Best Birds That Talk
Budgerigar
Also known as the budgie or parakeet, this small bird might be petite, but he is mighty. With an average lifespan of 5–8 years, they are intelligent birds that are extremely social and enjoy spending time with their families. Budgies are only 6–8 inches long, and weigh about an ounce, but hold world records for the largest bird vocabularies. They can learn long and short phrases and can even learn to sing. Budgies aren’t as loud as some of the other talkative birds. Although they need and enjoy out-of-cage time, they can also be content in a large cage while the family is at work during the day; leaving on a television helps to expose them to an ever-growing vocabulary. Budgie voices can seem slightly garbled and gravelly, but their exuberance and wide variety of words and phrases can make up for this. For your budgie to maximize their skills, look for a very young bird at a rescue or find a reputable breeder locally that hand raises their birds.
Cockatiel
Cockatiels are popular pets and with very good reason—they are generally gentle, social, and easy to care for. They love to be held and snuggled and enjoy the company of their humans. With consistent socialization and training, they can become quite talkative, learning as much as 250 words and phrases, even whistling songs. If you are looking for a talking bird, however (as opposed to one that chirps and whistles), you will want a male cockatiel. Female cockatiels generally do not learn speech as well as males. Cockatiels are larger than budgies, coming in at 12–14 inches and weighing 2.5–4 ounces, but also live longer with an average lifespan of 10–14 years. Cockatiels are excellent beginner birds and will reward their families with years of social companionship.
Quaker Parakeet
Quaker parakeets, also known as monk parakeets, are relatively easy birds to keep and are considered excellent beginner birds. However, be sure to check your local regulations, as they are not legal in all areas. Quakers are small (11–12 inches, 3–5 ounces), gentle birds who are exceptionally fast learners. Because they pick up on human speech quickly, they are easier to teach and train for someone that is new to working with birds. Although they don’t have as wide of a vocabulary as budgies, Quaker voices are a clearer, making them easier to understand. They can still learn 50 or more words and phrases and will even mimic other sounds in the household (like barking dogs). Both younger and older birds will likely catch on quickly to the household conversations. Repeating phrases you would like them to learn will only speed the process.
Myna Bird
These little birds are social, intelligent, and eager to show off a variety of vocalizations, including whistles, screeches, and words. Myna birds are can learn up to 100 different words and short phrases, along with a myriad of other sounds. They love their human companions, but are not particularly fond of being cuddled, or learning tricks—they are much more independent. Mynas generally adjust well to being caged, and their diet is heavily fruit based, which means that the poop is soft, runny, and fairly smelly. This means that care and feeding is more intensive than many other birds. Rather, the myna requires a specially prepared, heavily fruit laden diet. For owners able to put in the work and maintenance required by these special birds, the reward is up to 25 years of companionship.
Celebrate the bond with your pets, explore Health & Nutrition, discover Breeds, master Training Tips, Behavior Decoder, and set out on exciting Travel Tails with Times Pets!
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
-
Which bird breed is the most intelligent talker ?
he African Grey Parrot is considered the most intelligent talking bird. It can learn hundreds of words and understands their meanings better than most other bird species.
-
Which talking bird is both beautiful and easy to train ?
The Indian Ring neck Parakeet is very colorful, attractive, and easy to train. With regular interaction, it can learn many words and phrases clearly.
-
Can small birds also learn to talk ?
Yes, small birds like Budgerigars (Budgies) can learn many words. In fact, some budgies have a larger vocabulary than bigger parrots when trained properly.
