Parakeets have always been well-tempered, social birds that I can get along with very easily. They chirp in the morning and whistle back and forth with me. I’ve always found my parakeets to be absolutely delightful and a joy to have in the house. Then again, I’ve never owned a male parakeet . . . until now. Since, I’ve learned a lot about techniques on how to get a screaming bird to quiet down.
Some noise is natural
Birds are noisy animals. When communicating to their flock, they need to be loud in order to be heard.
Some species will celebrate the sunrise and sunset with squawking or singing; pet birds do the same.
Other species, whether in the wild or as part of a human family, will make window-shattering sounds throughout the day or vocalize several times a day for 20 minutes at a time.
Birds who find themselves away from the flock call to the group and find their way back when the group answers. Your parrot may produce short sounds with pauses in between, and is simply saying, “Are you there?”
Wild birds use vocalization to warn others in the group about impending danger, such as a predator in the area. If a pet bird is afraid, she will do the same thing.
Such means of vocalizing to communicate are normal. It is not normal, however, for a parrot to scream in the same pattern for lengthy periods of time. This is not a happy bird and she does not have a happy family.
Pet Birds And Excessive Screaming
Illness, including nutritional problems from a poor diet, which may cause the bird to change the amount of vocalization or other behavior. Rule out a possible illness by having your bird examined by a veterinarian.
Screaming by unhappy birds can usually be traced back to an underlying problem that is stressing the bird. These stresses include:
A change in the family makeup, such as a new family member or the loss of a family member (e.g., death, gone away to college).
Jealousy, resulting from the addition of another pet or paying more attention to certain individuals in the house.
Loneliness or boredom, which often occurs if there is a change of routine (e.g., vacations, longer work day, holiday bustle).
A change in the environment, such as a move to a new home.
Fear, which can cause a bird to scream just as she would in the wild.
Inadequate sleep due to cage location, household noise (e.g., TV), too much light, or people moving around the house.
How to Stop or Reduce Screaming in Parrots
Remember that some screaming is normal behavior for a parrot. Your goal should NOT be to eliminate all screaming and loud squawking, but to reduce the screaming to a tolerable level. This will require gentle patience and consistency among all family members.
Start to rehabilitate the parrot by making sure her basic needs are being met, reestablish the humans as higher ranking (e.g., step-ups and step-downs), and keep a diary of all screaming episodes.
In the diary, record all the information about the episode including but not limited to time of day, day of the week, phase of the moon, what is happening at the time, and the moods of the people and the bird before, during, and after the episode.
With this information, hopefully, the cause of the screaming can be identified and eliminated.
The two questions which must be considered when trying to rehabilitate the parrot are “What should I do when the bird screams?” and “What should I do when the bird is behaving properly?”
When the bird is misbehaving, you do not want to inadvertently reinforce the behavior, for this can make the behavior problem worse. From the parrot’s perspective, getting any attention while she is screaming may be a reward.
Some parrots may actually like you to yell back since they love drama and the yelling becomes a reward.
Yelling, hitting the bird or the cage, leaving the bird isolated, spraying her with water, or withholding food will only increase the stress on the bird and either make the screaming worse, or the bird will turn to another unacceptable behavior such as feather picking.
The best way to improve the bird’s behavior is to give positive reinforcement, i.e., giving something good to the bird when she behaves correctly (e.g., sitting quietly on a perch).
This could be a special toy, a food treat, and verbal praise. These are rewards. Do NOT use them to bribe the bird into better behavior.
If a bird is exhibiting a bad behavior in a certain circumstance, it is important to determine what it is you want the bird to do instead.
Then you can teach the bird to substitute the desired behavior for the undesired one. For instance, teach the bird to talk instead of scream. Then reward the desired talking behavior. Consistency is absolutely necessary; reward the good and desired behavior and do NOT reward, in any way, bad behavior.
If the bird is screaming due to loneliness, you may need to think of other solutions.
If the bird has a reason to be lonely because the owners can not give her sufficient attention, it may be helpful to get another bird for companionship.
The new bird does not necessarily have to be a mate, and could even be kept in a separate cage. Think first, though. If you, the owner, do not have time for one bird, are you going to have time for two? Is it fair to the birds?
You may want to seriously consider finding a new home for your bird until your life style changes and is better suited towards having a pet.
Do not turn on nature shows on the television, though, as they may scare the bird into thinking a predator is in the room. Old phone books, natural, non-toxic tree branches with leaves, and paper cups can be given to the parrot to play with (and destroy).
For many birds, an alternative outlet for the bird’s energy needs to be provided.
Exercise on play gyms, flapping sessions in the shower, supervising the bird while you take him outside, or leaving the television or radio on can all help relieve pent-up energy.
Some bird experts suggest that if the bird continues to scream, give the bird a dirty look, cover the cage, or leave the room, returning when the parrot exhibits an acceptable behavior.
Others suggest that this may actually worsen the problem, especially with birds who are screaming out of fear. This is why understanding why the bird is screaming is important. You can adjust your actions depending on the circumstances.
Use foraging toys to hide his food, so he has to work to get it. This gives much-needed mental stimulation, and provides a way of feeding that more closely resembles what the bird would do in the wild.
