Talking is the most fascinating ability parrots have. Some parrots love to talk and begin to learn on their own while others are not as talkative.
Most pet parrots have a vocabulary of 150-200 words, though some gifted talkers can speak up to 1000 words. So the real question is how many words can your parrots say?
Teaching your parrot new words and funny responses is one of the fun things about parrot ownership. But more than that it is an opportunity for you to bond with your parrot.
Quick Navigation
Funny Words, Phrases, And Sounds To Teach Your Parrot
Parrots are born imitators and vocal learners. They will learn all kinds of words, phrases, and sounds you repeat in front of them. Here are some of the funny things you can teach your parrots:
Human Sounds
Simple sounds are often the easiest to imitate and therefore can be great when you’re teaching your parrot to talk. You can simply mimic human sounds like coughing and laughter and they will catch on. You can even play recordings of different types of laughter for your parrot to learn, which can be pretty funny.
- Laughter
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Sighing
Greetings
The word “Hello” is probably the first word of most parrots as it is a common greeting we use in our households. But you teach your parrot many different types of greetings so when you come back home or guests come over, they can repeat these words.
- “How are you?”
- “What’s up?”
- “How’s it going?”
- “Howdy!”
- “Hola!”
- “Bonjour!”
- “Ciao!”
- “Namaste!”
Animal Sounds
Parrots pick up on various sounds when they hear them often enough. You can teach your parrot to imitate funny animal sounds by playing back those sounds. Parrots can imitate various animal sounds including the barking of dogs, meowing of cats, or even the chirping of other birds.
Some parrots can accurately reproduce these sounds, but that depends on the species. Cockatoos and Amazon parrots have been seen mimicking cats and dog sounds with impeccable clarity. Hearing your parrot imitate other pets will be undoubtedly hilarious. In order to teach them these sounds you can either play it on your phone or imitate it for them.
- “Woof, woof!”
- “Meow!”
- “Moo!”
- “Neigh!”
- “Quack, quack!”
- “Cock-a-doodle-doo!”
- “Oink, oink!”
Jokes
- “I don’t make polly-tical tweets”
- “I am not a parrot, I am a mockingbird”
- “When’s the parront-teacher meeting”
- “Good night, tweet dreams”
Funny Sounding Words
There are some words in the English vocabulary that are just inherently funny and they seem even more hilarious when your parrot says them. Here are some funny words that you will enjoy teaching your parrot:
- Gobbledygook: Language that is meaningless or hard to understand; jargon or technical language.
- Gobsmacked: Extremely surprised or shocked; utterly astounded.
- Kerfuffle: A commotion, disturbance, or fuss; a disorderly outburst or tumult.
- Blunderbuss: A clumsy or awkward person; an outdated type of short musket with a wide barrel.
- Fiddle-dee-dee: An exclamation of contempt or dismissiveness; expressing disbelief or disdain.
- Balderdash: Nonsense or foolish talk; absurd or meaningless language.
- Bumfuzzle: To confuse or perplex; to bewilder or fluster.
- Skedaddle: To run away hurriedly; to flee in a hurry.
- Hornswoggle: To deceive or trick; to bamboozle or hoodwink.
- Fuddy-duddy: A conservative or old-fashioned person; someone who is overly concerned with tradition or formality.
- Snickerdoodle: A type of cookie, often with cinnamon and sugar.
- Whippersnapper: A young and inexperienced person, often with a cheeky or impertinent attitude.
- Jitterbug: A lively and energetic style of dance, especially popular in the mid-20th century; also used to describe a person who dances the jitterbug.
- Flapdoodle: Nonsense or foolish talk; absurd or trivial ideas; empty or insincere language.
- Lickety-split: Very quickly, at a fast pace
- Whatchamacallit: A placeholder name for something whose name is unknown or forgotten.
- Hootenanny: A social gathering or informal performance featuring folk music, often with audience participation.
- Hocus-pocus: Words or actions used to deceive, trick, or create a magical effect, often used to dismiss something as deceptive or insincere.
Pop Culture References
Parrots probably don’t catch all the words when they watch something on television, but you can teach them some of the popular dialogues of the past few decades.
- “Hasta la vista, baby.”
- “To infinity and beyond!”
- “Why so serious?”
- “May the Force be with you.”
- “Just keep swimming.”
- “There’s no place like home.”
- “I am Groot.
Pirate Jargon
Pirates are often depicted with parrots, especially macaws on their shoulders in movies and literature. Here are some pirate jargon that your parrot can speak:
- “Ahoy, me heartie!”
- “Shiver me timbers!”
- “Avast, ye scurvy dogs!”
- “Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!”
- “Aye aye, Captain!”
- “Smartly there, me birdy!”
- “Blimey, that’s a fine treat!”
- “Arrrr, me matey!”
- “Land ho! Prepare to be boarded!”
Celebratory Phrases
Your parrot should know some phrases related to celebrations so they can be a part of your special moments.
- “Happy Birthday!”
- “Cheers to you!”
- “Party time!”
- “Congratulations!”
- “Hooray for you!”
- “Woo-hoo!”
- “Hip, hip, hooray!”
- “Pop the champagne!”
- “Happy New Year!”
- “Bravo!”
How To Teach Your Parrot To Talk?
Parrots learn to talk by listening to sounds and repeating them. Sometimes, they may pick up sounds such as car horns and doorbell rings if they hear it often. So in order to encourage your parrot to talk, you need to talk to them.
Remember that parrots only repeat what you say to them so you need to pick a word or a phrase that you want them to learn. It is best to stick to shorter and less complicated words when starting out.
Talk To Your Parrot When It’s Excited
The ideal time to teach your parrot to talk is when it is excited and eager for interaction. You can tell this by looking at certain body language cues. If your parrot’s eyes are pinning when it sees you, it could mean that it is paying attention and possibly showing excitement. Other times you can know that your parrot is excited is when you enter the room. If they flap their wings or climb the cage, it means they want to interact.
Repeat The Words You Want It To Learn.
Pick a small set of words, say 2, or 3 that you want to teach your parrot and say it to them. Talk to your parrot on a regular basis. Also, remember to use simple and short words at the beginning. Repetition is important for the parrot to grasp the sounds.
Reward Them When They Say It Correctly
When your parrot says the word, reward them with a treat and say things like “good boy” to let them know they did a good job.
Keep Training Sessions Short
The more you talk to your parrot the more their talking skills improve. However, you want to train your parrot when it is most interested. So keeping the training session to 5-10 minutes is a good idea.
Can Parrots Forget Words?
Parrots have a good memory and can learn a huge number of words, but their ability to remember those words is dependent upon how often they use and practice them.
If parrots are encouraged to use the words they have learned, those words are more likely to stay fresh in their working memory.
When parrots actively engage in talking and speak familiar words frequently, they are essentially retrieving them from their working memory. This process is like an ongoing practice, making it easier for them to recall and repeat those words accurately.
However, If parrots are not encouraged to practice their vocabulary regularly, either because of situations like reduced interactions or the parrot being rehomed, over time the parrot may start to forget the learned words.
It is not known how good a parrot’s long-term memory is, some research suggests that they may be able to remember things for up to 2 years.
