Question

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I would like to know how could I teach my budgie to talk. Thanks alot!

ANSWER: Dear Salmah,
thank you for your question.
Budgies are not very talented voice imitators, unlike many big parrot species. They usually only learn a few words and usually only out of loneliness because they have no other budgie to talk to and never hear their own language spoken back at them. If you really want to try and teach your budgie to talk, repeat the word you want it to say in a calm voice many times, when the budgie is relaxed. The early enevning is often a good time for that. You can also record a tape of your voice and play it.

But I recommend getting him a partner instead. They are very social and used to being in the company of other budgies 24 hours a day. A single budgie will get lonely and bored when you are not around even for an hour or even when you are no in the same room. Two budgies are more active and always have each other to play with, they are much more interesting to watch. If your bird is already tame, the new budgie will learn that from him and if you still need to tame yoour bird, it't not hard to tame two birds, you just need patience and a lot of millet spray.
Some budgies learn to talk even when they are kept in pairs or groups, but I wouldn't set my heart on it.
I hope I was of some help to you
Jennifer

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QUESTION: Thanks, I had two budgies but the one flew away, I don't think my budgie would be bored as it stays in a big cage outside with a lots of other birds.

ANSWER: But the other birds are not his own species, it's like living on an island with a lot of monkeys. They have neither the same language nor body language. I would still get him a friend of his own species.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks, I've read in a book that budgies get more tame to you if it is alone with no partner, Is it true.

Answer
A single budgie will usually bond to you quickly (although there are exceptions) because he has no other choice, if he wants company, there's only you. But a human can never replace another budgie as company. Two budgies may take a bit longer to tame, but it's not that hard and the birds will be tame because they want to be, not because they have no choice.
I recommend clicker training for taming birds, it's a very good method that rewards behaviour you want the birds to show (like not flying off or being afraid of your hand) with a specific sound and a treat.
www.clickertraining.com/allanimals has more information on this.
I hope I was of some help to you
Jennifer