Content
- Cockatiel behavior
- Do cockatiels speak?
- At what age does cockatiel speak?
- How to teach a cockatiel to speak?
Undoubtedly, one of the behaviors that most surprised us over time was to see that there are birds capable of performing the most varied vocalizations, becoming capable not only of perfectly imitating words, but in more extreme cases, learning to sing songs. One of these birds is the cockatiel or cockatiel, which causes many smiles thanks to its ability to imitate words.
In this article by PeritoAnimal, we will try to answer you if the cockatiels speak, one of the most frequent doubts among people who are lucky enough to live with this curious bird.
Cockatiel behavior
Cockatiels, like many other birds, are a species that needs social interaction, as well as forming bonds with other individuals, to feel protected and comfortable in their environment. This cockatoo expresses its comfort and happiness when it is with other companions, spending time together, cuddling and taking care of each other many times a day.
However, the formation of these bonds requires a prior notice to contact and exchange information with others. This expression of messages and intentions occurs in birds not only with the species-specific body language, but mainly through the sound emission, as we'll discuss later in this article.
Do cockatiels speak?
As we have seen, sound communication is vitally important for cockatiels. For this reason, it is not uncommon to say that cockatiels talk often, but is this true? Cockatiel speaks or not?
In reality, this belief is not entirely correct, as cockatiels do not speak, but imitate sounds. It is important to keep in mind that we understand the fact of speaking as communication established through words, that is, sounds with their own meaning in a specific culture, created thanks to the vocal cords.
Given this definition, if we compare the behavior and specific abilities that cockatiels have when they make sounds, it's not exactly what we would call "talking", because these birds don't have vocal cords to begin with, and the great capacity they have for to imitate sounds perfectly is due to the membrane they have at the base of the trachea, an organ called syrinx.
The fact that cockatiels imitate typical human speech sounds, that is, words, is the result of the learning that these birds perform in their social environment habitual to develop your ability to express your mood, your needs and intentions.
Therefore, this does not mean that they speak, but that they have learned a certain sound and can relate it to a specific situation through learning. Therefore, sound by itself is meaningless, as these birds are unable to define the word.
If you want to learn how to care for your cockatiel, we recommend reading this other article on how to care for a cockatiel.
At what age does cockatiel speak?
There is no strict age at which cockatiels start talking. Now, this happens when the bird starts to reach a some degree of maturity, because when she is little, most of the sounds she makes are for asking for food.
However, it is necessary to keep in mind that learning is constant and varies according to age. So it's important talk to your cockatiel often so that she gets used to the sound and, when she reaches maturity, can make her first efforts to imitate you.
each cockatiel has its own learning pace; so don't be worried if you find yours is not interested, as it may start as early as 5 months of age or a little later, at 9.
Also, remember the following: consider the sex of your cockatiel, as the males are usually the most predisposed to emit all kinds of sounds and to perfect them, while the females are quite silent. If you don't know if your cockatiel is male or female, check out some differences between them:
How to teach a cockatiel to speak?
First of all, it's important to understand that you shouldn't force your cockatiel to learn to speak, because this is a natural process that will develop as you spend time with your bird. Otherwise, forcing your cockatiel to talk will only generate discomfort and discomfort to her, which will affect her state of mind and, furthermore, will make her associate this negative experience with you, gradually starting to distrust you.
To teach your cockatiel to talk, you will need to spend time with her in a quiet space and speak softly and sweetly to her. There will be times when she will be especially receptive and interested in words what you tell her; that's when you need to repeat the word you want her to learn, when you're attentive.
Then, you must reward her with her favorite food when she tries to repeat it. During the learning process, you should repeat the word or phrase often, and if you are patient, you will find that little by little your partner will improve the sound and pronunciation of the word you want to teach her.
If you want to read more articles similar to Do cockatiels speak?, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.