Little Talking Birds
By Anne Watkins
Everyone is familiar with talking birds. African greys, Amazon parrots, conures, mynahs, and many other types of big companion birds are known for their amazing talking abilities. But did you know that many of the little birds are just as talented?
Over the years, I've been fortunate to share my life with several of these tiny feathered wonders. While my experience with the smaller talking birds is limited to parakeets and cockatiels, I've heard of the occasional finch or canary that could say its name or other short phrases. I'm not surprised. After all, if they have the ability to mimic the songs of other birds, why not words, too? Birds are incredible creatures.
Parakeets
Long before I was born, my mother had a green budgie named Fudge. Fudge was legendary for his tricks and speaking ability, and ruled the roost with an iron talon. He had free reign of the house and supervised the daily goings on from whichever perch or shoulder he could grab. Not only did he participate in family meals and activities, but he also offered his opinions on everything from the weather to his appearance.
"Fudge is a pretty bird," he told everyone. It was his favorite thing to say, and he practiced the phrase constantly. From time to time he threw in odd words and one day astounded Mother by saying, "Fudge is a pretty bird, as pretty as Arthur Godfrey!" (I told you this was a long time ago.)
It was a sad day when Fudge flew the coop. He was sitting on Mother's shoulder one afternoon when she answered a knock at the door. Fudge zoomed out the open door and into the bare, snow-covered branches of a tree. No amount of coaxing could persuade him to come down, and right before he winged away into the sunset, he yelled, "Fudge is a pretty bird!"
Growing up listening to stories of Fudge the Wonder Bird jump-started my love for anything wearing feathers, and if it talked, so much the better. Then came the day I adopted my very own beautiful blue and white 'keet, whom I named Lucky.
Right from the start, I knew Lucky was, well, lucky. He had the best cage I could afford, toys galore, and all the birdie treats he could nibble. And, to my great surprise and pleasure, he talked!
One day Lucky suddenly blurted out his name. Stunned and unsure I'd heard right, I held him up in front of my face. "Hi, Lucky," I said. "Lucky! Lucky!" he yelled back. I was ecstatic.
After that, there was no stopping him. He said, "I love you," "Hello, pretty bird," "You're a good bird!", "Hey, Lucky boy," and so many other words and phrases I couldn't keep up with them all. He even learned to cough like somebody with a bad chest cold. Nothing gets the old heart pumping like hearing a man cough in the next room when you know you're home alone!
If you are the proud parent of one of these exceptional little birds don't expect its voice to be as loud or clear as that of a larger bird's. Depending on the individual parakeet, its voice may be hoarser, softer pitched, or faster than you'd expect. If you think you hear your budgie trying to speak, listen carefully. You may be surprised by what it has to say, and many parakeets compile long lists of words and phrases.
Remember, too, that while a lot of parakeets will talk, many never utter a single understandable word. They may mutter, whistle, sneeze, or make other fascinating sounds, but never speak. That doesn't mean they aren't wonderful pets -- it just means they have more important things to do than to learn your language.
Cockatiels
Most male cockatiels are capable of developing large vocabularies. Whether or not they do is up to the individual bird. They also love to whistle and to make 'knocking' noises. This is accomplished by rapidly tapping the beak against a hard surface or cage bar, and it sounds just like someone knocking on the door. This habit can be very annoying! Female cockatiels are also fabulous pets, but most do not talk. Sometimes a female will learn to speak, but this is a rare occurrence.
My brother had a beautiful mated pair of lutino cockatiels named Johnny and June. Johnny had an extensive vocabulary and loved to use it. When the family moved from Ohio to Alabama, the cockatiels came along. As I struggled to remove Johnny's cage from the car, he cocked his head and asked, "Whatcha you doing?" "I'm trying to get your cage unstuck," I grunted as I tugged at the seat belt. To thank me, Johnny screamed in my ear, "Hello, June! Hello, June!"
Some cockatiels' voices are not as clear as those of the larger birds, but are still quite understandable. It's a good idea to teach your bird to talk before it becomes interested in whistling. Male cockatiels are outstanding whistlers and some love to whistle so much, they don't care to learn to speak. In Johnny's case, he learned his favorite phrases by listening to normal household conversation. Anything said with emotion or excitement is interesting to birds, so be careful what you say within earshot of your cockatiel. There are some things you don't want repeated in front of company. There are also things that you don't want to hear coming from the bird cage when you're trying to sleep.
My brother's step-son was notoriously hard to wake up in the mornings and had to be called repeatedly. As a result, Johnny learned to mimic the alarm clock, then screech, "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" This was done every morning, at the crack of dawn. Nothing discouraged him, not covering his cage with a heavy blanket, or using light-filtering shades in his room, or ignoring him. His built-in timer let everybody know when it was time to get up!
Conclusion
If the thought of being owned by a talking bird appeals to you but you can't afford a parrot, you might enjoy a parakeet or a cockatiel. They are delightful birds that form loving bonds with their favorite humans and are just as spirited, beautiful, and fun-loving as the big guys. However, you shouldn't purchase a bird with the expectation that it will learn to speak; many birds that never talk have the potential to become excellent companions. If you are prepared to love a bird whether or not it talks, you're in for the most wonderful time of your life. And if it does surprise you by talking, think of it as a marvelous bonus!
