Without a doubt, one of the behaviors that has most surprised us human beings over time has been to see that there are birds capable of making the most varied vocalizations, even being able not only to imitate words perfectly, but in more extreme cases, learning to sing songs One of these birds is the nymph or carolina, which has taken more than one smile thanks to his amazing ability to imitate words.
In this article on our site, we will try to answer the question of if nymphs speak, one of the most frequently asked questions those who have the fortune to live with this curious bird.
Nymph behavior
Nymphs, like many birds, are a species that requires social interaction, as well as the formation of bonds with other individuals, to feel protected and comfortable in their environment. This cockatoo expresses its comfort and happiness when it is with other companions, spending time together, pampering itself and grooming each other several times a day.
However, the formation of these bonds requires prior communication to contact and exchange training with others. This expression of messages and intentions occurs in birds, not only with the specific body language of this species, but, above all, through the emission of sounds, such as we will cover later in this article.
For more information, we encourage you to read this other article on our site about Nymph Behavior.
Do nymphs talk?
As we have seen, sound communication is of vital importance for nymphs. For this reason, it is not surprising that it is often stated that nymphs speak, but is this true?
Actually, this belief is not entirely correct, because nymphs do not speak, but rather imitate sounds We must bear in mind that we understand the fact of speaking as the communication established through words, that is, sounds with their own meaning in a specific culture, which are created thanks to the vocal cords.
According to this definition, if we compare the behavior and specific capacities that nymphs have when they emit sounds, it is not exactly what we would say to speak, because to begin with, these birds do not have vocal cords, but the Their great ability to perfectly imitate sounds is due to the membrane located at the base of the trachea, an organ called syrinx
The fact that nymphs imitate sounds typical of human speech, that is, words, is the result of the learning that these birds carry out in their social environmenthabitual to get along better in this: express your state of mind, needs and intentions.
Does not mean, therefore, that they speak, but that they have learned that sound and may relate it to a specific situation through learning. Therefore, the sound by itself lacks meaning, since these birds are not capable of defining said word.
If you want to learn how to take care of your nymph, we recommend you read this other article on How to take care of a Carolina nymph or cockatoo? In addition, we leave you an explanatory video on the care of the nymphs.
At what age do nymphs speak?
There is no strict age at which nymphs begin to speak. Now, this happens once your bird begins to reach a certain degree of maturity, because when it is small most of the sounds are to ask for food.
However, keep in mind that learning is constant and varies depending on age. Therefore, it is important to talk often to your nymph so that it gets used to the sound and, as it reaches maturity, it may make its first efforts to imitate you.
Each nymph has her own learning pace, so don't get overwhelmed if you see that your little one isn't interested, because it could either start early at 5 months or a little later at 9. Also, keep in mind the sex of your nymph, as they are usually males those who are more predisposed to emit all kinds of sounds and to perfect them, being the females rather silent.
If you have doubts between adopting a male or female nymph, in this other article we will help you decide: Male or female nymph - Which is better and differences.
How to teach a nymph to speak?
First of all, it is important to understand that you should not force your nymph to learn to speak, as this is a natural process which will develop as you share time with your bird. On the contrary, forcing your nymph to do it will only generate discomfort and discomfort in him or her, which will affect their mood, and, in addition, he will associate this negative experience with you, gradually earning his mistrust of you.
To teach your nymph to speak, you will need to spend time with her in a quiet space and speak softly and sweetly to her. There will be times when she will be especially receptive and interested in words that you tell her, it is in these moments when you have to repeat the word you want her to learn, when stay tuned.
Next, you must reward herwith her favorite food when she makes the effort to repeat it. During the learning process, you will have to repeat the word or phrase frequently and, if you are patient, you will see how little by little your partner will perfect the sound and pronunciation of the word you want to teach.
