Can Cockatoos Talk? Which Cockatoo Breeds Are Most Talkative?

Published on Oct 05, 2021 by Bilal Qamar

Last Updated on June 11, 2022

Universally, it is stated that Parrots can mimic human vocalization, but this quality varies from one species of cockatoos to another. Naturally, they have a sweeter and softer voice than other birds, and they are less colorful.

Cockatoos have a melodic rhythm in their voices. Let’s have a look. Can Cockatoos talk? And which breed of Cockatoo is more talkative?

Yes, Cockatoos can talk, but not all species of Cockatoos can talk. They have soft and sweet voices but to make them talk is a time taking process. Generally, parrots can talk after training, but some cockatoos are quieter, and some are more talkative.

In this article, we will illustrate that can Cockatoos talk? And discuss the most talkative breeds of cockatoos.

Can Cockatoos Talk?

Naturally, Cockatoos can talk very efficiently, but in order to make them utter a few sentences, training is mandatory. The willingness of a Cockatoo to talk is very important. Cockatoos can not speak in the wild, but in captivity, their speech quality has been observed.

Cockatoos communicate through their gestures, and they do not speak during communication. In order to communicate with other Cockatoos, they use sign language. Cockatoos utter a few words and sentences in captivity when they get practiced by their owners.

Can all Cockatoos talk?

Cockatoos have the quality to mimic human vocalization, but their species differ from each other. Among all Cockatoos, few become very good talkers after getting training from the very first age.

  • Galah
  • Sulphur Crested
  • Cockatiels
Can all Cockatoos talk

Few Cockatoos are often seen quieter, only they screech and give some calls.

  • Goffin Cockatoo 
  • Umbrella Cockatoo
  • Red-tailed Black Cockatoo
  • Major Michell’s Cockatoos
  • Glossy-Black Cockatoo

Which Cockatoos’ Breed is more Talkative:

In birds, the ability to talk occurs naturally, but not all birds have this quality. Similarly, in Cockatoos, few birds are very good talkers like Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Galah, and Cockatiels. These Cockatoos are excellent learners and quickly memorize the words.

In the wild, these Cockatoos can not utter a single word, but after training, they can speak. Efforts are always required in order to make them good talkers. Owners have to follow a few things to make these Cockatoos species good talkers.

Mimicry of a word by Cockatoo:

At the beginning of Cockatoos’ training, the trainer must start from a single word. The owner has to utter one word and uses this word many times in a day. This methodology will help Cockatoo to learn more words. Effectively.

Repetition of Words and phrases:

After memorizing the words, you will see that Cockatoos are now in the position to learn. You must have to start uttering Phrases and then repeat them. Repetition of words and phrases is always a successful methodology to make Cockatoos good talkers.

Fix a time for Cockatoos’ speech Exercise:

Always fix a time for Cockatoos’ activity because they will make learning a habit. Always be careful that while teaching, Cockatoos must be in a relaxing mood. If they are annoyed, they will not even try to utter a single word.

Cockatoos are very talkative

Quieter Breed of Cockatoos:

 Few Cockatoos like Goffin, Umbrella, Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Glossy- back Cockatoos, and major Michell’s Cockatoos seem quieter. There can be many reasons behind their silent moods.

  • The willingness of a Cockatoo is very important in learning speech.
  • Some Cockatoos naturally can not speak, Even in loud calls; they only screech.
  • Some Cockatoos have quiet nature, and they do not want to utter any word.

The environment in which Cockatoos can learn efficiently:

Some Cockatoos are very good learners but creating an environment for learning is mandatory. Cockatoos can not learn in the wild because they use their sign language. In captivity, Cockatoos enjoy true interaction with humans and try to copy human phrases.

Not all Cockatoos can talk properly; only a few breeds are good talkers. So, creating an environment for learning is essential.

Cockatoos can sing lower notes:

In captivity, when radio, televisions, and music players are put on every day. Cockatoos will start enjoying the sounds, and then they will try to sing the lower notes. The voices of Cockatoos are soft, and their voices appear to be very beautiful in lower notes.

cockatoo love to sing

Singing is similar to the chirping of birds. In the wild, when Cockatoos are happy, they used to chirp. In captivity, Cockatoos try to sing lower notes when they feel comfortable.

Hissing Sound of Cockatoos: 

During the exercise of talking, If Cockatoos only produce hissing sounds, then be alarmed. Cockatoos can hiss only when they feel danger around them, so the selection of the beat of a song is also very important. 

If the owner plays the same scary beats during exercise, Cockatoos will stop learning. Cockatoos are sensitive to scary sounds. Cockatoos will not get ready to learn when they are annoyed by beats.

How many words can Cockatoos learn?

Cockatoos start learning words from the basic words. For example, Cockatoos try to copy their owners when they say hey, hello, bye, good, etc. Most of the Cockatoos can learn up to 20 to 30 words.

It is researched that smart parrots can acquire 2000 words vocabulary. Cockatoos, which are good talkers, can acquire 1000 words from their owners. Other than words, Cockatoos can also learn sounds.

Whistling Sound of Cockatoo:

Cockatoos can make melodious whistling sounds after learning from their owners. Cockatoos copy words from training, but they can also copy the same whistling sounds as their owner does. Cockatoos used to prefer whistling instead of speech because it seemed easy to them.

Whistling Sound of Cockatoo

Conclusion:

Talking of a bird is a naturally gifted quality. It has been illustrated that which bread of Cockatoos is good talkers and quieter birds. Cockatoos, by training, can learn basic words and then Phrases.

When Cockatoos utter small, small sentences, they look so cute. Repetition of words can be the best method to make Cockatoos good learners. Before selecting any Cockatoo as a pet, always check its breed because few species of Cockatoos can not mimic it.

Also Read About: How Much Attention Do Cockatoos Need?

Bilal is an aviculturist who loves to write in free time. His personal experience with bird care and breeding enables him to share valuable tips. So far, he has contributed more than 100 blogs to this site. His goal is to promote bird-keeping and save endangered species.

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