On YouTube, there are tons of videos of parrots talking to their owners, other animals, or even toys.
I adore watching such heart-melting clips every now and then. But I was wondering if my green cheek conure can do it, and I have found out that it’s possible.
Green cheek conure can learn to talk. Although, this will require some time and effort. If you own a green cheek conure already, you may have noticed that speaking isn’t among their natural skills.
So let’s check what do you need to do, when and how can you teach your conure to talk.
When Can Green Check Conures Start Talking?
Normally, these parrots start making sounds that look like words when they’re 2 or 3 months old. Green cheek conure voice is soft and it also sounds a bit quieter than other conures. So it may be hard to understand that your green cheek conure has already started the voice communication with you.
These parrots adore to interact within the flock. The ntural set of sounds includes chirps, purrs, whispers, and mumbles.
I tried to teach my green cheek conure to communicate with me through these sounds. With time, I was able to understand the meaning of each voice signal in her language.
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Why Teach Your Green Cheek Conure to Talk?
Vocal communication with your parrot adds more trust and improves the affection between you and the bird.
As for me, my green cheek conure already knows some simple “words” and talks to when I’m in the room next to her cage. She likes to be taken out of the cage and loves to speak with me while sitting on my shoulder or hands.
Parrots are smart bird, so along with vocabulary training, you can teach them some simple commands like, “up” or “down”. The suitable method here is to take the conure with your hnad up when you pronounce this word. But mind that you should be doing that often and repeat over and over agin before the bird gets used to this command.
Some reasons green cheek conure owners teach their parrots to speak are:
- For safety alerts – you can teach your parrot to pronounce special word or name when the bird sees a stranger;
- To improve relationships and bond with the parrot – interacting with a parrot is a pleasant time for the owner;
- Just to have fun – many parrot owners like to make cute and funny videos showing off their pet’s habits and skills.
What Kinds of Words Can Green Cheek Conures Learn?
These type of parrots can remember short words. So teaching them to say “Hi”, “Hello”, “I love you” will be easier than learning some more difficult words and phrases.
As they don’t mimic sounds in wild, in captivity they can learn words and sounds that are directed to them. You need to provide lots of reinforcement and support these birds as you learn new vocabulary.
Green cheek conures do not pick up random words spoken next to them in the room. That’s why they become a desirable pet bird in families that are language-conscious.
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Are Green Cheek Conures Easy to Understand?
As their natural speech does not include any “human” words, it may be hard for you to understand your green cheek conure. But with time, you can easily understand that some sounds the bird pronounces relate to specific situation or need they try to express.
If you train the parrot to speak regularly, you’ll be rewarded with “ I love you” from your green cheek conure soon.
Should I Teach My Green Cheek Conure to Talk?
In this question, the decision is up to you. Depending on your goals you consider whether you want to learn your parrot to speak. Because their training should be very consistent, it becomes time and effort consuming process for the parrot owner.
And, of course, the amount of time invested into the training goes to create a better bond with your pet. So the more you interact with the parrot, the more connected the pet feels.
Some key tips for proper training are:
- Pick words you will learn wisely ( for example, bye-bye, hello, hi etc.)
- When you repeat the word to the parrot make it sound positive, change your voice to a happy tone;
- Pay attention to the pet’s behavior throughout the learning session;
- Prepare enough time and treats for your parrot, remove all the distractions from the room ( other pets, TV, kids etc.)
- Repeat the session daily at a similar time. Use the same set of words you want your parrot to learn;
- Use the association method. For example, when you give fruits to your parrot, speak up the name of the fruit.
Green cheek conures won’t have a large vocabulary and they have trouble remembering difficult words that have more than 2 syllables. So from this point of view, this breed is not the best choice if you want to speak with your parrot.
But if you’re ok with a few words your green cheek conure can say to you, there is nothing else you need.
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What If My Green Cheek Conure Doesn’t Learn to Speak?
That’s not a big deal! If your green cheek conure can’t remember many words or you are tired of constant training, you can still have fun with your parrot.
These small birds are very good companions even if they are not saying “I love you”.
There are still many ways to interact with the parrot. And as time passes, you’ll know what your bird is trying to “say” to you.
