How to Train a Parakeet to Whistle | The Nest — Pets

How to Train a Parakeet to Whistle

Aggression in Female Parakeets
Written By
Tom Ryan
Tom Ryan
Sep 20, 2012
1 minute read

Training your parakeet to whistle is just like training him to speak -- the secret is repetition. Parakeets are very social and love to communicate, so once you familiarize him with whistling, he will love to use it as a method of speaking and getting your attention.

Step 1

Take your bird to an environment free of distractions and other noises. For example, allow your bird to perch on your finger and sit in a quiet room.

Step 2

Look directly at your bird and whistle. It's important that your parakeet know that you are addressing him with this sound, so be deliberate.

Step 3

Continue making the same whistling sound. Your bird won't understand whistling as something abstract; instead, it only understands repetition. If you want to teach your parakeet to do a wolf whistle, then, continue making that sound.

Step 4

Repeat the whistle every now and then as you interact with your parakeet. Parakeet's generally enjoy whistling, so once he is familiar with the sound you are teaching him, he will start producing it on his own. Much like you can with spoken words, you can teach him to associate a whistle with a certain activity. For example, look at your parakeet and make the same whistling sound every time you give him a treat, but only when you give him the treat. He will quickly learn to associate the whistle with an impending treat.

Tom Ryan

Tom Ryan is a freelance writer, editor and English tutor. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in English writing, and has also worked as an arts and entertainment reporter with "The Pitt News" and a public…

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