Hi, I would like to buy a parakeet that talks. I was thinking of an Indian Ring Neck. I live in a house and would love to train him to speak. Are they difficult to teach? Are they finicky with eating seeds or fruit? I am 78 and had a cockatiel before who lived to 23 years old. Can you please give me some advice? Thank you
Hi Cathy,
When thinking of buying a parrot, if you only or mainly want one because they can talk, then you probably shouldn’t get one. While they are all capable of talking, that doesn’t mean the bird will talk. It depends on the bird’s personality as well as the owner and how they interact with the bird. Even the species that are known for being the best talkers often will go their entire lives never saying a word. However, there is one thing that is certain – the bird will be loud at times. Parrots come from environments where it is vital for them to be heard for miles. So in a house or apartment, this is a lot of volume. Being loud is a natural instinct, so you can’t train them not to vocalize. You can work with them to minimize some of their vocalizing. Parrots do not respond to punishment. All training needs to be by positive reinforcement – reward the good or desired behavior, ignore the bad or unwanted behavior. Parrots are exotic species so their behavior is based on instinct, unlike a domesticated pet like a cat or dog.
The Indian Ringnecks can be great talkers, if they choose to learn. Some of them can be great pets, others can be shy and standoffish. You need to handle different birds to find the one that is right for you. Something like an Indian Ringneck is a big step up from a cockatiel. They need a much larger cage. Research has proven that a seed diet is not an adequate diet for pet birds. They need a formulated diet such as a pellet or a foraging pellet. These diets are scientifically balanced, and do contain seeds, but they are fortified and made in a way that the bird gets nutrition in every bite. With a seed mix, any added vitamins are lost when the bird removes the hull, and vitamins added to water do not provide enough nutrients because they do not drink enough.
I would recommend that you check out some of our pages on behavior, diet and training to make sure a parrot is what you are looking for. Keeping in mind that parakeets and cockatiels are also parrot species.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
