Gentle Authority

In order to establish hierarchy within your own flock it is important to establish dominance. We use "Step-up". Now our birds will say "Step-up" as we reach for them. In fact, it’s comical to hear Willow, our Quaker saying step-up all day long. You should use the "Step-up" command every time you pick up your bird and some version of the down command when you set the bird down.

Example: “Step-up Willow…good girl”. (Always remember to praise) “Step-off Willow…good girl”. (Again, praise)

Gentle authority means you emphasize you are the head of the flock without frightening, physically harming or intimidating your bird. You will not be in charge of your "flock" (even one bird is considered a flock in their minds) if the flock doesn't trust you.

Assertive training methods are simply ineffective. Screaming at your bird creates more dominance issues. A gentle voice of support and encouragement and praise will turn around an aggressive bird almost immediately! Regardless of whether you’ve been bit, speak in a gentle tone, calming your bird. You'll be amazed of the affect.  

There are no guarantees that a baby parrot will talk, and it's true that some species of parrots are more prone to talking than others. Most companion birds will eventually learn a couple of words and some will have a vocabulary that will astonish the average person.

Birds we keep as pets all talk, in fact some don't stop talking, which is fine by us. Simon and Harly our African Grey's both have a vocabulary of about 50 words and they add more everyday. Cleo, our Macaw, rules the the bird room and when you walk in you're greeted with whole bunch of "Hello's", "Step Up", "Were's Papa", a little dance then the newest... "Whazzzz Upppp" (Yes I know, from the Bud commercial). We suspect they talk in context. If you're cleaning their cages and play is on agenda, they will say "Stop That", followed by "Step Up"...too funny.

The best way to get your parrot to talk is to talk to him, simple. Talk to him a lot, associate actions with words. When you uncover the cage in the morning, say "good morning", or some other phrase. Always use the same phrase. When you give your bird a peanut, say the word peanut. The key is to be consistent. Keep it simple. Don't try to teach him a long phrase, start with one or two words.

If you feel you must have some stimulation for your bird while you are out at work all day, turn on the TV to a children's station. Sesame Street can be quite entertaining for parrots. Simon our Grey and Willow our Quaker seem to anticipate Sesame Street as part of the daily routine. They are now learning Spanish…Uno..Dos..Tres…Quattro.

Remember that consistency is the key. Talk to your parrot all the time, using the same words and phrases. Use a higher pitched voice if possible, they seem to prefer that. Parrots more often imitate a female voice than a male voice.

Quite often your parrots will practice when alone. You come in the room for a little praising and they're silent. Don't be discouraged as eventually they'll be talking a blue streak. Some birds do this until they build they're confidence, African Greys are very well known for this and usually won't utter a word until it's reached perfection. Quakers have a tendency of whispering the words under their breath until certain they have perfected it.

Birds learn at their own rate. Some may be talking in a few months, while others may take a few years, than there are some that never talk at all even though they have the ability to do so. African Greys have been considered one of the most intelligent parrots in the world. But our Quaker Willow started talking in 4 months, and Simon took 8 months. Moral is, don't be discourage, if your parrot is intended to talk, it will come with time and should talking be the driving edge reason you want a parrot, our suggestion to you would be to attempt to find one that has already started to talk. Quakers & Amazons are very well known for speaking at a very young age.

Be careful of profanity. Unfortunately many birds have been sold due to excessive use of profanity. So before you think…"Cool", think again because there will be a situation in your life where you'll need to do some explaining.

The Bottom Line:

All birds from the Cuckoo's Nest Aviary can learn to talk. Be patient and consistent and before you know it…You'll have one talkative companion. Just be careful not to talk about something you don't want others to know about…You may get caught!!!

Believe it or not birds do get bored even in the home environment. In the wild their primary function would be to forage and survive. Basically no time to get bored in the jungle…after all it is a jungle out there. (Ha Ha)

All birds need a variety of toys; TOYS, lots and lots of TOYS! Toys they can play and destroy. By nature parrots love to tear things up, chew them up and generally have a great time at it. As well ensure they have different textures to explore with their beaks. A parrot's first sensory instinct is to touch something with its beak in the same way that humans touch things with their fingers. A happy parrot is one which has a variety of things to do…TOYS!

Some parrots enjoy having a 'project' which may involve problem-solving like 'how can I remove this object from where it is hanging up in my cage so that it falls onto the floor of the cage! We had a cockatoo named Ziggy who spend countless hours untying knots to release the wooded balls attached. There is a great sense of accomplishment when they fall to the bottom of his cage.

It's a good idea to rotate toys every few weeks so that birds don't get bored.

But toys costs money, so some people tend to buy toys that are indestructible, toys that just hang in the bird's cage or playpen unused. Give them a variety, those to destroy, and those to remain somewhat in tacked. Learn how to make and find fun toys that are just lying around your house. We all have a wealth of things we can easily make and give to our birds so they can have fun when we are not around.

Now when we are at home…Give them plenty of our time out side of there cage: play with them, interact with them, make them feel a part of the entire household by engaging them in all your family activities in the home. Set up a play gym in an area that can be supervised for a time when you can't handle them. You know…folding laundry, cooking dinner, vacuuming, etc…the everyday things that prevent us from getting bored.

Birds are fantastic pets and the more time you spend with them the more you'll come to realize they are truly incredible and capable of the most amazing expressions of charm, intelligence, and love.

Potty training...are you ready for this; One of the most rewarding tricks you can teach your parrot. For obvious reasons, those who have potty trained their birds seem just a little happier than those that did not.
Start by placing your bird at the desired drop zone. Then in a commanding but gentle voice tell him to go. Pick a phrase you feel comfortable with and use it from this point forward. We use “Bombs Away”, but you can use what ever you desire.

The choice of where to drop is totally up to you. Just ensure it’s in a place your bird can get to easily. Most people prefer that their bird go only on or in their cage. Others train them to go on newspaper or into a wastebasket.

Okay, now that you have decided on the preferred location, let's get started.

First, place your bird on the desire place when you think it's near time to go. Command your bird, "Bombs Away" (or whatever phrase you have chosen). Do not allow them to move from the spot until they have done the deed. If your bird moves, gently place him or her back and repeat "Bombs Away". Patience is required as sometimes this can take quite awhile.

Once your bird finally does what you’ve been waiting for….PRAISE! PRAISE! PRAISE! Use a lot of Good Girls (or Boys)

Training should be continue each and every time your bird is not in his cage. Don't be slack about it! Take comfort as most baby birds learn in just a couple of training sessions. Do expect the occasional accidents, sometimes for weeks, but soon you’ll have your bird pooping in all the right places.
Once you have your bird purging on command, increase the time between the sessions. In time your bird will learn to hold it longer and longer each time until there was no convenient place for them to go.

Good luck…and the real trick, “CONSISTENCY and PATIENCE.”