can be achieved if the parrot is in a cage with a minimum number of objects.

A parrot is completely ready to learn if it is in excellent physical shape and kept in good conditions.

Before starting the lesson, decide on the first phrase that you will teach your cockatiel. It is best to teach your parrot to say your name and home address.

If a parrot accidentally flies out of a window, there is a good chance that people who hear the parrot say the address will help it return home.

It is quite difficult to say how long it takes a parrot to learn to “speak” its first phrases. The ability to reproduce various words primarily depends on the individual talent of the parrot. It is not uncommon for cockatiels to be able to “pronounce” their first words after just 3 weeks of training. In most cases, the first results begin to appear within a few months.

It is not only your cockatiel's talent for onomatopoeia that is important, but also your patience and equanimity. Even parrots with excellent word production abilities can learn to "speak" in just a few phrases with an unbalanced teacher. While with a calm and experienced trainer, they remember more than a hundred different words.

Remember that always, and especially during classes, the parrot must be protected from drafts, fumes, sudden changes in temperature, etc.

When you decide to teach your pet onomatopoeia, move the cage to the room where family members most often gather. Typically this room is the kitchen. The parrot will remember words much faster and easier if it hears human speech more often than before.

The most difficult stage occurs at the beginning of training, that is, teaching the parrot the first phrases. Having learned to “speak” the first words, the parrot will memorize new phrases faster and faster each time. Sometimes a parrot is able to learn some words on its own. To do this, the cockatiel will only need to hear a new word a few times to remember it.

There are known bird owners who have parrots that can reproduce 500 words. Many parrots do not “pronounce” words very clearly; their speech is more like chirping. Because of this, it is often difficult for strangers to understand the cockatiel.

Before starting training, the parrot must be placed in a box with holes for ventilation (you can use the one in which you tamed the chick). The cage must be darkened with fabric that does not allow sunlight to pass through. Thanks to the twilight, the parrot will calm down and be more receptive to learning. At this time, nothing should disturb or frighten the bird.

There are many ways to teach parrots to imitate onomatopoeia. The simplest of them is simply copying individual words or entire phrases. In this case, there is no connection between words and objects for the parrot; ordinary learning of words occurs.

This method of teaching is based on repeated regular repetition by the teacher of a certain phrase or a single word that the parrot must learn. Having memorized these words, the cockatiel will reproduce them at any time, but without any connection with any external factor. The parrot will perceive such words as a normal and easy way to communicate with you.

When teaching your cockatiel various words, you need to be gentle and calm with your parrot. Always call the parrot's name. This way he will remember it much faster and be able to repeat it.

All talking parrots, including cockatiels, remember hissing sounds most easily. Therefore, hissing sounds are present in the nicknames of parrots much more often than others (Gosha, Kesha, etc.).

The cockatiel's nickname should be simple and contain no more than 1–2 syllables. You need to pronounce it as clearly as possible. Parrots quickly learn “a”, “e”, “i”, “o” from vowel sounds, and “p”, “p”, “k”, “t” from consonants. Based on this, the first words you want to teach your parrot should contain these letters.

Onomatopoeia training

The teacher should say the same words or phrases several times every day and, depending on the character and habits of his pet, occasionally reward him with his favorite treat.

It is best to start training your cockatiel with the simplest words and only after mastering them move on to more complex words and phrases.

With a pet that is already talking, you need to constantly practice so that he does not forget what he has learned.

After the cockatiel has memorized its nickname, your name and address, you need to move on to teaching it other simple words.

As a rule, the first attempts to reproduce words in parrots are unsuccessful. Beginning students' pronunciation is also not very clear. After some time this should pass, the sounds produced by the parrot will become much more intelligible. After a few months of training, the words that the parrot “says” will become clear even to a stranger.

It is best to train your cockatiel to say words that are appropriate for a specific situation at a specific time. For example, in the morning, be sure to greet him: “Good morning!”, and before leaving the room or apartment, say goodbye: “Goodbye!” Thanks to this, the parrot will not just repeat learned words or phrases, but will apply them in a specific case.

Corella quickly manages to understand and correlate the words he hears with a specific situation. Some owners tend to claim that the parrot understands what it “says.” This, of course, is not true; talking parrots do not understand the meaning of spoken words at all. Such coincidences are easy to explain - parrots simply associate phrases with the situation and time when they hear these words most often, and remember what happened at that very moment.

For example, when the lock clicks when closing a door, the parrot's visual cue will be the fact that someone has approached the door and grabbed the handle. At the same time, the parrot remembers that a click will follow.

A parrot is able to independently learn the phrase “Bye everyone, I'm off” only because one of the family members will say this phrase when leaving home. But her cockatiel will “speak” not only at the moment when a person leaves the apartment, but also when he has not been at home for a long time. For a parrot, this phrase will only mean your absence, and not a direct exit from the house.

If a parrot hears someone constantly scolding a dog while it is barking, the next time the parrot hears it barking, it may scold it itself, using the same phrases. But this does not mean at all that the bird is annoyed by the dog’s barking; the parrot knows that barking will be followed by certain phrases.

If there is a talking parrot in the house, each family member will have to carefully monitor their vocabulary, since the parrot does not understand the meaning of words, it only remembers them.

The same thing can happen with the phrase “Good night!” If you cover your cockatiel's cage with a dark cloth at night and say, “Good night!”, the parrot will say, “Good night!” as soon as it sees this cloth, even if it is still light outside.

For a cockatiel, some words may be quite strongly associated with a particular stimulus (acoustic or visual). If after some time such an irritant suddenly disappears, the parrot may “forget” this word for an indefinite period of time. Moreover, if the stimulus appears again, the parrot will immediately remember the “forgotten word.”

Several special techniques have been created specifically to teach the cockatiel to associate words with specific actions associated with them. This creates the false impression that the bird pronounces words more intelligently. The parrot, obeying natural reflexes, reproduces certain phrases in those situations that are most similar to those in which it once heard these words. In the minds of talking parrots, phrases or words are associated with specific situations or objects.

Teaching your parrot to use onomatopoeia using this method is quite easy. While repeating a word or phrase, be sure to show the parrot those objects that are somehow connected with these words.

It is quite easy to teach your parrot the phrase “Give me an apple!” This can be done as follows:

› first of all, you need to show the parrot an apple and say the phrase: “Give me an apple!”;

› after a while he needs to show him an apple again, but a different one (in shape, color, size, etc.) and say the same phrase again.

This must be done so that the parrot associates the phrase “Give me an apple!” not with any specific apple (which you showed very first), but with absolutely any one.

Using the same method, you can teach your parrot the phrase “Go away!” To do this, you need to turn away from the parrot and walk away while this phrase is being said. The parrot will associate the phrase with your absence.

Before each feeding, you must say the following phrase: “The parrot (parrot’s name) wants to eat!” After this, if the parrot gets hungry, he will immediately “say” this phrase.

All words and phrases must be pronounced clearly, slowly and loudly; phrases must be repeated, if possible, with the same intonation and without changes.

In order for your parrot to learn a certain phrase as quickly as possible, pay attention to the intonation with which you pronounce these words. The parrot will quickly learn those words that were spoken more emotionally than usual.

In some cases, you can provoke a parrot to reproduce a specific word if you leave the room for a while. This is because all parrots are naturally very sociable, and if left alone, the parrot will become very bored.

Tape or other recordings can be effective during classes. This will especially help if you work for a long time and don’t have much time left to work with your parrot.

But at the same time, it is necessary to ensure that such classes do not last longer than 40 minutes. During training, it is imperative to observe the cockatiel’s reaction; if the parrot is excited or aggressive, the lesson should be stopped much earlier.

The recording with which you train your parrot should not contain any extraneous noise. Each new word or phrase must be written down at a certain interval, for example, 10–15 s. You cannot write words in a row.

If you do this, the parrot will not distinguish where one phrase ends and another begins. He will begin to perceive all phrases as one. For the best effect, the parrot should listen to words 4-6 times a day for 30-40 minutes. Despite the fact that this is a very convenient way of learning, it is still better to spend more time on real live communication with your cockatiel, and use recordings as an auxiliary method.

There are many ways to teach a parrot to use onomatopoeia, but nothing can replace a bird's live communication with its owner.

If possible, at the very beginning of training, classes with the parrot should be carried out by one person. This will help the parrot learn its lessons more quickly. After the parrot learns to “speak” its first words, all other family members can join the learning process.

Typically, it takes approximately 3 months of regular training for a parrot to say its first word. Here you need to take into account the individual abilities of the parrot.

All talking parrots have a very good memory. They can remember and then reproduce not only individual words and phrases, but also learn entire songs and poems. Quite often, parrots “carry on a conversation” for a long time with any family member.

If you decide to teach your parrot to sing a song, you must always sing the words as clearly as possible, without confusing the motive. Any song needs to be taught individual verses.

When the parrot learns the first verse, you should move on to learning the next one.

Many owners of talking parrots when learning songs are faced with the following problem - the parrot does not want to sing the verses in order and reproduces them as it pleases. In order for the parrot to sing the verses in the required sequence, you should (after all the verses have been learned) sing 2 verses at a time.

It is necessary to train the parrot in this way until the cockatiel sings the entire song correctly from beginning to end. The parrot must be encouraged, it is best to do this after each learned verse. At the end of the lesson, the parrot should also be given a treat.

Talking parrots, including cockatiels, can be trained to reproduce any words or phrases. The vocabulary of birds will primarily depend on your taste, imagination and cultural level. If a parrot swears all the time or calls itself names: “Fool ass!”, it is not the “stupid” bird that should be blamed for this, but your own “wit.”

As already mentioned, the very first and most common word that most parrots usually reproduce is, of course, its nickname.

Then you can teach the parrot to say: “Good morning!”, “Good luck!”, “Hello!”, “Be healthy!”, “How are you?” etc.

Talking parrots usually learn words that they hear much more often than others: “Hello!”, “Who’s there?”, “Yes!”, “No!”

Some cockatiel owners teach them to reproduce various funny phrases:

“Parrots are the best representatives of the entire animal world!”;

“The parrot woke up, but the feeder was empty!”;

"Fasten seat belts!";

“Don’t forget to feed the parrot!”;

"No smoking!";

“People, take care of parrots!”

The most ardent fans often teach parrots to “cheer” for their favorite team.

You can even train your cockatiel to sing various hymns.

Cockatiels are especially good at imitating flute melodies and various melodic trills. These parrots also really like classical music.

Parrots respond positively to live music, such as guitar or flute.

If you know how to whistle, you will be able to teach your parrot to sing very quickly. In this case, just whistle a melody you like several times a day, and the parrot will learn it quickly enough. If the melody is difficult to learn, learn it in small parts. From time to time, repeat the entire melody from beginning to end, this will help the parrot perceive the entire song in its entirety.

Before you start teaching your parrot to use onomatopoeia, you need to remember: cockatiels love singing songs much more than saying words. As a result, you should first teach your parrot to talk, and then learn various melodies with him.

Some talented parrots can not only reproduce entire phrases, learn poems and sing songs, but also imitate the voices of other birds or animals, as well as various other sounds.

Of course, teaching a parrot to “talk” is not an easy task, requiring perseverance and patience, but the student’s success, funny bird chatter and touching communication that tame birds are capable of will fully reward you for all your efforts.

When choosing pets to keep at home, many people prefer parrots. These beautiful birds have long won the love of both adults and children. Cockatiels especially stand out among them. These birds are not only beautiful, but also smart, and most importantly, they can be taught to speak.

Teaching a cockatiel to pronounce words is an interesting activity. The owners who have achieved success in this field assure that it is not at all difficult to do this. However, during training, a person will need patience and systematicity. Only then will the talking bird delight you with its valuable skill.

How to create suitable conditions for training a parrot

Those who want to teach a bird of this species to speak must know the rules, without which even long-term training will not give the expected result. Teaching speech is training, so the breeder needs to take this activity seriously, because the final result depends on his efforts.

Rule #1

It is advisable to begin training exercises when the cockatiel is at the age of a young chick (2-3 months). The older the bird, the more difficult it is to teach it to speak.

Rule #2

During training, the parrot must be isolated from other relatives, otherwise they will chirp among themselves, which reduces the bird’s need to communicate with humans.

Rule #3

You need to talk to your pet often, even if it seems that he is not paying attention to the person. It is especially important to call him by name.

Rule #4

Classes should not be very long in time. It is enough to teach a parrot to speak for 45–50 minutes a day. The best result can be achieved by dividing this time into several parts and conducting such lessons several times a day.

Rule #5

Classes must be systematic. Parrots are easier to train in the morning, so it is preferable to use this time of day for training.

Rule #6

You need to create an environment in the room in which no one and nothing distracts the bird. To do this, you need to remove other pets from it, turn off the devices that create sounds, and ask the children to play in a different place.

Rule No. 7

Corella should not move freely around the room during classes, as this can be very distracting for him. The optimal option is considered to be when the bird is in a cage. During this time, all objects on which he can focus his attention must be removed from the bird’s home.

Rule #8

A newly acquired feathered beauty should be given time to get used to its new home, environment, and people. When the bird feels comfortable, you can begin training. Sometimes it takes several weeks to adapt to a new habitat and new owners, but there are times when the cockatiel finds a common language with its new friends much faster. Much in this situation depends on the goodwill of the breeders themselves.

Rule #9

The parrot should be provided with a balanced diet and friendly communication. A positive emotional background significantly influences the process of learning phrases.

Rule No. 10

Speech training sessions should be conducted by one person. This makes it easier for the bird to remember new words, because by listening to the owner, it is already tuned in to the touch of new material.

Where to start? This question interests many who want to develop the skill of an interlocutor in their pet. And you need to start with the simplest words that will be easiest for the parrot to pronounce. This could be his name, if it is simple, or other words consisting of two syllables. For example, Kesha, Gosha, Tosha, etc. The word must be pronounced at least 50 times. If during training the bird slowly opens and closes its eyes, this means that it listens carefully to the breeder and remembers what he said.

It is advisable that several times in a word or phrase The sounds “r”, “o”, “k”, “a”, “t” were repeated. It is these that are easier for a parrot of this species to pronounce than others.

So many imitate the sounds that are most often heard. Every day, listening to the phone ringing or the meowing of a cat, these birds begin to reproduce them. Therefore, the basis for teaching the speech of such birds is the repeated repetition of a word or phrase that the parrot must learn to pronounce. The more often your pet hears a word, the faster he will learn to say it himself.

Another nuance in this entertaining matter is the intonation with which the owner pronounces a word or phrase. It should be the same every time, and at the moment of pronunciation you should address the parrot. New material is easier for birds to remember if phrases are pronounced not sharply, but slowly and clearly.

Like many other trained pets, parrots of this species love to receive something tasty for their achievements. Therefore, the breeder should always have the bird’s favorite delicacies on hand to encourage its success in training. during class? These birds are very fond of juicy fruits and berries, and cookies. It is precisely such products that can become a worthy reward for the efforts of a parrot.

Interesting points in training parrots of this type:

• Corellas are easier to train when trained by a woman. Apparently, the parrot perceives the voice of a beautiful woman better.
• There is an opinion that females of this species of parrots are reluctant to learn. And although males are more capable, you should try to teach the pronunciation of words to the female. Indeed, in many ways, the bird’s capabilities depend on the relationship with the owner: the greater the mutual understanding between the bird and the person, the higher the chances that the cockatiel will pronounce words. A parrot talks when it feels surrounded by care and affection, and not depending on its gender.
• If phrases or sentences are systematically pronounced during certain actions, the bird develops associations of this process and a memorized sequence of words. In this case, the parrot will be able to speak sentences to the point, which is a more meaningful action than simply repeating words. For example, you need to say the phrase “Gosh is bathing” as often as possible during water procedures.
• You need to seize the moment when the cockatiel is in a good mood: he whistles, moves actively, and makes contact with the breeder. It is at this time that it is worth conducting classes, because such an emotional background has a positive effect on the learning outcome.
• Parrots of this species perfectly remember and then sing different melodies. If you play the recording systematically through the player, the bird will definitely learn it and please everyone by whistling or humming the piece. True, it will take some time to memorize and learn the melody, but it’s worth it.
• It is interesting to watch when a child and a parrot learn to talk together. The baby, trying to pronounce the first sounds and words, repeating them many times, involuntarily teaches the bird to talk. You can often catch an entertaining scene when a trusting relationship is established between a little person and a parrot, and they communicate with each other, repeating the same words to each other.
• If the breeder does not always have time for training, it is enough to write down on a disk the phrases or words that the parrot must learn. By turning on such a recording, the owner can calmly go about his business, and the bird will be provided with an interesting pastime and training.

What not to do when teaching a parrot to speak

Training a cockatiel to speak may not always result in a positive result. In order not to waste time and not torment the bird with difficult and pointless activities, breeders need to remember what not to do during training.

When teaching your feathered friend to pronounce words and phrases, it is strictly prohibited:

1. Say sentences that are too long or phrases that are difficult to pronounce.
2. Say words quickly, unintelligibly, repeat them several times, and then move on to learning new words.
3. Swear, using obscene words. Since these birds best remember phrases spoken in a loud voice, they will certainly remember individual passages from a person’s statements and then “boast” about them to guests, demonstrating their achievements and the low cultural level of the owner.

It becomes much more interesting if the parrot is taught to pronounce words, phrases, and entire sentences. After all, instead of a silent bird, an interesting interlocutor will settle in the house, who will readily echo the owner. There is no particular difficulty in teaching a bird to pronounce words, but the breeder needs to be systematic and consistent in conducting classes. And then the parrot will definitely delight the household with its sonorous speech!

A talking cockatiel is not only fun for children, but also a great chance for adults to demonstrate their wit by teaching the poor thing some witty words. These birds are easy to train, but before doing so, you should think carefully about what expressions to teach the bird and whether it is worth doing it at all. After all, you will have to listen to them every day and more than once, and they can get pretty boring, and over time they will even begin to irritate. But if you really want to have a talking bird, then try to teach your cockatiel to speak, after reading the simple rules for developing this ability.

Males or females?
It is believed that female cockatiels are reluctant to train, while males are more capable. But this does not mean that you need to buy a male cockatiel for training. Unfortunately, it is difficult to predict whether your bird will talk, as this depends more on individual characteristics and the relationship between nymph and owner than on the sex of the bird. Moreover, it is difficult to determine the sex of a cockatiel until a certain age.

When to start training?
If the bird has only recently lived with you, then you should wait a little. Cockatiels have a hard time adapting to new housing. Training at this time will not bring any results. If the bird is already accustomed to you, then you can safely start. It is believed that nymphs under the age of 9 weeks are more willing to learn and easily give in to it. But even if your pet is older, but active and constantly chirping, he can be easily taught to talk.

Where to start teaching your cockatiel to talk?
Cockatiels have a small vocabulary, but as practice and popular video hosting sites show, birds are able to learn entire songs by famous performers! In addition, they can independently learn any sound they like. To teach a cockatiel to speak, you need to be patient with the bird and follow some simple tips that have been tested on more than one nymph:

1. If the bird behaves actively, whistles and makes contact with the owner, then there is no better time for training. When the nymph is in a good mood, the chances of a successful result are much greater.
   
2. The bird must trust its owner completely. Therefore, before training, the warmest relationship should be built between the owner and the pet. It’s good if the nymph sits on a shoulder or finger.
   
3. You need to allocate enough time for training; it is better to conduct training in the morning and evening hours. For example, during breakfast you can teach your cockatiel to say “Bon appetit!”, and in the evening, when you come home from work, ask “How are you?”
   
4. With a cockatiel, like with a small child, you need to be careful in your expressions. A bird can remember some obscene word if it is said loudly and emotionally.
   
5. In order for the training to be successful and the results to be immediate, you need to constantly communicate with the nymph and comment on your actions to her. For example, every time you enter a room, say “Hello!” to the bird. Since this word will be constantly repeated during your appearance, the cockatiel will soon begin to greet you.
   
6. You can teach your cockatiel to hum a tune. To do this, just whistle it constantly or turn it on through the player.
   
7. Cockatiels readily imitate the sounds of alarm clocks and telephone calls. So don’t be surprised if the bird gets you out of bed early, or the ringing phone turns out to be unanswered.
   

Always praise your pet after training and do not insist on training if the bird does not want to exercise at the moment. The more understanding there is between you and the cockatiel, the sooner the nymph will delight you not only with memorized words, but also with meaningful speech.

cockatiels- wonderful pets. They are unpretentious and easily tamed. Human speech is not reproduced very well, with a highly distorted voice or by mixing various sounds with words, they can learn only up to 20 words or short sentences.

Those who were not familiar with this species of birds before the purchase believe that the talkativeness of the cockatiel is predetermined by its origin. But in practice, certain difficulties may arise with training.

How to teach a parrot to talk? The ability to speak is individual for each individual, some are more capable, some less. It is simply impossible to predict in advance whether a bird will talk.

Very often males display the ability to speak. Most females do not speak or whistle, but there are exceptions to this rule; some females can speak even better than males.

Cockatiels are most successful at copying various sounds, for example: the sound of flowing water, a telephone or doorbell, meowing, trills or whistles of other birds, and they can learn to whistle various melodies.

Contact, curious, watching cockatiels are more likely to learn. You can start training your pet with an easy word or phrase that you use frequently. For example, a greeting phrase or the name of a feathered pet. Words must be spoken calmly and very clearly. Be prepared to be patient. If the nymph parrot can reproduce them, then you can move on to simple phrases from the series “how are you” or “beautiful bird”.

The best time to learn to speak is in the morning or evening. During this period, the bird looks a little sleepy, but this has a positive effect on learning: the parrot’s attention is not lost on other objects.

Whatever phrase you choose, your cockatiel should hear it over and over again. Repeated repetition is the key to developing the cockatiel's ability to imitate words. Even after the parrot remembers it and is able to repeat it, it is necessary to periodically voice the phrase in a new way, otherwise the acquired skill may be lost. The more often a bird hears a sound, the more successfully it reproduces it, so sometimes it is much easier to hear an imitation of a telephone call or the sound of an alarm clock from a nymph than the simplest phrase.

In order for the bird to have time to master previously spoken material and not forget it, it is advisable to conduct lessons twice a day and not introduce new words into the vocabulary until the nymph has mastered the words that the parrot was introduced to earlier.

If there is absolutely not enough time to teach the nymph to speak, you can use modern technologies: play recordings of the desired words or melodies for the parrot every day. Leaving the cockatiel alone, such a disc will help brighten up her loneliness and teach her to hum these melodies. You can burn or buy CDs that contain simple songs and melodies.

You can teach your cockatiel your own tunes. Remember, you must whistle these tunes regularly to your pet so that he can recognize them. Start with small 4-5 melodies and, as soon as he masters them, add others. The duration of training depends on the individual abilities of the bird and the perseverance of the owner: for some, a few weeks are enough, while others cannot be trained at all.

A young bird is more ready to learn new skills than an older bird. The greatest chance of learning to speak is a young (no more than 9 weeks old), free-standing tame cockatiel, which is very active and makes a lot of sounds. To learn to talk, close contact between the cockatiel and the person, mutual trust and understanding is necessary. The Corella should feel comfortable in the company of its owner.

If the cockatiel is still very young, your family is just becoming her family. First of all, you should take care of the health and mood of your pet. Training a nymph in games not only brings joy, but is also good training.

Spending time with your cockatiel makes it much happier and more receptive to your efforts. If you play with him, or whenever you walk near him, say his name explicitly or simply say “hi!” The more you talk, the more likely it is that your cockatiel will copy you.

Remember that the ability to speak is just one of the advantages of cockatiels. Even if your parrot doesn't say a word, it doesn't mean he loves you any less. In addition, in the house he is completely dependent on you - everything from food and warmth to entertainment and training. Love and patience can work wonders!

Every owner of a feathered miracle - a cockatiel parrot - dreams of his cute bird not only chirping and singing with its lovely natural trills, but also reproducing tunes from his favorite musical repertoire and, of course, human speech!
Corellas are very successful birds in this regard.

Nature has endowed cockatiels with the amazing ability to accurately copy many different sounds, including human speech. Unlike large breeds of parrots such as grays, macaws, cockatoos and others, the cockatiel's chatter is more melodic and affectionate. Cockatiels reproduce words more accurately than the slurred chatter of budgies.

It is worth recalling that male parrots are more prone to learning, regardless of breed. Choosing a male the first time is quite difficult, especially when purchasing a parrot at a pet store -. Breeders who breed parrots will most likely find you a bird of the right gender and age ()

You should start training your cockatiel as early as possible. Experts advise working with chicks as soon as they reach 2-3 months of age.

The most important condition for a cockatiel to learn successfully is trust!

As soon as the taming is completed, you establish contact with the parrot and see that your feathered pet trusts you and shows interest in communication - you can begin conducting classes.

The first step is to talk to the bird.
You need to choose free time and repeat certain words to your bird in a quiet, calm environment. Make yourself comfortable, sit the parrot next to you and talk. Usually the cockatiel shows interest, reduces the distance to a minimum, for example, moves onto the shoulder and literally looks into the mouth!
All classes come down to the constant repetition of words; at first you can choose one or two easy words and some whistling. Cockatiels are squeaky by nature and quite melodic, so the whistles they perform, after memorization, always exactly coincide with the original source - the main thing is to choose a melody that is not ear-piercing;-)
In the future, the lessons boil down to the fact that you simply need to talk to the bird.
Sitting down and repeating a certain group of words every day takes not only time, but also patience. Therefore, just try to say more often exactly those words that you want to hear from your cockatiel in the future.

I started teaching my 3-month-old cockatiel Dexter to lightly whistle “few-few” (this is how boys usually whistle to girls they like when passing by on the street) and the words “bird” and “Dexter.”
The chick quite quickly began to try to repeat.

Further - more.
Having mastered light whistling and understood how the oral apparatus works, it will be easier for the bird to reproduce all subsequent words and songs.
After a couple of months of our communication (I cannot call this pastime an activity) with the young male Dexter, the cockatiel began to quite accurately repeat the whistle and some words. Moreover, if initially the bird learned individual words, now we are working on combinations of words.

The second step is the use of audio equipment and computers.
What progress has come! :-)

So, your cockatiel has started to learn words and melodies. The process has started. But!
What should you do if you need to teach a cockatiel, but after repeating the same small set of words hundreds of times, your brain just gets hot?
In addition, since childhood, people around me told me that you can’t whistle in the house - either you’re whistling money, or something else. And cockatiels make excellent whistles!

To the aid of us, people of the third millennium, come all the devices that reproduce sound that come to hand - a stereo system, a tablet, a tape recorder, a computer, a mobile phone, an mp3 player.

For example, you can record a melody on a cell phone- There are currently a sufficient number of them and there is always an unnecessary one lying around just like that. You can simply set the required melody to the ringtone and periodically call your cockatiel. Taking into account modern polyphony, the melodies are reproduced simply fabulously. In addition, ringtones are designed for short excerpts that can be repeated 2-3 times during a call. Several calls during the day will allow the bird to repeat the lesson ;-)

Also, while working at the computer, you can periodically play short tunes for your cockatiel so that he does not sit back, but learns while you are busy with your business.
You can also dictate the words you have chosen for your cockatiel, use the sound recording functions on your computer and tablet and play back their time from time to time.
Pay attention to the duration of the melodies; the bird has difficulty remembering long passages, and in the process of re-singing it can simply get confused. It is better to gradually increase the length of the songs.

IMPORTANT! Don't leave your cockatiel alone with a laptop or computer! Birds are very active, very inquisitive and love to chew on everything interesting! In order to prevent damage to your property and to avoid spending on a rather expensive keyboard replacement - protect your computers!! Otherwise...blame yourself

Firstly, you can spend a lot of time looking for a torn key that the cockatiel can safely carry away in its beak.
Secondly, the cockatiel can not only gnaw the button, but also rip off all the fastenings - then no one except the service center will help you. A typical keyboard replacement costs about $100. Why spend extra money if these funds can be spent on “bonuses” for birds;-)

If at first the procedure of clicking words and songs arouses interest, then gradually it makes you think about how to do this automatically. It's a great idea to teach your cockatiel to talk and sing while you are at work/school/walking/sports (or shopping).

Here the question arises - how to start repeating words?
To do this, you can use various task managers, for example,