Any bird that has a curved beak has the ability to talk….in some species, the males will talk better than the females….this is usually true with Parakeets and Cockatiels. But, there are always exceptions. 

Parrots are social creatures and need to communicate with members of their “flock”. Babies that are hand raised may start mumbling at just a few weeks old. Birds in the wild learn their vocalization from their parents, so hand raised babies learn their vocalization from humans. Just like small children, baby birds are quite impressionable, so speech training should be begin as early as possible. Parrots also are like small children in that the more they hear words over and over, they start practicing the sounds they hear.

Since most bird owners are not home much of the day, we can encourage “talking “by leaving the radio on during the day…..”Talk radio” is a good choice for speech. Also, some owners leave the TV on with Disney Videos such as Snow White, Cinderella etc. There are several CD’s on the market that encourage speech. I know of several owners that record their own voice and play it during the day while they are away from home. 

Remember, “Repetition is your bird’s best friend”….just like small children needing adult interaction while learning to talk, so do our birds. You can try and reinforce speech with a treat or just a whole lot of excitement!  
Keep in mind that ALL birds may not talk, may not talk well,or may not talk clearly……but ALL birds need positive reinforcement, respect and a family that loves them dearly.