One of the most known characteristics of pet parrots is their ability to mimic and talk like humans, however, not all breeds of parrots are capable of talking and mimicking human sounds. Some breeds won’t even make any sound as they are quiet and calm, while other breeds will make noises and sounds that could be annoying.
Although some parrots can perfectly pronounce words and letters, they can’t understand and use language as humans do.
Anyways, here in this article, we will answer the question of Why do parrots talk like humans.
3 Reasons Why Do Parrots Talk Like Humans?
So, some parrots are capable of talking like humans because of 3 main reasons. and they are:
- Parrots Are vocal Communicators
- Living Among Humans
- Parrot Physiology
Parrots Are vocal Communicators
Dogs and cats mostly communicate with each other by body language and this way of communication is sufficient for them. However, on rare occasions, they might use vocal communication just like what happens between cats and humans, and yes cat mews only to communicate with humans.
But for parrots, it goes the opposite way. Parrots communicate mostly in a vocal way whether they live in the wild or in captivity and they use sounds to comfort their babies, alarm their flock about any near danger, and defend their nest if they need to.
And in captivity, we can see that parrots can understand the rhythm of the music as they usually bob their heads.
Living Among Humans
The voices that parrots make are judged by the voices they hear in their environment, so if the parrot is still living in the wild don’t expect any talking and word mimicking. You can only expect to hear the sounds of other flock members or other animals like monkeys or other birds.
But living in captivity with their owners and other people is the only way for parrots to learn and talk like humans. Basically, they are just mimicking the sounds they hear repeatedly in the living environment not necessarily understanding what they are saying.
Parrot Physiology
The unique structure of their brains is the reason behind being vocal learners. This structure differs from other types of birds.
With this feature on parrots, it is natural for them to mimic while they are in captivity around people who talk and communicate vocally as the fundamental way to contact.
Such brain structure is absent in chimps thus they can’t control their vocal cords and the muscles surrounding them and this is the reason they can’t talk and speak like humans.
Yet, this doesn’t mean that parrots have vocal cords and they can control them, no. Parrots have another organ called the syrinx which is the organ responsible for making voices, and yes parrots can control it.
Conclusion
Yet, it’s not a sure thing to have a talking pet parrot even if it was living in an environment that provides the perfect conditions. Not all parrots can talk and mimic human sounds, not even the breeds that are known to be good talkers unless they were produced in captivity and used to hear words from a very young age.
The voices that parrots hear during their first years of life will stick with them to the last day and it’s very hard for them to adapt to new words, it could happen but it’s not guaranteed.
And yup, that’s about it, I hope you found this article informative and easy to digest. Thank you for reading…
Hello, my name is sadeq and I am obsessed about parrot And I am here to share everything about raising pet parrots and how to be good owners to your bird.
