Clarification

Shizhen Li Shizhen (1518–1593), the primary author states: According to Master Luo’s Erya Yi original: 爾雅翼, "Wings to the Erya," a 12th-century natural history text, the Materia Medica claims that if one takes a branch that a Shrike has stepped upon and uses it as a switch to lightly strike a child, it will cause the child to speak sooner. This is because the Shrike is the only creature capable of singing during the season when all other things in nature have fallen silent.
This is an example of applying the principle of "seeking like with like" An ancient medical philosophy where a plant or animal's natural traits—in this case, vocal ability—are thought to be transferable to a patient..

The Crested Myna

Explanation of Names

Crested Myna also called the Zhou-li-li bird. According to the Guangyun dictionary, this is the Myna original: 八哥, Bage, literally "Eight Brothers," the common name for the Crested Myna today. Its folk name is the Cold Herald original: 寒皋, Hangao.

From The Arts of Ten Thousand Completions:
(Shizhen states: This bird enjoys bathing in water. Its nature is watchful and cautious original: 瞿瞿, qu-qu, which is why it is so named. Wang’s Explanation of Characters suggests the name comes from its "desirous" original: 欲, yu gait, and because its tail and feet are "hooked" original: 勾, gou; thus it is called Qu-yu, using shortened versions of the characters for "hook" and "desire." Li-li refers to its call. When the weather turns cold and snow is imminent, they fly together in flocks as if sounding an alarm, which is why they are called the "Cold Herald"—Gao meaning to announce or herald.)

Collected Explanations

[Su] Gong states: The Crested Myna resembles the common Myna but is distinguished by the "turban" a crest of feathers on its head.
[Chen] Zangqi states: On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month The Dragon Boat Festival, a time of great ritual and medicinal significance, take a fledgling and clip the tip of its tongue. It will then be able to mimic human speech. It can also be trained to go out and fetch fire.
Shizhen states: The Crested Myna nests in the abandoned holes of Magpies or within the roof ridges of human houses. Its body and head are entirely black, with a white spot under each wing. Its tongue resembles a human tongue; if clipped and trimmed, it can produce human speech. When young and tender...