New owners of Mynah birds need to pay attention to the living environment, feeding, and daily hygiene. Training a Mynah bird to speak requires seizing the right moment, repetitive training, and patience. Mynah birds, though unassuming in appearance, are actually low-key, profound, and intelligent creatures, so keeping one can bring a lot of joy to a family.
Mynah birds are wild protected birds and cannot be captured at will. Mynah birds are not an endangered species, so they can be bought and sold. When buying or receiving a Mynah bird as a gift, be sure to confirm its source to avoid breaking the law.
Three Important Things New Mynah Bird Owners Should Pay Attention To
1. Living Environment
Mynah birds are not small, so when raising them, be sure to provide them with enough space. If it is a female bird, you should also prepare an opaque small nest for laying eggs. The eggs should be taken out in time, otherwise, she will die brooding. The ideal cage size should allow the bird to comfortably stretch its wings and hop around without restriction.
2. Feeding
Mynah birds are easy to feed. Change their water daily and purchase bird food from bird markets or online stores, or you can use chick feed. Occasionally, feed them some vegetables and fruits to supplement their nutrition. Insects are a natural part of a bird’s diet, and the best food for Mynah birds is bugs such as grasshoppers, caterpillars, and mealworms, which are their favorites. You can also supplement their diet with specially formulated bird pellets, which provide essential nutrients.
3. Daily Hygiene
Mynah birds need to take baths, and the water temperature is crucial. The bathwater shouldn't be too cold or too hot. In the summer, do not use cold water directly. Instead, place the water in the sun to warm up to avoid making the bird sick. Mynah birds, like humans, also sweat and are very afraid of the heat in summer, so they can bathe more often, once or twice a day. In winter, do not use overly hot water to avoid scalding. Although Mynah birds have many feathers, they are not very resistant to cold, so if you keep them outdoors in winter, pay attention to keeping them warm but ensure good ventilation.
How to Train a Mynah Bird to Speak
1. Seize the Right Moment
Training a Mynah bird to speak should start from the chick stage, as raising it from a young age will help it become more dependent on you. Talk to it often and call its name. Around 3-4 months, when the Mynah bird finishes its first molt, you should start training it to speak. Pay attention to when the Mynah bird makes strange sounds; professionally, this is called "turning throat". You can train it every morning and evening.
2. Repetitive Training
It is best to train Mynah birds in a quiet, unoccupied environment to improve their concentration. The best time is in the early morning or evening, preferably half an hour before feeding. Training a Mynah bird to speak is like teaching a child to speak: start with simple short phrases and repeat them continuously until it learns the word before moving on to the next one. Do not change words easily; after all, Mynah birds are not as intelligent as humans. Changing words frequently will not enhance their memory and may backfire.
3. Be Patient
Training a Mynah bird to speak is a lengthy process. While training the bird, you are also training your own patience. Don't change words easily, and also do not change the person training the bird. The Mynah bird is also familiarizing itself with the owner’s voice during the learning process. Moreover, everyone has their own timbre and tone. Changing people will make the bird suspicious and slow down its learning. Also, pay attention to the Mynah bird’s condition during training. If it is jumping around in the cage, it means it is not listening attentively and you should stop the training. This is a waste of effort. Try again at another time when the Mynah bird is attentively looking at your eyes. This indicates that it is focused and learning effectively.