Mary Allen
Talents are distributed differently. It is no different with cockatiels. Although there is great potential in these animals in general, not everyone will be able to be taught to speak.
Sing or Chat? With Cockatiels That is the Question …
The ability to imitate and whistle human sounds, sentences, or entire songs is very different. While some cockatiels may only learn a word or two and are better able to mimic melodies, others will evolve into little chat bags. It is not uncommon for males to be more linguistically gifted than females. In order to develop your cockatiel’s talent for languages, you should be playful with him. If you enjoy what you do, success will come faster. On the other hand, if you put your bird under pressure, it will lose confidence in you and will withdraw.
Practice Only When You are in a Playful Mood
The best time to teach your cockatiel to speak is in the evening and in a quiet setting. You should also make sure that the lighting is not too bright. If the cockatiel is in a playful mood, you take it on your finger, hold it at eye level and slowly say the word or phrase that the little intelligent beast is supposed to learn. The words that the cockatiel should repeat should be said in a high voice and a little louder. Smile as you do so so that your little friend can see that the whole thing is a game.
If he repeats something, give your cockatiel enthusiastic praise. He likes that. It is advantageous if the words he is supposed to learn have A or I sounds, such as Hansi or Mausi. This is particularly easy for the bird to learn. To make it easier for your feathered friend to learn, you should use the words in a contextual manner. For example, if you come into the living room in the morning and wish your cockatiel a “Good morning!”, He will eventually relate these words to the situation. Patience is very important in the exercises. You should repeat the word as often as possible, but still, be careful not to overwhelm your darling.
Surprises are Possible
But don’t be surprised if your protégé says something completely different from what you taught him. Cockatiels often pick up sounds from their surroundings that they know will respond to their owner. For example, instead of their name, your bird will say the name of your friend. Good too, right? True language talents are not only able to imitate sounds and words, they even recognize how these are used by their people. So there are birds that vigorously demand: “Hansi wants to play!” In the beginning, you never know whether a cockatiel is a language talent. But don’t be sad if your little friend is a real talker. After all, it has a lot more to offer than a few words.