5 parrot species that you can teach to talk

Budgerigars

This 8-inch bird may be small, but it holds world records for having the largest vocabulary among birds. They can learn both long and short phrases and even sing. In addition, budgerigars are not as loud as some other talkative birds.

With an average lifespan of 5-8 years, these intelligent birds are highly social and enjoy spending time with their owners.

While they need space and enjoy being outside of their cage, they can also be satisfied with a large cage while the family is at work during the day. Watching TV shows or listening to audiobooks helps them expand their vocabulary.

Budgerigars (photo: Freepik)

Cockatiels

Cockatiels are popular pets for good reasons. They are usually gentle and friendly, enjoy being held, and love the company of people.

Cockatiels are larger than budgerigars, reaching 12-13 inches in size and weighing 2.8-3.5 ounces. However, cockatiels can live from 10 to 20 years.

With constant socialization and training, they can become quite talkative, learning up to 250 words and phrases and even whistling tunes. However, it's better to get a male cockatiel if you're looking for a bird that talks (rather than chirps and whistles). Females tend to learn to speak less effectively than males.

Cockatiels (photo: Freepik)

Rose-ringed parakeets

Ring-necked parakeets, also known as Indian ring-necked parakeets or parakeets with necklaces, are slightly larger than the previous birds on this list. They can grow up to 16-17 inches and weigh up to 4 ounces.

Ring-necked parakeets can repeat entire sentences and imitate many sounds they hear. What sets them apart is their ability to remember not only individual words but also long phrases. Their tone of voice is also quite clear and distinct, making them interesting to train and communicate with.

Since these parakeets enjoy learning long phrases, repetition will be a regular part of their training. Eventually, ring-necked parakeets need to ensure that everything is said clearly and in the correct order.

This characteristic makes ring-necked parakeets slightly more challenging to train. They can also be somewhat stubborn and quite noisy, which can be problematic when keeping them in an apartment.

Ring-necked parakeet (photo: Freepik)

Cockatoos

Cockatoos are another large species of parrots that have shown remarkable vocal abilities in captivity. These birds can grow up to 28 inches long and weigh over 2 pounds.

While cockatoos are difficult to train to speak, these birds simply have a softer voice than other parrots, depending on their mood during the conversation – sometimes, they can speak very loudly.

Cockatoo owners need to possess attentive listening skills to hear and understand the quiet words spoken by their birds. Cockatoos also require certain limits on communication in everyday life; otherwise, separation anxiety from excessive attachment can cause health problems.

Cockatoo (photo: Freepik)

Amazon parrots

Another group of birds known for their exceptional linguistic abilities is Amazon parrots. They range in size from 10 to 18 inches and weigh 13-16 ounces.

These birds are not only known for accumulating an extensive and impressive vocabulary, but also for their exceptional clarity of voice.

In particular, the Yellow-headed Amazon is considered the best talker among Amazon parrots. Besides talking, Amazon parrots also excel at learning tricks, making them popular pets for those who want a bird that can speak.

Amazon parrots (photo: Freepik)

Earlier, we reported about five small dog breeds under 50 cm in height.

Sources: PetMD, The Spruce Pets, Wikipedia.