parrot talking

Get Your Quaker Parrot Talking

Looking to get your Quaker Parrot talking?

One of the most appealing features of a Quaker parrot is talking. These friendly birds can hold conversations and imitate sounds quite effectively how.

However, they don't always do it the way we want. Many people attempt to teach their parrots to talk through the use of tapes or discs. Often, they're disappointed. While small birds, such as parakeets and cockatiels, can learn to mimic these recordings, larger birds, such as Quaker parrots, don't start talking, even though they've heard hours and hours of what sounds like human speech.

The reason that using recordings to get a Quaker talking isn't very effective is because parrots aren't just mimics. They repeat sounds we make in an attempt to communicate with us. In the wild, this kind of mimicry allows them to feel like they're part of a flock.

At home, we're the only flock they have, so they try to talk to us. Since a tape doesn't impart any meaning to the parrot, he or she recognizes it only as unusual background noise. A more effective way of teaching your parrot to talk is by helping him or her attach meaning to specific sounds.

Talk to your young Quaker as though it were a baby or young child, and you'll find that you get better results. The best talkers are the ones that are spoken to as though they are expected to learn language themselves.

Of course, the meanings that your parrot attaches to words aren't always the ones you'd like it to. Parrots react to the words and sounds that get a reaction out of you (creating entertainment for them), or that have meaning to them (getting out of the cage, receiving a treat, making a request). This is why so many parrots pick up swear words and other undesirable phrases when they talk. If the word makes you excited, they reason, it must be a good one.

One method that can work for getting Quaker parrots talking is modeling. A human or another bird performs the action that's desired in front of your parrot, and gets a reward. This can teach your parrot that it wants to do that (and get the treat), too.

This works best for tricks based on natural behaviors, such as wing-spreading and foot-lifting, but can be used to model desired phrases or sounds. Remember that, like small children, Quaker parrots have short attention spans. This means that you should keep all training sessions short (less than fifteen minutes) and have them occur more often, rather than trying for a few long sessions.

Get your Quaker parrot talking, learn more tricks, and find out everything you've ever wanted to know about parrots by visiting: http://www.train-parrot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Blake_Allen

parrot names

Great Ideas For Picking Parrot Names

There is really no point in looking for a book that will give you several suggestions for parrot names. Finding a name for your pet is actually one of the most exciting parts in owning a parrot. But it would be a good idea to find a name for your beloved bird a few weeks after you have brought it home so that you can find a moniker that will fit the personality of your pet. Like a human child, each parrot has its own unique characteristics and attitude towards people, food, and training. It would be so much fun to find a name that will be a perfect fit for your bird.

Many people choose parrot names based on the personality trait of the bird. If you think your pet is robust and healthy, you can call him names that connote strong or mighty qualities. If your parrot is female, you can use adjectives that will best describe your bird. Pretty, tiny, rouge or pink are some of the words that you can use to call your female parrot. It would be best to stick to monosyllabic names so that your parrot can easily mimic and learn its name. Some other nouns or adjectives you can name your pet include grace, joy, lovely, chirp, beauty, and champ.

Using the names of popular celebrities and well-known individuals can also be good parrot names. If you love pirates, you might want to call your bird Capt. Jack or simply Jack. If your companion parrot is really talkative, you may want to name it after great talk show hosts such as Jay Leno, David Letterman, Oprah and even Chelsea. You can even use the names of your favorite movie stars or artists. Paris, Liz, Lindsay and Britney are good names for female parrots that you think are glitzy and glamorous, while Scarlett, Selma or Pamela are ideal for female parrots that have prominent breasts. Hunky male parrots may also be named after Hugh Jackman, Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom or even Zac Effron.

Some people also use the names of their favorite cartoon characters such as Mickey, Donald, Daisy and Sponge Bob to call their pets. There are actually no rules in choosing parrot names for your pet. In fact, naming a pet is a personal preference. You can get inspiration from almost anything under the sun. You can use your local surroundings or even the colors of the rainbow to help you out.

Gideon Williams is a parrot care expert.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gideon_Williams

pionus parrot

The Blue Headed Parrot

The blue-headed parrot (Pionus menstruus) is one of eight species of pionus parrot native to Central America and South America. Measuring around 11 inches this bird's lifespan is around 25 years. Don't get muddled between this species and blue fronted Amazon parrots as they are quite different.

The blue-headed parrot is native to South America and Central America, and can be found in the America-Amazon basin from Costa Rica to Panama. Some good places to spot them in their native habitat are Brazil, Bolivia, Central America, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Venezuela. In these countries they live in forests and some more open locations. They tend to live in groups, often roosting in palm trees, and are a sociable bird.

Whilst their name derives from a distinctive blue head this parrot has a number of subtle color markings. The blue of the head extends some way down the chest to the green body. When examined closely it can be seen that they have red coloring beneath their tail feathers and some dashes of yellow on the wing coverts. The mandible (lower jaw area) is black, but has reddish areas at the sides. You will also note some reddish feathers around the ceres (a soft, fleshy swelling on the top of the beak).

Of the parrots commonly kept as pets the blue-headed is one of the most affectionate and calm. With dedicated coaching they can also be reared into reasonable mimics. However, they are not the best mimics, and in fact on the plus side are quite quiet for parrots.

The blue-headed parrot is comfortable in both an aviary and indoors, but if you have a non-captive bred specimen then the acclimatization process can take up to two years.

For this bird grit and cuttlefish bone are good supplements to the standard parrot diet of parrot mix, fruit and greens. In the wild they enjoy seed as the staple food.

One health issue to watch out for with this species is that these generally healthy birds have a disposition to aspergillosis. This fungal disease is marked by poor breathing. In addition to this a swollen eye ring can be a sign of a nasal blockage. Finally, the pionus can exhibit flaky bills, but this is just a sign of intensive use rather than something to be concerned over. If you breed your pet you can expect a clutch of three to five eggs.

Danny Oakes writes for http://parrotcare.tropicalpets.com/ and recently wrote a detailed article on blue fronted Amazon Parrots that covered a range of topics, including feeding and care advice.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Danny_Oakes