Best talking bird
Parakeet
Also known as budgerigars, these small birds are small but powerful. They have an average lifespan of 5-8 years and are intelligent birds that are very sociable and enjoy spending time with their human families. Budgerigars are 6-8 inches long and weigh about 1 ounce. World record bird vocabularyYou can learn long phrases, short phrases, and even learn to sing.
Budgerigars are not as noisy as other chatty birds, although they do need and enjoy time outside their cage. Large cage Leaving the TV on while your family members are at work during the day will provide exposure to your child’s ever-growing vocabulary.
Although budgies’ voices may sound a bit slurred and raspy, they make up for this by being full of energy and speaking a wide variety of words and phrases. To maximize your budgie’s skills, look for young birds at a rescue or find a reputable breeder who raises birds locally.
Cockatiel
Cockatiels are popular pets, and for good reason: they are generally good-natured, sociable and easy to care for. They love to be held and snuggled, and enjoy human company. With continued socialization and training, cockatiels can become talkative, learning up to 250 words and phrases, and even whistling songs.
However, if you are looking for a bird that talks rather than chirps or whistles, a male cockatiel is the way to go. Female cockatiels do not pick up on language as well as males. Cockatiels are larger than budgerigars, reaching 12-14 inches in length and weighing 2.5-4 ounces, but they live longer, with an average lifespan of 10-14 years. Cockatiels are a great bird for beginners and can be with your family for many years.
Royal Parrot
Rose-crowned parakeets, also known as monarchs, are relatively easy birds to keep and are considered a great choice for beginners, although they are not legal in all areas, so be sure to check your local regulations.
Drongos are small (11-12 inches, 3-5 ounces), gentle birds that learn quickly. They pick up human words quickly, making them easy to teach and train, even for people new to birds. Drongos do not have as extensive a vocabulary as budgerigars, but their voices are clear and easy to understand. They can still memorize over 50 words and phrases, and they will also imitate other household sounds (such as a dog barking). Young and older birds will quickly pick up on household conversations. Repeating the phrases you want them to learn will speed the process.
American Goldfinches are a little louder than budgerigars, but they are sociable and enjoy the company of people. Overall, they are a great bird for beginners. And on top of all these great traits, they have a lifespan of up to 30 years.
Waokirinko
The Ring-tailed Parakeet, also known as the Indian Ring-necked Parakeet, is a slightly larger bird than the previous bird on this list, measuring 14-17 inches in length and weighing 5 ounces. A special quality of this parakeet is its ability to learn longer phrases in addition to individual words. Ring-tailed parakeets can repeat entire sentences and can imitate many of the sounds they hear. They also have a very clear and easy to understand tone of voice, making them a fun bird to train and communicate with.
In some cultures, the Huao Kirinko is revered as a sacred animal due to its ability to learn and mimic daily prayers that it hears. The Huao Kirinko likes to memorize long phrases, which requires more repetition. After all, the Huao Kirinko needs to make sure that everything is said clearly and in the correct order. This trait makes training the Huao Kirinko somewhat difficult.
They can also be a bit stubborn so are more of a bird for advanced beginners and probably not ideal as a first bird, they are also noisy birds and will make quite a lot of noise all day so are not recommended for apartment buildings or anyone without a certain level of noise tolerance.
Eclectus
Eclectus parakeets are medium-sized birds, ranging from 17 to 20 inches in length and weighing 13 to 19 ounces. Though considered a gentle bird, they do require moderate care in addition to socialization, making them not an ideal “beginner” bird. However, Eclectus parakeets are a good choice for intermediate bird owners as a bridge before jumping into the “advanced” species.
Males are often somewhat easier to train, but both sexes require a great deal of interaction and time spent outside of their cage. Over time, these birds often learn a variety of words and phrases, and they are not as noisy as other members of the parrot family.
Yellow-necked Amazon
While many of its Amazonian bird relatives are considered good talkers, Yellow-necked Amazons are considered to be among the best of all: They have a vast vocabulary and can string together coherent sentences, understand context, tempo and tone, and seem to be part of the conversation from the start.
Yellow-necked Amazons are fairly large birds, ranging from 15 to 27 inches in length and weighing 16 to 23 ounces, and can live up to 80 years. These birds are very intelligent, sociable, and communicative, and they excel at singing with a clear, pleasant voice.
However, they are not for the faint of heart. Amazons are generally very temperamental and can bite quickly despite being friendly. By being familiar with parrot body language, you can avoid painful bites, especially from males during breeding season. This “attitude” generally cannot be adjusted through training, so Amazons make great conversation companions for advanced bird owners.
Parrot
Parrots are beautiful birds that are sociable, affectionate, and can be described as cuddly (or caring) and require many hours of companionship per day. They can also be quite boisterous, especially when they don’t get what they want.
Parrots don’t rank highly when it comes to babbling or imitating, but they will often pick up a few words or phrases, especially if it helps them get attention. Parrots are great birds for owners who have the time, space and energy to live with them 24/7. They’re not ideal for novice bird owners. But when it comes to social interaction, parrots are nearly unmatched in the amount of time they are able/willing to spend with their human companions.
Macaw
Macaws are big in everything from size to personality. But they are a force to be reckoned with. Without proper and consistent training, a macaw can expect to be given everything it wants. However, macaws can develop quite a vocabulary and a wide variety of calls, whistles and impersonations.
Macaws require a significant amount of training and can develop “quirks” such as charging at people with their huge beaks. This is common “play” among macaws and is not usually a sign of aggression. Macaw owners need to spend a lot of time socializing and training them. They also need to tolerate the bird’s loud calls and moderate habitat destruction, as its large beak will chew up everything it can reach. For the dedicated and experienced bird owner, its wonderfully bonded personality will make up for its limited vocabulary and loud calls.
Mynah bird
These little birds are sociable, intelligent and eager to demonstrate a wide range of vocalizations, including whistles, screeches and words. Mynah birds can learn up to 100 different words, short phrases and a variety of other sounds. Although they love human company, mynah birds are not particularly fond of cuddling or learning tricks; they are rather independent.
Mynahs generally adapt well to cages, and their diet is primarily fruit-based, which means their droppings are soft, watery, and quite smelly. This means that caring for and feeding them requires more effort than many other birds; rather, mynahs require a specially prepared fruit-rich diet. Owners who can afford the effort and care required by this special bird can be rewarded with a relationship of up to 25 years.
African Parrot
The African Grey Parrot ranks #1 on the list of most intelligent talking parrots. African Grey Parrots can remember over 1,000 words and are considered to have the intelligence of a 2-3 year old child. African Grey Parrots can imitate sounds, but their intelligence often gets them into trouble. They often find ways to destroy things in the house and cause chaos. They can also be very moody and have a very painful bite.
Grey parrots are good pets only for people with a lot of experience with birds, a lot of patience, and plenty of time to socialize and train their new pet. For this reason, African grey parrots change owners frequently – a 10-year-old bird may have already been to six or seven homes, which is unfair to the bird – and those willing to cooperate with the African grey’s “attitude” may enjoy up to 80 years of comical impersonations, commentary and entertainment.
Things to consider before finding a new bird pet
Owning a bird is a long-term, life-changing undertaking, with responsibilities comparable to owning a dog. But the reward is years of social interaction, whether the bird is a good talker or not. Each type of bird has its own advantages and disadvantages. Some adapt well to caged life, others do not. Some have special dietary needs, while others can eat pelleted bird food.
While many parrot species specialize in ear-splitting cries and neighbor-disturbing noises, some prefer a quieter, more conversational tone. Be sure to research the temperament of any species you’re considering keeping, as well as any information about the individual you want to keep, so you can be sure to live happily with your new feathered companion for many years to come.
