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amcarrig1
Egg
Joined: 15 Sep 2006
Posts: 7
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| Constant Squawking! |
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Hi there. I'm new to the board and have already gotten a lot of helpful information by reading this forum so thanks for that!!
I'm wondering if anyone can help me figure out why my 6 month old male parrotlet has taken to squawking (more like a loud peeping) on an almost constant basis! He is at the end of a molt but besides that, nothing new. Any ideas, suggestions? Thanks in advance!! |
Friday September 15, 2006 7:07 pm |
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meg832
Fledgeling
Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Posts: 365
Location: Ohio |
Hmmmmm. My 6 month old parrotlet is doing the same thing. (See my post, "Screaming has always worked for her" in the Behavior forum. Then come back here...) Maybe this is just a phase they go through at six months!
Because of your post, I am wondering if my assumption on why my bird is screaming (i.e. loud, repetitive, spoiled-sounding peeping) is correct. Let's compare notes and see if there are any common factors between the two.
So, under what conditions does your bird scream or not scream? |
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Monday September 18, 2006 1:45 am |
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amcarrig1
Egg
Joined: 15 Sep 2006
Posts: 7
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Hello and thanks for pointing me in the right direction. Let me go read that thread and get back to ya! |
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Tuesday September 19, 2006 5:41 pm |
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amcarrig1
Egg
Joined: 15 Sep 2006
Posts: 7
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Ok, read your other thread and wanted to add that my parrotlet also squawks when I'm at home and not in his line of sight. The problem is that my fiancee is home all day and says that he squawks for hours even when I'm not home. I'm starting to wonder if he's suffering from separation anxiety!! |
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Tuesday September 19, 2006 5:46 pm |
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meg832
Fledgeling
Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Posts: 365
Location: Ohio |
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See, that's what I think, too: separation anxiety. They both yell when their favorite person is not in sight. When I leave, I can hear her squawking, but she is usually quiet by the time I return. However, I have heard her squawk when I'm unlocking the door and wonder if it is because she hears me or if she is still yelling from the initial separation. Either way, we have to find a way to make these birds more secure when we are not in view.
My hiding from her whenever she squawks has lessened the length of time she yells. It is now down to minutes when I am at home. The only other bird owners I know think I am totally insane with that approach. They may be right. All I am doing is demonstrating that I only reappear if she is not squawking; the insecurity that causes the squawking may not be resolved at all. (I'll post that thought in the other thread.)
Perhaps here we can work on making the birds feel secure. I have tried extra food and chew toys. The silence only lasted the amount of time it took for her to empty her mouth! What size is your bird's cage, where is it located, do you have other pets, what other variables might be important?
Fluffies folks: 1) How do you make a bird feel secure when it is against its nature to feel safe when alone? 2) Have owners of parrotlets and other small birds noticed a screaming phase at about 6 months? |
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Tuesday September 19, 2006 9:17 pm |
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amcarrig1
Egg
Joined: 15 Sep 2006
Posts: 7
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I too hear my bird squawking the minute I walk through the door but then the fiancee tells me that he's been doing it all day so I don't think he starts when he hears me pull in the drive. I have also tried giving him food but, like you, it only lasts so long before he's at it again. He's got a Kaytee "medium" playtop bird cage with about 3 toys that hang from the ceiling and a bird teepee for sleeping. It is located in our living/tv room near one of the windows that face the front of the house. I have two cats but they are confined to the other side of the house so the animals never see each other. I also have a canary but he's in another room. Although he does still squawk when he's out of the cage and on top of his cage, it's not nearly as constant as when he's in the cage when I'm not home. |
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Wednesday September 20, 2006 7:52 pm |
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meg832
Fledgeling
Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Posts: 365
Location: Ohio |
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Your cage is bigger, but mine has more to do and has no teepee because she hated it. Mine is in the main area of the apartment but I move it near the window sometimes when I leave so she will have something to watch. I have two cats but no way to confine them, so the pets all know each other. The cats usually are curled up, asleep, near the bird cage when I get home. (The cage is locked) I wonder if they are there to keep her company because she screams. My bird is only on the cage when I'm near by; sometimes she jumps off and tries to come over to me. I'm not going to try and find out if she will yell from the top of the cage if I leave the room....with the cats...
Ah ha! A tid bit. Maybe yours hears the canary. Mine might hear the parakeet that lives across the street. You know, if you had your canary in the same room, they might keep each other company, and your parrotlet might learn to sing, too. If your bird is content having a canary around, maybe I could buy mine a pet fish.... It wouldn't be a bird, but it wouldn't be a predator, either.
What does yours get in the way of food? |
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Wednesday September 20, 2006 10:54 pm |
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amcarrig1
Egg
Joined: 15 Sep 2006
Posts: 7
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Last thing my fiancee wants is for the parrotlet to sing like the canary. The reason why the canary is in the other room to begin with is because it sings very loud all day long (which is extremely bothersome when you're trying to concentrate on something or trying to watch tv). It's bad enough that the canary is starting to squawk like the parrotlet! 
Fish won't do much in the way of company. I also keep saltwater reef aquariums and when I show the fish to the bird, he couldn't care less 
As for food, I feed a variety including Harrisons, Roudybush (sp?) and some types of dehydrated foods that were given to me by a friend who works in a vet's office that specializes in birds. |
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Thursday September 21, 2006 8:03 pm |
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meg832
Fledgeling
Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Posts: 365
Location: Ohio |
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Okay, I give up. My behavior modification technique of staying out of the bird's sight as long as it is screaming has improved the situation for me. Unless a fluffies member can think of something, that's all I've got. It is very hard to do this at first, especially if you have to BE somewhere at a certain time. You can speed up the process by making a point of coming into the room and paying attention to it when the bird is being quiet, chattering, or singing. Also, be sure to mention to the bird when you are leaving the room that you will return. Speak to the bird from the other room so that it feels secure that you still exist. Your fiancee will have to do the same.
Double check to be sure your bird does not have a valid complaint: food (plenty and clean, staples and fresh raw), water, chew toys, toys to hit, interesting perches, enough light, able to escape direct sun, not being threatened by scary sounds or movements, plenty of play time out of cage with people, regular baths....
In order not to reward the unacceptable behavior, you might have to leave by the back door (or window?) if your bird is screaming! You may need to stash reading material and other projects in your hideouts. Observers will think you are insane. However, I just did a test: I left the room. There were 21 peeps before she quit and the last several were half-hearted. Then she went back to twittering and playing. We are almost there. I now have hope that I will not be spending the next thirty years trying to block out the relentless noise of a screaming bird! |
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Thursday September 21, 2006 11:58 pm |
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meg832
Fledgeling
Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Posts: 365
Location: Ohio |
Well, there has been a new development. Just when I thought we were on the home stretch, she increased the screaming. I scolded myself for carelessly moving around the apartment without making sure I did not reappear if she was screaming for me. But I let the training slide, as I was discouraged and too busy...
Then, all of a sudden, the screaming stopped. Stopped completely. I don''t need to tell her where I'm going or call to her from the other room. The only thing I can figure out is that I removed the grate from the bottom of the cage. Her eating style is to tear her food to tiny bits, then feast on the pile of little morsels. With a grid in the bottom of the cage, her hard work was wasted because she couldn't get to the food she had prepared for herself! She gets weighed every few weeks, and her weight was always stable; however, I think she was frustrated and afraid she would run out of food.
If you have a screaming parrotlet, try this! Let me know if it works. |
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Saturday September 30, 2006 9:52 pm |
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meg832
Fledgeling
Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Posts: 365
Location: Ohio |
I take it back. She has started screaming again. There must be something I am missing. It's probably very simple. Any ideas? Amcaring, how is the screaming at your house? |
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Tuesday October 3, 2006 4:56 pm |
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amcarrig1
Egg
Joined: 15 Sep 2006
Posts: 7
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The screaming persists in my household, I'm afraid so George has been moved into the other room with the canary. This seems to have limited the squawking to just a few hours a day instead of all day long. I do make it a point to take him out for about an hour every night so maybe handling him less often has made a difference. I can't really tell though  |
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Tuesday October 3, 2006 7:50 pm |
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cheekie_birdy
Experienced flier
Joined: 08 Jul 2006
Posts: 1719
Location: Canada |
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Hi there. I did write an article about squawking on my website, and Here is the basic squawking stuff I've written:
"Screaming
All parrots will scream, but if your bird screams constantly, check it's enviroment. If there is nothing that you can think of that's upsetting him (in the cage too long, feels sick, not the right food, screaming kids, other pets scare him..etc.) then try my methods. Or, check with a vet, maybe he's sick.
Wrong Methods People use (don'ts)
Some people suggest covering the cage. They say that this makes the bird think it's night and go to sleep. This is not true. Parrots aren't stupid, they know that it isn't bed time. So the bird might make a bigger scene, or get stressed and pluck its feathers. Other people say scream at your bird. That isn't right either. The bird will enjoy this drama, and only scream louder and make as much noise as they can. Others say "bang on the cage". This will make your bird become aggressive, bite and scream louder. Others say take the bird out of its cage. If your bird was screaming because he wasn't out of his cage enough, this would be right, but if the bird is just screaming because he wants you to be with him every milisecond of the day, don't. This teaches him he can scream and you will pick him up. Also, don't shout negitive things and swear, tell him to "Shut up" or "be quiet". The bird will like this drama, and if he learns to talk, guess what he'll say? That's right, negitive things, swearing and "shut up!".
Right methods people use (do's)
If your bird screams, wait until he's quiet and come down to his cage. Say "shh, please don't scream" or sneek off to another room out of his view. He will probably think that you aren't going to come anyway, and stop screaming. A way that I like to do it is get a nut, natural branch with bark, foraging toy, or whatever. When he's quiet (for the few seconds they are lol) give him it. He will be quiet while he strips the bark, cracks the nut shell and digs out the meat, forages, or whatever. Another way is to put on soft music, and talk quietly (not to anyone in particular). The bird might try to match the tone. Also, what if another pet is making noise? This often happens to me (dog barks, birds scream). Quiet the noisy pet and repeat the "low tone" method (music, voice.). If it is a unatural time of day he vocalizes (not natural like dawn), before that time, play loud music, and talk loudly so he will "get it all out" before the other time."
Ok, thats just copied from my site. Now what you have here seems to be seperation anxiety, what meg said. Cover half her cage and try to get her a snuggle buddy or happy hut (you say you laready have a sleeping hut which is good) or stuffed toy (when your plet is sexually mature and in breeding season remove these, but at 6 mos. you would not have to worry) and put some of her fave treats in the cage, explain to her that you'll always come back, and basically move her cage (like meg said) out of view of other pets and to a more sercure place. Put on her fave soothing, quiet calm music. Keep her busy with chewing toys and foraging toys and natural wood perches to chew and bells. Remove all big threatening toys.
Gee, I really hope this helps!! Good luck with your plet!! Feel free to ask me any questions bout this  |
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Wednesday October 4, 2006 12:12 am |
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meg832
Fledgeling
Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Posts: 365
Location: Ohio |
quote:
I did write an article about squawking on my website
Wow. That was you? I remember that article. I read it in August. It's good! My p'let's screaming history is noted at http://www.fluffies.org/en/viewtopic.php?t=3434
The screaming is always when I am out of her sight. Yesterday I happened to stop it when I refilled her already-clean-but-not-quite-to-the-brim-water-dish with filtered ice water. (All our filtered water is in the 'fridge.) That pleased her, but I don't think she is after ice water every time she screams. Maybe she just wants to see how high she can get me to jump.
If you can think of anything I'm missing, I'd be grateful. |
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Wednesday October 4, 2006 11:33 pm |
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cheekie_birdy
Experienced flier
Joined: 08 Jul 2006
Posts: 1719
Location: Canada |
quote:
Originally posted by meg832
quote:
I did write an article about squawking on my website
Wow. That was you? I remember that article. I read it in August. It's good! My p'let's screaming history is noted at http://www.fluffies.org/en/viewtopic.php?t=3434
The screaming is always when I am out of her sight. Yesterday I happened to stop it when I refilled her already-clean-but-not-quite-to-the-brim-water-dish with filtered ice water. (All our filtered water is in the 'fridge.) That pleased her, but I don't think she is after ice water every time she screams. Maybe she just wants to see how high she can get me to jump.
If you can think of anything I'm missing, I'd be grateful.
Thanks for the comment! 
I can't really think of anything else..if I do I will post back..I guess you just have to make the bird as secure as possiable..  |
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Thursday October 5, 2006 12:06 am |
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