Birds That Can Talk
African Grey A native of equatorial Africa (a region that stretches between the Ivory Coast in the west and Kenya in the east), the grey parrot, as it’s formally called, is widely regarded as one of the best-talking birds in the entire world.
Budgerigar The budgerigar is swathed in yellow, blue, green, and white feathers with black markings along the back, nape, and wings. Judging by sheer verbal competency, this bird that can talk probably ranks right at the top of the bird class.
Amazon Parrot Most Amazon parrots are quite proficient in speech. The key to their vocalizations could be their highly social nature. These are gregarious birds that gather together in large flocks for foraging, roosting, and nesting.
Rose-ringed Parakeet Also known as the ring-necked parakeet, these medium-sized birds, identifiable by the light green plumage, orange beak, and rose ring around the neck, are very common throughout India and parts of Africa.
Quaker Parrot Also known as the monk parakeet, this small bright green bird with a grayish breast is native to Argentina and the surrounding countries of South America. While not the most capable talkers, they are highly social, intelligent, and quick to grasp human vocabulary, which makes them popular among novice or inexperienced bird owners.
Eclectus Parrot Fairly laid back, calm, and not too noisy, they do make screeches and whistles in the wild to communicate with each other. In captivity, they can learn a fairly extensive vocabulary of perhaps more than a hundred words.
Hill Myna Most people have probably never heard of the hill myna, much less known about their amazing ability to mimic human speech. A member of the starling family, this group of black-colored songbirds is native to southern Asia (though also later introduced into Florida).
Cockatoo Common throughout the Asian Pacific region, the cockatoo family is represented by some 44 species, all of them adept at vocal mimicry to some degree. They are identifiable by their fairly large size, their prominent crests, and their curved bills.
Macaw This large group of colorful, garish, and beautiful New World parrots includes 19 different macaw species. They are often identified by their huge, hooked beaks, exceptionally long tail feathers, and relatively bare facial patches.
Ravens Immortalized by Edgar Allen Poe’s famous poem, ravens (along with closely related crows, rooks, and magpies) can mimic many sounds, including human speech.