Are you a bird lover looking for a talking bird for a pet? Pet birds are beautiful and affectionate; to top it up, some can talk. After an extensive stay with their owners, they can mimic the vocabulary of humans and talk. They differ from pets such as dogs and cats since they talk and offer maximum companionship. Our article discusses the best-talking birds with an impressive capability of mastering words.
These birds will offer you entertainment and companionship and amuse you. Your only job is to take care of them through training and diet, which will increase their speech capability. Here are our 10 best-talking birds.
1. African Grey Parrot
African grey parrots are the most intelligent smartest talking birds in the world. They are mostly found in the rainforests of West and Central Africa. Some talking species include the Timneh African grey and the Congo African grey. They are best known for understanding and imitating human speech. Like other talking birds, the African Grey parrots are often attached to one person.
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Their relationship with their owner determines their ability to imitate human speech faster. Adopting these birds from a sanctuary treatment will determine how fast they will improve their talking abilities. These birds also learn different voices from their surroundings. They are Intelligent enough to mimic sounds that confuse their predators.
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2. Budgerigars
A budgerigar is affectionately called a budgie or parakeet. It is one of the best talking bird pets since it can learn several songs and talking phrases. In addition, its small size has broken the world record for the largest bird vocabulary. However, most birds in this species can mimic human voices; some individuals outshine others.
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Budgerigars are clever birds that enjoy chatting with their caretakers, so you will be sure to stay energized. However, you are supposed to put two or more budgerigars in a different place so that they will listen to you.
They tend to spend time with each other. They often imitate the phrases and words their caretakers normally use. Their female and male birds can imitate the human voice, but the males are the best at speaking words using the right tone.
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3. Yellow Crown Amazon
If you are looking for the best talking bird, then the yellow-crowned amazon should be on your list. The yellow crown amazon is affectionate and playful and found in rainforests of South and North America.
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Yellow-crowned amazons are one of the best bird talkers of the amazon parrot families. However, some excellent parrots of these species are excellent talkers, while others do not.
The talking abilities are affected by different factors such as their environment and how frequently they interact with humans. These birds are also known for having loud voices, plus they will offer you company for a lifetime since they can live for up to 60 years.
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4. Eclectus Parrot
The Eclectus parrots originate from the native New Guinea. They are known for their clarity of speech and vocabulary. Eclectus parrots copy most of the words from what they hear in their surroundings and then highly mimic the human voice. Some of them can even learn and sing a whole song.
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Eclectus parrots can use their bird voices in human speech and other attractive sounds from their environments. They may even fool their owners by repeating the words they learned in the right situations. In addition, both the female and male Eclectus birds are known to make charming and melodious voices.
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5. Indian Ringneck Parakeet
Indian Ringneck Parakeets are the most outstanding talking birds of the parrot species. They can learn from 200 to 250 words. They can also mimic the human voice differently from other parrots.
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The frequency of their interaction with the owner determines their ability to mimic the human voice and words. They can also mimic voices from the music they hear and bring out their talking abilities in exceptional voice quality.
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6. Monk Parakeet
The Monk Parakeets are also known as quaker parrots or quaker parakeets; they are found in Europe and South and North America. Similar to other birds, the monk parakeet also needs proper training and care to gain the ability to mimic the human voice. Monk parakeets are known to mimic the voices they hear from their trainer.
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If you train your monk parakeet well, it may be able to use the words they learn in the right situation and thus appear to be talking. So, the trainer needs to associate with the right actions or emotions while teaching these birds. Monk parakeets are social as they mimic the sounds they hear from their surroundings.
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7. Cockatoo
Cockatoos are known as social birds with better talking abilities. They can imitate a wide range of sounds from their surrounding, but their talking abilities heavily depend on their training. They come from different species and are available all over the world. Their best talkers include the breasted, yellow-crested cockatoo and long-billed cockatoos.
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Cockatoos require the best care from their owners to master their talking capabilities; they tend to copy the words they hear from their owners regularly.
They can also mimic the words associated with their owner's habits. However, their change in tone makes their learning much more difficult. They may not learn every word, but they will mimic it correctly via proper training.
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8. Yellow-Naped Amazon
If you are looking for a talented talking bird from the amazon parrots family, you should pick the yellow-naped amazon parrot. This species is the best at contextualizing human speech. They have the power to copy a wide range of words and imitate them to come out in excellent quality.
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The yellow-naped amazon parrots start to look at a young age. They mimic all the words from their owners and bond with one human. Their interaction with their owner determines how well they will talk. They are also good at repeating the songs they hear from their surroundings and sometimes are referred to as singing birds.
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9. Hill Myna
Hill Mynas are one of the best-talking birds in Southeast Asia. They can mimic the human voice in the exact tone, thus sounding like they are talking. They also produce a wide range of sounds, including whistles, wails, and screeches. Their two main species are the great Indian hill and common hill myna.
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These two species have greater talking abilities than other Mynas. They mimic human speech in the same tone and quality. Some of their species, like the Southern hill mynas, can also mimic the human voice, but they can never come clear s the great Indian hill and the common hill myna.
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10. Derby Parakeet
The Derby Parakeet is among the largest parakeet species. They are lively and active, thus causing difficulty in training. They are also known to be noisy, but with the right training, they can learn words and mimic the human voice.
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Although they lack a large vocabulary like other parrot species, they are very clear in their speech, setting them apart from the rest. They are also among the 10 birds that puff out their chest to stay warm during cold weather. Unfortunately, it is also rare to see them since their numbers diminish in the wild due to illegal poaching.
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How Do Birds Mimic Human Voices?
Birds do not talk but mimic human speech; they do so since their brain structure is similar to humans; they have a cerebellum and cortex to enable them to do that. Their cortex is responsible for aiding perception, memory, sensory information, and language. On the other hand, their cerebellum controls their brain's voluntary motor functions.
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These brain parts are connected by a neural highway known as pontine nuclei. The Pontine nuclei transfer information between, thus enabling their speech organ to function together. According to the researcher, parrots can speak similarly o humans since they have a larger pontine nucleus. They also discovered that these birds have a medial spiniform nucleus similar to pontine nuclei.
A pet bird that talks have more cells in its pallium(the grey and white matter covering the cerebellum's upper surface), giving it imitation abilities and enabling it to mimic human speech. Parrots cannot talk because they lack vocal cords, but they can imitate the voices they hear.
Birds have a vocal organ in their breasts known as a syrinx that is a source of their vocal cords. The syrinx is a muscular, liquid-filled space located at the base of the trachea in the spinal cord or the brain. It enables them to create different sounds by varying the syrinx's depth and form since each branch has an independent valve.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why should you consider getting a talking bird?
In most cases, talking birds outlive their owners, or due to unavoidable circumstances, their owners give them up for adoption in non-profit rehoming agencies. These birds have not been abused in their previous lives but have been loved and well taken care of. If you are a bird over, you should consider adopting one of these beautiful birds and giving them a home.
You can get help from reputable bird rehoming agencies in choosing the right bird that will fit your lifestyle and skill level. They have volunteers and experts who know the birds and will provide you with insights into each bird's personality.
2. How much does it cost to purchase a talking bird?
Before you buy a bird, you should consider that they require commitment and investment to keep them healthy and alive. You must invest your time and money to maintain these talking birds. On average, a talking bird can cost you anywhere between $20 ( if you are going for a baby budgie) or $5000( if you choose a mature macaw)
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The cost of a bird could also be affected by the location you are purchasing it from. So, you need background knowledge of where you are buying the bird. For instance, the species such as Double Yellow Head Amazon are endangered in their native homeland.
Some are also smuggled across the border while in critical conditions. Since you will have your bird for many years, it is best to take your time and research where the bird you want originates. Doing so will make you a responsible bird owner.
3. What are the best-talking birds?
The parrot species are considered the best-talking birds. They are mostly bright-colored and are common in most bird lovers' homes. These birds are intelligent and charming; they provide years of companionship and chatter. So, if you are willing to invest in a bird, we recommend them as you can keep them healthy and happy.
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An important factor to consider is these birds have a very long life span. Depending on the species you go for, they can last up to 50 years if well taken care of. With that said, if you do your background research on a bird well, you can find the right species that will suit your lifestyle.
You will then have a loyal friend who will charm, entertain and amuse you. Each bird breed has its benefits and disadvantages, as each bird has their personality, so it depends on which one you want.
4. Are parrots the only birds that can talk?
Parrots may be the most known birds that can talk, but they are not the only ones able to mimic the human voice. Not all parrots can learn how to talk, and not all talking birds are parrots. You can also learn more about why parrots talk.
Other talking birds include mynah birds, crows, starlings, and ravens. You can find other options on google.
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