Whenever people talk about parrots, the fact that they can talk is the most prominent and discussed feature. Even if a person knows little to nothing about these birds, they know about their talking skills.
People are naturally fascinated with the ability of animals to imitate human speech. We can imagine real conversations when speaking to a parrot, and it answers back. But are parrots so unique in this regard? Or are there other birds with the same skills? Many people would remember crows right now. These are highly intelligent birds, but can they speak? Let’s find out in this article!
Let’s not waste any time. The answer is yes! Crows, very much like parrots, can imitate our speech with proper training. Their voice drastically differs from the parrot’s vibrations. In fact, crows sound even more like people sometimes. Mostly, like a sinister gruffy man, unlike the squeaking of parrots. There are many differences between parrot and crow speech and imitation that have to be highlighted, though!
Many parrot owners like to enjoy an evening listening to their parrot speaking like humans and imitating a conversation. Yet, they don’t really know much information about the speaking ability of crows. After all, you can hardly find a crow owner to share knowledge with. Crows are not a good pet material and usually live with bird rescuers and rehabilitation centers.
In this article, I’ll share all the knowledge provided by the specialists taking care of crows, including whether all birds of the species can do it, how it sounds, and so on. So by the end, you’ll know the basics of crow habits and more! And you’ll be able to educate others on the matter as well.
Can Crows Talk Like Parrots?
First of all, you should know that birds use syrinx to create sounds. You can hear a variety of songs and tunes by different birds. In the same fashion, as other birds sing their tunes, some birds use the syrinx to imitate other sounds, like human speech. That doesn’t mean that parrots and crows communicate via human words and phrases, though.
With parrots, they can mimic many sounds they hear and produce them over time due to their exceptional memory. Thus, they are not limited to one human language and can imitate any of them, plus animal and artificial sounds. The same logic applies to parrots.
However, you’ll hardly find a crow that talks using human phrases as quickly as a parrot. That’s because crows rarely spend their time so close to humans. In the rare cases when a crow grows up in an environment near people, they’ll imitate human sounds. They have great skills and learn easily in such a case. Crows like to play with human sounds they’ve learned and compose strange words.
Can All Crows Talk?
In reality, no. Most crows don’t spend enough time near humans to learn their sound patterns. Besides, if you take in a grown crow with its ways set, you’ll probably near hear them talk. But, if you take in a young crow and spend lots of time with it, the chances you’ll hear them repeating your sounds are high. And that may scare the unsuspecting people. Now, you know the fact and won’t be frightened by the deep raspy sounds of a crow talking if you stumble upon such a rare specimen.
Birds that spend much time around humans at a young age relax around people and don’t feel intimidated or shy. In any case, if you visit an acquaintance with a pet crow, be sure to remain calm and don’t scare the bird. Do everything possible to make it feel comfy around you.
Can You Train Crows to Talk?
Absolutely. Just like with parrots, crows can learn to imitate human language fast enough when provided constant training. It’s hard to say whether crows can learn to mimic human words on their own. Currently, these birds are wary of people. In the past, crows could have learned some human speech sounds if they were more accommodated to living close to a small village and were not afraid of the tiny population.
There are few common tips for teaching parrots and crows to talk. Always start with simple words or better sounds. Great examples of beginner words are “hi,” “hello,” “oops,” “wow.” Later, move on to goodbye, good night, beautiful, clever, and so on. In time, both crows and parrots will be able to repeat simple phrases. Please, check out this guide on talking parrots costs if you want to buy a parrot and teach it the skill.
Also, say these words clearly and with enthusiasm! Highlight them when speaking with the bird! You should spend at least a bit of time learning words with the bird every day! Notice that, sometimes, parrots and crows can be moody and refuse to talk. And don’t let them nip.
Make it a fun experience for all parties involved. With both parrots and crows!
