training senegal

Question
I have a female Senegal parrot shes very loving to me and is extremely close to me, i was told that females cant talk or if they do it takes a extremely long time for them to learn???? is this true can you help me???

Answer
hi. thanks for your question!
i have never heard of any talking bird, Senegal or otherwise, where the females cannot speak as well as the males. i am wondering if perhaps this got confused with the fact that males of "song bird" species (like canaries) sing more than females. this also isn't completely true as female birds can sing, it just isn't that rich "rolling" singing that the males can do. this serves a purpose obviously....females birds are usually protecting a nest and/or babies and do not need to draw attention to themselves. that also explains the difference in coloring.
sorry i went off on a tangent but there is no reason why your little 'gal can't learn to talk. sounds like you have already bonded with her and she is a sweet little girl!
Senegals are known for their talking abilities but also their general "quietness" in relation to other talking birds (if you've ever been around a macaw or cockatoo, you know what i mean!) they can mimic alot of sounds, not just talking, but things like phone ringing, car alarms, and other noises they may hear during the day.
it usually helps to start training them early on when they are young to develop talking ability but i don't see why you still couldn't try teaching her a few phrases.  
In general, birds usually begin repeating ("talking") after they have heard a word repeated many times (they are mainly mimicking you though after some time in the right context, they can understand what some words refer to).
Try simple words like "hello" or her name and try and say them in an encouraging voice while looking at her. Always speak positively and encouraging to her when you are doing your talk training.  Usually, your bird will pick out a word that they seem "interested" in (my conure really liked it when i said "Surree", his name). Make that your first "training word" and go from there.
Like I said, your bird will initially be "mimicking you" so you will need to repeat that same training word as much as possible to her (in your encouraging voice! While tedious, is the only way she will learn to repeat it herself. I have seen some bird training CD's that supposedly help teach birds to talk. I can't speak specifically about any one CD as I've never used them but interaction with your bird is better...your bird can observe you making the sound and I think would respond better to you than a stranger's voice on a CD.
Just remember to be patient. My 15 year old parrot only ever learned to say one word and that was after he was already about 4 years old. Birds, like people, move at their own pace and have their own abilities. Some birds never really become expert mimics but they are still wonderful companions none the less.  It may take years for her to start speaking or she may never speak, but obviously she is a terrific parrot and you are a terrific parrot owner nonetheless.  
You can also try simpler things than words...like having her mimic sounds. My parrot LOVES to impersonate me chewing and making kissing sounds. He also whistles from time to time and even laughs! I didn't even really "teach" him that either, just years of him hearing it had him start copying it! She may already be doing that if you listen closely.
Good luck with your little girl and let me know how it goes. hope this helps. alicia