2. Talking to Parrots
Most parrots have the ability to talk and many parrots do, but some parrots will never speak a word. People normally think of parrots when they think of talking birds, and that might be because parrots are some of the most
common pet birds.
Parrots make a wide variety of noises and mimic a lot more than words. They are likely to whistle, "beep” and "ring,” as well as talk. It may be that whistling is less difficult to learn, but it won’t stop a parrot from talking. Some parrots may really enjoy whistling and never learn to talk, but this is an individual preference, not a generality.
The way parrots can imitate human speech is not only entertaining but also rather remarkable. Parrots lack lips and teeth, yet they have the ability to learn words, phrases and songs and to imitate tone and expression. What they do have is keen hearing and a voice box with a complex structure that allows them to reproduce sounds.
Possibly! Experts say parrots probably do not understand meanings of most words. However, they are aware of the context surrounding words and can make associations with the words. For example, a researcher named Tim Wright explained why a parrot might ask “How are you?” when you enter the room. It’s likely not asking about your well-being. Instead, the parrot imitates the words it has heard you say many times upon walking into a room. Your parrot has made an association between you entering the room and that phrase.
Repeating sounds you’ve heard many times before is called mimicry. The “talking” we hear from parrots is mimicry of all sorts of sounds. They imitate many things, from spoken words to creaking doors to barking dogs.
Most parrots are simply mimicking their owners. They don’t really know what they’re saying. But some professionally-trained parrots have learned to understand what they’re saying. One such bird was an African Grey Parrot called Alex. Alex was trained to understand and use language. By the end of his life, Alex could name 50 objects, seven colors, and six shapes. He could even count up to eight!
Did you know that parrots don’t have vocal cords like humans? It’s true! Parrots don’t push air over vocal cords to create sound. Instead, they use the muscles in their throat to direct air over the trachea (windpipe). They make different sounds by changing the depth and shape of the trachea.
Parrots aren’t the only birds that can learn to imitate sounds. Some other birds that can “talk” include crows, ravens, Indian Ringneck Parakeets, Budgies and Cockatiels. If you’re wondering why some birds imitate sounds they hear, it’s because they are creatures. They feel a need to interact and fit in with those around them. When kept as pets, these birds see their human owners as their family and want to communicate with them.
Since a human owner usually can’t learn a bird’s “language,” the bird learns the language of its owner. These birds are often quite intelligent. Mimicry becomes a way for them to get attention and interact with their owners.