Which is a good talking parrot for a beginner

[Abel]

I am thinking of buying a parrot for the first time so which would be the right parrot for me and what is its normal cost? Remember it must be a talking one.

 

[Karigan]

Why must? It's a neat trick, but the noise can get old fast if that's the only quality you're looking for. If I have to hear "FRESH WATER!" too many times in a day I feel ready to snap.

By beginner I guess you mean low matinance... Less time and mess. These are not qualities of 'talking' birds, which are usually the larger ones.

Any bird from male budgies...

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sez55YUF23k&list=LLwewyN488i5zGahaKab4xag"]Beat Boxing Budgie - YouTube[/ame]

...to the crowned african grey can talk.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNmIrmEBVY4&list=LLwewyN488i5zGahaKab4xag"]TALKING PARROT! AMAZING, HILARIOUS! (Subtitles Included) - YouTube[/ame]

lower matinence birds include budgies, parrotlets, lovebirds, and cockatiels.

A large bird (stereotypical talker) takes 3-6 hours a day of interaction and matinence (cleaning, trimming, etc...), while these smaller birds can handle around 2, though more is ideal.

A lot depends on your situation. Are you in a stable environment, how many hours are you home, how much space do you have, etc...

Hope this helps.

 

[SandyBee]

Please remember that a bird that can talk may choose not too.
There is no guarantee and if that is the only reason you want a bird you may be disappointed.

 

[cthulhus_minion]

My mom wants one that talks and is interested in African greys but wants to wait till I get mine and talks to others first about it. She is also wanting one that talks. I suggested maybe a Quaker parrot for her, they can talk and make great pets, but like others have said, there is no guarantee that they will talk.

 

[sonja]

If talking is your main requirement, you may want to reconsider a parrot as a pet. I have a number of parrots that are species that can talk. Only a couple of them say any words at all. And only one talks a lot, and says many different phrases. Most birds that can talk end up saying the same handful of words or phrases over and over and over and over. Hello, whatcha doin? Hello, whatcha doin? Hello, whatcha doin? Hello, whatcha doin? And, along with the talking, often comes a tendency to mimic other sounds that can be annoying, like a smoke detector beep or a door bell.

Parrots are expensive to maintain, and very messy. So, please do a lot of research about the other aspects of owning a parrot and if you find a good match that ends up talking a bit, then all the better.

 

[cthulhus_minion]

I will agree I'd prefer one that talks myself but its not a requirement, I had a cockatiel that I thought was an awesome bird and he passed before he ever learned, but even if he had never talked I'd still have been very happy with him. All birds have their "charms" some talk as their charm and others are just snugglers and just want to spend time with you. Hope you find something you will be happy with.

 

[Echo]

The only guarantee to have a bird that talk is to buy a parrot that is already talking......and then again, he can choose not to talk when people are present.

 

[Shayne]

I wanted a bird that could talk originally but was so busy with other questions, when I called to enquire about him, that I forgot to even ask if he could talk. But then it turned out he can but just says hello most of the time even though he can say a few other things. He says No, Oi or Ouch if he lunges at you. And says 'Is that nice' when your eating something he wants. And says 'shut up' after he stops screaming.

 

[LoveMyParrots]

There is no guarantee that a parrot will talk, some parrots does while others don't. I know someone who have a African grey that doesn't talk at all, and they are the top parrot rated for talking.

If you want a parrot for the talking reason only, don't get a parrot! They are hard work (biting, noise, molting, behavior issues, money, space, etc) and live a long time!

There is no average price for a parrot, they range from little as $15 to $50,000!

I recommend you read lots of article about owning a parrot before buying one or even deciding to get one! And see if you are the right person to be a parrot owner!

Parrots is not easy pet!!!

Good start parrots would be cockatiel, budgies and parrotlets. Cockatiels would probably is the best choice since they don't have the same behavior issues as some other parrots might have.

 

[Abigal7]

Some parrots talk and some don't. Just remember they can also mimic noises and words you do not want them to say. Would you be annoyed hearing the same thing over and over again? They also will only talk when they want to. Some people cannot get their birds to talk on youtube videos. A budgie can talk and it is a budgie that holds the largest vocabulary. Small birds will not be easy to understand. For example my green cheek conure would talk in a small gravel voice pf she could talk. Here is an example [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu8IgpqsEN0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu8IgpqsEN0[/ame]
Big parrots such as African Greys, Amazons, toos, and Macaws talk in bigger voices but also have louder screams. If talking is the only requirement then maybe you should reconsider a parrot and try to find a Mynah bird (which are not easy to find) or jump through hoops and legal paperwork to get a crow or raven. There is no guarantee a bird will talk and bear in mind people have put in alot of time and effort in any bird that is tame or any bird that can talk or do tricks.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLlGKhJ4sbs"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLlGKhJ4sbs[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS7taiZgVKY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS7taiZgVKY[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJlAeHxzDKE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJlAeHxzDKE[/ame]

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Honestly, because you say "Remember it must be a talking one." tells me that you are not ready for a bird. No bird will for sure talk, even birds that have spoken may not after being moved to a new home.

buy a bird because you appreciate and truly care about that for the incredible creatures they are. Understand that you may be in a abusive relationship at certain points during your life together and that it's always your own fault for being bit.
Living with a parrot is amazing, but can be challenging, frustrating, ear splitting, and painful physically and mentally. It is also EXPENSIVE, the cost of a bird & cage is nothing compared to lifetime of vet visits, high quality pellets, fresh produce that may be thrown on the floor but you still have to keep buying it. And don't forget time, a bird is only what you put into it.

 

[ruffledfeathers]

I agree that you basically can't get a bird 'guaranteed to talk' but some tend to be more chatty than others when they form a bond with people.
My first thought was--budgies. They are less expensive, beautiful, intelligent, loving and have great speaking ability. (My budgie had a fairly large vocabulary, and all i really did for 'training' was build a very close bond with him. He did all the rest on his own, chattering and practicing.)

 

[blackhawk007]

If your looking for a bird that is low maintenance then your not looking for a talking bird. If they choose to talk it will take work to get them to do so. Its not easy and it takes time. Then there is all of the normal care that you need to give them not only to keep them alive and clean, but also to keep them happy.

 

[gemini84]

my advice is if you want a low maintenance guaranteed talking parrot, go to the toy shop and buy one of those toys. it will be the only way to guarantee a low maintenance talking parrot.
as everyone has mentioned there is no guarantee.
a parrot should not be purchased or taken home as an attraction, that novelty will soon wear off and pththe poor parrot has to suffer.
its not right. a parrot is a life time commitment and need special care and attention.

 

[WharfRat]

Honestly, because you say "Remember it must be a talking one." tells me that you are not ready for a bird.

When I first saw this post earlier that was my 1st thought. You are interested for all the wrong reasons.

Birds are a commitment, not a toy or gimmick you get for amusement. They take way more money, dedication, devotion than any dog (or cat) ever will. And if you fail to provide this for the bird, either they will suffer or you or BOTH!

There are enough homeless birds out there due to frivolous purchases as it is. Please choose wisely.

 

[antoinette]

[FONT=&quot]When purchasing a bird, it should be for the correct reasons .Birds'[/FONT][FONT=&quot] are loving, adorable, long term companions, not something to play with when you have the time, or a room decoration[/FONT][FONT=&quot] the loving friendship they offer [/FONT][FONT=&quot]If you are getting a parrot just because you want a talking parrot, you are getting the bird for the wrong reason. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]If you want a parrot that will talk, your only option would be to get a bird that already talks. Even then there is no guarantee that the bird will continue talking in a new environment. There is absolutely no guarantee that any species of birds will talk. Some birds become brilliant talkers whereas others may only say a few words.


[/FONT]

 

[chippy]

I have been involved in some lengthy conversations as of late with a Parrot rescue, and they told me that the rate at which parrots are neglected or given up is just outrageous... people who bought them because they wanted a talking bird, and either didn't realize the amount of work it requires for many birds to talk or just the overall amount of time and attention ANY parrot requires FOR LIFE tend to lose interest quickly when their bird turns out to not be one of the highly trained, multi-talented birds one sees on TV...and these birds end up in Rescues, often self-mutilating and with all kinds of problems that make them increasingly difficult to re-home.
PLEASE do not get any bird until you are sure you are prepared to do everything that bird needs and that you will not be disappointed if your "talking bird" never does talk.

 

[cthulhus_minion]

Why not just get a budgie and try that, they are cheap, low maintience birds and it would allow you to see if you even really want a bird. I had a budgie given to me after I was handling my girlfriends budgies some and I then realized I enjoyed it. Then I went on to other species that I was more interested in. Or if you know someone who has a parrot see if they will start letting you handle it some and see how well you like it. I'm sorta doing that for my girlfriend with my snakes, I brought them over for her to take care of (supervised of course) so she will know whether or not its a passing interest or something she really wants to get into.

 

[faeryphoebe1]

Abel, please don't forget to become very informed about the things that are toxic for birds, including Teflon, cooking sprays, disinfectant sprays, other aerosols, cleaning products, cologne, candles and many, many more. Even if your feathered friend does talk, expect hours of screeching on a daily basis. Also, you will get bitten. It doesn't matter who you are or how much experience you have with parrots. Everyone gets bitten and it hurts. A lot. Even the tamest bird gets in a sour mood now and then. If the bird is bigger, you may end up in the ER with stitches. A person can even lose a finger if the parrot is large enough.
Read a lot and then stick around here and read some more and continue asking questions. This way you are better prepared for when you bring your feathered friend home. The best bet is to not expect your bird to talk. Ever. Then ask yourself if you can still love this enigma of a creature and provide it with a forever home, despite the expense, hard work, bites and very possible lack of dialogue (from the bird). Parrots can live anywhere from 15-30-80 years, depending on the species, so it's a lifetime commitment. Best of luck.

 

[Peeker]

I heard once that the only sure way to get a parrot that talks is to buy one that already does!

That hasn't held true in my case. Luckily I knew what I wanted in a pet bird and wasn't so concerned about whether they talked or not.

I have three Eclectus' which is a variety that can potentially talk. They aren't a beginner bird and have difficult dietary requirements so I wouldn't recommend this particular breed for you. Back to story: When I got them Tina was a pretty good talker--Ruby says "nooooooooo" and "goooooo" and usually 5 minutes after company arrives. :20: Jax was a baby and didn't speak.

A couple years go by and Jax became a decent talker, but Tina completely STOPPED all talking! :11: I have only heard her twice in 7-8 years now and it was only one comment and then nothing. She is sweet and wonderful and I love her very much. The vet says she is healthy and she is obviously happy but has chosen not to talk anymore.

So you see, there are just no guarentees when it comes to talking. It's a cute trick (one they often won't do for strangers!), but it's a small part of parrot ownership.