How Do I Teach My Cockatiel To Sing And Talk? Tips To Train Your Pet

    

Cockatiels are recognized for their ability to imitate and whistle beautiful tunes. They are quick learners and often add their own adorable zing to the music, making it even more enjoyable.

Teaching your cockatiel to talk and sing is a great way to provide mental stimulation and an opportunity for bonding.

Below are easy steps to get your bird to be your own adorable jukebox.

Step 1: Make It Comfortable

"Ensure before you begin any kind of 

training that your bird is perfectly 

accustomed to its surroundings 

and you."

A vital part of any training is your bond with your bird. Unless it is relaxed and not stressed out by your presence, you cannot successfully train it for anything.

Ensure before you begin any kind of training that your bird is perfectly accustomed to its surroundings and you. Using a room that it is already familiarized with (such as the room with its enclosure, in case you keep it in your bedroom, etc.) while you speak to it is also a good start.

While teaching it to talk and sing while it's in your hand is a great way to bond with your bird, it's not a good idea to do so if it doesn't trust you enough to step up or if it's easily distracted. Worry not – it’s perfectly fine for it to learn the same while in its enclosure.
But, teaching your lil noisemaker to whistle along with you while perched on your hand sounds tempting too, doesn’t it?

If you’re interested in getting your bird to trust and interact with you outside its enclosure, I've outlined a few tips to help you accomplish that. Check it out here!

~ How To Gain Your Bird's Trust ~

Step 2: Keep It On Repeat

"Start short and simple; 

eventually, your bird will learn."

Whistling the tune you want it to learn when you're around your bird is one way of getting the bird able to memorise the tune as well as interact with you. 

However, as whistling for several minutes multiple times a day isn't feasible, an alternative method is to download a loop player app from the Appstore available on your mobile device. You can record yourself whistling and keep the same on repeat, enabling your cockatiel to learn faster even if you’re not around. 

~ Here's an app that I frequent ~

If whistling and/or recording it is not an option, use tunes available online in the form of whistles, such as another cockatiel whistling (there are plenty of videos on YouTube that you can convert to an mp3 file and use). 

A personal favourite - Mickey Mouse Steamboat Willie is a fun and beloved tune that you’ll certainly enjoy listening to your bird sing. 

~ An example ~

You can do the same with words - begin with short, simple ones (like hello) and speak to your bird using the word each time you talk to it. Or you can record it and keep it on repeat, whatever floats your boat. Eventually, your bird will pick up the words.  

If you're keeping tunes on a loop, doing training sessions for 5-10 minutes, 2-3 times a day is good enough for any bird.

Don’t go beyond 5-10 minutes since that’s the usual attention span generally spared by birds. 

With time and improvement, you can go for longer words and tunes. 

Once you’re successful in your endeavour to get your bird to learn a particular sound, you can also try associating a word or sentence with an action. For example, say - "Want a treat", each time you reward your bird. It may learn to say the same line each time you give it goodies. 

Step 3: Keeping It Focused

"Patience and limiting distractions 

will help your cockatiel focus. "

Since they possess a playful nature, cockatiels tend to be distracted and may not be as focused as you want them to be on learning something new.

Thus, you’re going to need a great deal of patience and prevent frustration from getting the better of you.

You can try to limit potential distractions by removing the food bowls, toys, etc., and returning them to the cage once the lesson's over. If you’re worried that your bird might get thirsty/hungry etc., don’t fret since the session is only supposed to last 5-10 minutes anyways - you’re not depriving your bird of anything.

Training your bird in a quiet area (that it is familiar and comfortable with) or covering the enclosure is also a great way to maintain its focus. I, for instance, cover the entire cage with a tarp during late evening and keep my phone with the loop playing on top of it. 

Step 4: Reinforcement

"Each time you hear your bird singing or speaking, reward it with attention and the treats it prefers."

Reinforcement refers to encouraging or discouraging a particular behaviour or action. Since we are dealing with birds, the only method that promotes progress is Positive Reinforcement. 

Positive Reinforcement includes responding to an action or behaviour you find desirable by giving a reward. Rewards can vary according to the bird/animal concerned and can range from treats to toys and even attention (like giving cuddles, caressing, etc.)

Each time you hear your bird singing or speaking, reward it with treats and attention (like speaking or whistling along with it, cuddles, etc.) depending on what your bird prefers. This helps associate the behaviour with a positive outcome and encourages your bird to continue what they're doing. 

~ Joey absolutely loves to receive cuddles and a whistle duet with me ~

In the video, you can see me giving her head scratches and then whistling 'September', prompting her to continue with the tune. 

Please remember that depending on its preferences, your cockatiel might not like you caressing or cuddling it. If you see your bird expressing discomfort when you do this, like screeching, biting or moving away, stop immediately. 

Don't get upset or react harshly if you don't see progress, this will only scare your bird and you'll lose any progress you have made, be it training or trusting you.

Dealing with the Unexpected

Why can't I understand what he's saying?

Something to note is that while they make amazing whistlers, cockatiel speech will never sound as clear or precise as a parrot's does. 

With time and repetition, you can get the words to sound intelligible, but it's always going to sound slightly muffled. 

~ A demo ~ 

When things don't go your way

In teaching your bird to do something, patience and persistence are key - it often takes several weeks for a cockatiel to learn a single tune or a word. 

Be careful to not get upset or behave harshly; such mistakes will only scare your bird and you'll lose the progress you've made. 

An important thing to remember is that every bird is different; many birds take weeks to several months to learn something, while others may never learn to do so. This may be because your bird is a girl (ironically, “girl birds” often show a lesser tendency to talk), it is young (cockatiels begin vocalizing at eight months), or due to its easily distractible nature, etc. 

Each outcome is okay; what's important is your bond with your bird. 

~ Lee never learned to sing, yet she can steal hearts ~

Look out for any possible illnesses

"Inactivity with lack of appetite, preening and interest in playtime 

are telltale signs of a sick bird."

If you notice that your noisy bird who loves stirring up the occasional racket is behaving unusually quiet, red flag it immediately. 

A sick bird tends to become unusually quiet and inactive, accompanied by other signs such as lack of appetite, preening, and disinterest in playtime. 

If you observe any such behaviour, it's crucial to notify a vet immediately - birds are fragile creatures and tend to hide the symptoms of sickness due to their natural survival mechanism in flocks and the wild. They only begin to show symptoms when the infection has progressed quite a bit; by then the chances of survival are slim and they may die within as less as two days.

Despite being resilient birds, this bitter truth applies to cockatiels as well. Hence, please do not hesitate to contact a nearby vet immediately. 

That's All, Folks

Was this article helpful or lacking in any way? Drop in your responses and critiques in the comments; they’ll be most beneficial in helping this blog grow.

And if you’ve successfully taught your bird another way to adorably make noise using these tips, comment below and let me celebrate with you too!

Any questions and ideas about future articles would be appreciated :)

You can check out other cockatiel care and training articles on my blog page.

I'll be posting more articles covering rehabilitation, enclosures, diet, free flight, and training with species like turtles, snakes, dogs, and more.

If there are any changes you'd like to add or changes you'd like to have made, feel free to contact me at the below-mentioned socials -

• Gmail - namratansahoo@gmail.com
• Instagram - @nammu s 

Subscribe to my Youtube: The Vet Diaries

~ A pic of Lee to send you off <3 ~