Some cockateils can be trained to mimic words but you need to be patient and consistent. Give your bird uup to 10 minutes a session daily and repeat a simplle word you'd like him to learn over and over. Let your cockatiel see your lips move as you talk. Reward him with a treat when he pays attention to you. Use a high-pitched voice as birds respond to those sounds. Although I wasn't with him for very long, I taught my granddaughter's cockateil, Tweety, to say Pretty Shira (her name) and his name. Tweety came to live with me when my granddaughter left home for school and he's picked up the sounds of outdoor birds. He's 9 years old now, but I haven't given up teaching him more words.
