Abstract
0 ne of the questions I hear most is "How can 1 teach my mynah bird to talk .?' That is my reason for writing this article. I cannot promise that your bird will talk, I can only offer suggestions. The following information is based solely on experiences I have had with my own mynah birds.
Some mynahs develop a larger vocabulary than others. I believe it all depends on the character of the bird, the living environment, and the care and attention the bird is given.
Talking to your bird with expression in your voice can make a big difference. Saying the words and phrases with expression and fun tones will get the birds attention. I have said to my bird, Howard, "Whatcha doing?" in a higher tone - the same tone you would use to call a kitten or puppy to come to you, for example. After I said this to him a few times for a couple of days, Howard began repeating it in the same tone. It is funny. Now he says it in a normal tone and sometimes in the tone I taught him.
When my husband heard him the first time in that funny tone of voice, he asked me "What are you doing to my bird?" Howard and Holly (our mynahs) both will talk like a cartoon character and also in a normal voice. People ask me who they sound like. Sometimes me - other times, who knows, Tweety Bird? Well OK, I'll admit it, a couple times a week I turn the television on to morning cartoons or the children's educational shows such as Sesame Street, etc. There are a lot of repetitive words and sounds on
those shows. And different tone levels too. Has this helped my birds? I can't prove it, but it seems so.
We also have a tutoring device that repeats my own voice, which I play a couple of times a week, except when I forget to turn it on. I set it to play for five minutes every half hour. This continues for eight hours while we are at work. I occasionally change the message that I want it to say. Sometimes I put on words and phrases that they already know just for a review. It's good for them to listen and it breaks up the monotony of having silence the whole day when the birds are alone. It keeps them company at the ve1y least.
Don't expect a recording device to do all the work for you in training your bird to talk. It rarely works that way if that is all the training your bird gets
If your bird will stay perched on your hand outside of the cage, this is a good time for a private lesson. But whether your bird is inside or outside of his cage during a lesson - talk to your bird, repeat the word or phrase you want him to learn. He needs time between your repetitions to think about what he is hearing and to have a chance to repeat if he chooses. Continue the lesson for about 15 to 20 minutes. Do this a couple of times a day. Early morning and early evening are good times. I don't feel it is good to whistle to your bird. I think it encourages them to whistle instead of talk.
The personal bond you create with your birds from the beginning is a major factor. They need to feel comfortable and secure. There is a better
chance that you will have a good talker by purchasing a domestic hand raised mynah bird. If possible, I suggest one that is still being handfed and take over the duty of hand feeding.
We purchased Howard at four weeks old. Then a year later, we purchased Holly at four weeks old also. Mynahs are so sweet and cuddly at that age. They like to be cuddled under your chin. Holly still loves it. Howard will let me but prefers to be free to roam. Holly will let us hold her anytime and comes to. us on her own. Howard is just the opposite. Different personalities, but both are excellent talkers. We give them both a lot of attention.
You should hear your baby mynah's first "hello" at around three or four months old. It may not sound clear at first but will become more clear as he gets used to talking. Begin saying "hello" as soon as you get your bird home. This helps get him started at trying to make the sounds. Some mynahs have began talking as early as two months old.
If you purchase a mynah bird that is a few months old, there is still a good chance for him to be a good talker but you have to be willing to put in the time and effort. Our first mynah was a few months old when we purchased her from a pet store. We didn't know much about her background except that she had a previous owner. She could already say two things - "hello" and "pretty bird" - but she continued to learn new words and phrases throughout her whole life.