Will my bird talk?

Many many people who are acquiring a parrot for the first time are eager to know if their bird will talk, or base their choice of bird on the birds reputation for talking. All of my birds talk, and I enjoy this aspect of who and what they are. However, after having kept parrots for several years, I would say that if a parrots ability to talk would make or break its success as a pet, you had better rethink some things.

Parrots imitate lots of things (speech is just one of these). Imitation is one of the most efficient ways of learning. I have never really made an effort to teach my birds to talk. I will say things to them and wait and see if they repeat it, but what I am really interested in is having them connect words with ideas. I will say goodbye when I am leaving, and shower (or bath) before a shower. I will tell them we are going back to the cage when we go there and so on.

I have heard of people purchasing special training tapes to play when they are not with their bird, so they can "learn to talk". Someone pointed out that this may result in a bird that will drive you crazy saying "pretty bird, pretty bird, ....". I have a hard time with this concept for many reasons (first I would put myself in the birds place and I am sure I would go nuts!) The main thing is that I want to have a relationship with my bird, and any talking is something that should flow out of that relationship.