If you ask anyone in the world about something they know about parrots, they will more than likely be able to say they can speak.
For whatever reason, it’s universal knowledge when it comes to parrots and their ability to talk.
Still, many people are confused about how they can talk, and more importantly, if all parrots can talk.
Considering you’re on a parrot website and the topic at hand has to do with Cockatoos, can Cockatoos talk?
To answer this question…yes, cockatoos can talk and have a naturally soft and sweet voice, unlike other parrots who have a harsher voice. Although it might take you a bit longer to teach them how to talk compared to other kinds of parrots, the job can still be done as long as you’re patient enough in the matter. Plus, once it’s done, it’s always cool to hear your parrot speak.
Still, it’s vital to note how a Cockatoo talks depend on their environment and their willingness to speak.
If you have a Cockatoo that’s extremely shy or timid, you may have trouble getting them to speak compared to a Cockatoo that’s more outgoing.
The same can be said for any parrot species as it’s a lot to comprehend from their perspective.
After all, they are technically speaking something that isn’t even from their species.
Nevertheless, down below, we’re going to discuss everything there is to know about Cockatoos and their ability to talk.
We’ll go over how they talk, if they all can, and why they do it in the first place.
From there, we’ll go over plenty of other information that’s worth highlighting in this specific area.
Before you know it, you’ll have a never-ending list of information for you to take a glance at when it comes to your cockatoo talking.
Let’s get started!
How Do Cockatoos Talk?
If you’ve ever been woken up by a bird singing in the morning, this is because of their ability to modify air that flows over their syrinx to make sounds.
The syrinx is located near the trachea, where it splits into the lungs.
Considering it’s always fun to hear a parrot talk, it’s even more useful to know how they do it.
Thus, if you ever hear a cockatoo talk or any bird for that matter, realize their syrinx is the reason why.
Even if you’re woken up by a song in the morning from birds chirping, it’s the same reason as to how parrots, and more specifically, Cockatoos can talk.
In short, the syrinx isn’t a magical tool for parrots to sing to one another, but as a way for parrots to mimic a human voice.
It’s vital to note that a Cockatoo isn’t speaking like a human because they know what they’re saying, but because they’re mimicking the sounds they hear.
As a result, there are plenty of parrots who can speak multiple languages, even if they technically don’t know what they’re saying.
Thus, it can be interesting how far your Cockatoos knowledge goes with speaking a language and teaching them the process.
However, keep in mind, all parrots, including Cockatoos, vary in how far they can learn a language as it’s dependent on how social or comfortable they are with something.
As a result, always do what you can to teach your parrot communication techniques, but don’t go too far in teaching them something if it’s out of their comfort zone.
Can All Cockatoos Talk?
Generally speaking, no, not all Cockatoos can talk as there are a few factors as to why they wouldn’t be able to.
For starters, if a Cockatoo gets injured, they might not be able to communicate at all if it’s severe enough, or it may distract them from talking in the first place.
There’s plenty of ways Cockatoos can get injured, making it a needed area for you to be mindful of anything that’s potentially wrong with your Cockatoo.
If your Cockatoo usually is a chatter-box, and all of a sudden, they’re not communicating, realize something is probably wrong.
Besides injury, Cockatoos who have never been around humans before may have difficulty trying to speak.
Considering speaking is very much concerning how a creature spends time with another creature, a wild Cockatoo who is never around, a human will have no need or ability to speak like a person.
Lastly, if your Cockatoo is shy or timid, it’s prevalent for them to not want to communicate at all due to their shyness.
Although this is a rarer scenario since most Cockatoos are very social, don’t be shocked if it’s a possibility, especially if the Cockatoo is new in your life.
Similar to humans, a Cockatoo may take a bit of time to warm up to a person and their surroundings.
Thus, always do what you can to ensure they’re living a comfortable and happy life, otherwise, there might be some other issues that’ll pop-up that you should always avoid.
Why Do Cockatoos Talk?
As mentioned earlier, Cockatoos can talk because they can use their syrinx as a way to mimic certain sounds they hear.
As a result, they have the ability to mimic a wide range of voices they hear, whether it’s a humans voice they hear or a character they hear on a cartoon.
If you’re someone who has never heard a Cockatoo speak, it’s quite remarkable the first time you’ll experience it.
As humans, we tend to think of the human voice as being uniquely associated with humans.
However, the reality is quite different from this, as parrots can mimic them remarkably close.
Still, a Cockatoo’s ability to communicate all depends on how familiar they are with humans and if they’re around many humans.
If your Cockatoo was never around a human before, expect them to take a bit of time to get comfortable and start speaking.
Scientifically speaking, most experts will claim parrots can communicate because they’re vocal learners.
With this in mind, it shows how intelligent parrots genuinely are, especially when it comes to our perception of intelligence and how it applies to Cockatoos and what they do.
Do All Parrots Talk Like Cockatoos?
As for the broader picture associated with parrots and their ability to speak, every parrot species has the ability to communicate.
Considering communication is such an essential area in all animals, it’s even more remarkable to cite that all cockatoos can communicate.
Still, as touched upon earlier, some parrots speak much better than Cockatoos can.
In fact, many Cockatoo experts cite that the beautiful large bird struggles with communicating early on with their endeavor to learn it.
However, as they gain more experience, you’ll see their confidence increase, making them experts with mimicking sounds.
Whereas, in contrast, there are plenty of other parrot species who can pick up the ability to speak right away.
In fact, some parrots may only take a few sessions to properly talk and sound just like a human.
Still, all of this is anecdotal and depends on your ability to teach your parrot and your patience with how fast how they’ll be to learn.
Have Cockatoos Always Talked?
It can be challenging to figure out if Cockatoos have always talked.
Still, as far as we know, they’ve always possessed the ability to mimic sounds.
As a result, it’s safe to say that Cockatoos have always had the ability to talk, but whether they used it or not may be the better question.
Plus, there was a time when Cockatoos were never around humans, meaning they never would’ve had the ability to mimic the human voice if they never heard it.
It must’ve been reasonably tricky and amazing for the first human to listen to a parrot speak.
They must’ve been blown away by it, especially if they didn’t know how they did it.
Still, in today’s world, we know how they do it, and it’s somewhat remarkable that they can do it the way they do.
So yes, Cockatoos have always been able to talk like they do, but when they first began to is up for debate since it’s impossible to pinpoint the first parrot that talked.
How Do You Help a Cockatoo Talk?
As for the actual process of helping a Cockatoo talk, the lesson for doing this is actually much more straightforward than you might realize.
For starters, make sure you begin with simple words such as hello and goodbye.
Getting in the habit of saying these every day to them will have them pick the words up.
Plus, once they associate something with the word you’re saying, they’ll get the hint of what it means and how they can use it.
Other than utilizing simple words, to begin with, make sure you say the words enthusiastically as a way to highlight the words to them.
Then, before you know it, your Cockatoo will be able to talk, and as they get more comfortable, you can add more words for them to learn.
Just make sure you’re patient in the entire process, as they can take a bit to learn a subject like this.