Do All Parrots Talk?

by Real Macaw Member, Maryann Babitz

  Whenever you tell someone you have a parrot, they ask the same questions. Does he talk? What birds talk best? Do all parrots talk? I want a parrot that talks. The basic answer is hands down, an African Grey is the best talker, and I don't really know of one that doesn't talk at all.

  I have read many articles, however, my answer to the question, Do all parrots talk? is.....Some do; some don't. It also doesn't seem that the general rules I have read apply in my parrots.

  My female Umbrella Cockatoo can rival any African Grey, but most books say an Umbrella Cockatoo, especially females, are poor talkers. don't tell Annie.....she sings Happy Birthday and will ask how your day way when you come home from work.

  Charlie, the male Umbrella says, Yeah, and once a year, just to let me know he can, he says, Hello. The female Moluccan doesn't talk at all.

  Obi, a Goffins says, Hello Obi, and he has just learned, Shut up, which just about all my birds say. Mostly, they say it when everyone in the bird room is yelling, but sometimes they do say it to me when I am yelling at them.

  Another bird that is not supposed to talk well is a Blue and Gold Macaw. Skyler, our Blue and Gold, talks constantly from morning till night. His words range from, Hello, and I love you, to Oh, it's hot today. Max, the Mini-macaw says only, Hi, and I know. My Green-cheek Conures talk very softly, but if you listen carefully, they are excellent talkers.

  Corky, the Amazon, can probably be in the record books for the most times saying, Hello in a row. He could go on and on, never ending, it seems like for days, or until our African Grey, Noah, yells, Shut up. Noah tries his best to keep law and order in the bird room. He shouts out orders and will threaten an offender of Noahs rules. He loves to sing and singing, Noah, Noah, Noah, is his favorite song. My Cockatiels do not talk at all.

  I guess what I know and the people looking to buy a bird that talks don't understand is that I don't love my birds because they talk. Oh, it's cute and funny, but I love them for all the love they give me. If none of them were able to talk, it wouldn't matter at all to me.