HELP! screaming parrot

selma · Post by **selma** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 3:56 am

Hope someone can help me with this one. For the past couple of weeks bibou has started the most annoying screaming behaviour. It starts early in the morning when he's still in the cage and then it goes on for about 2 hours until i let him out. It's not because he's hungry cos there's plenty for him to eat. And i know he's not ill because he's just been to the vet. He's really just behaving like a very naughty child. He'll sit and chatter on end and then suddenly lets out theses shrill screams. He runs around in circles and i have no idea what he wants. It's gotten to the point where i'm so scared the neighbours will start to complain that i have put him in the guest toilet for about 10 mins. ( I read in one of the books i have to leave them to calm down in another room) That seems to work fine. He doesn't scream at all in there and after i let him out he's so sweet but it doesn't seem to last very long. When he's on top of his cage it's the same thing. I've tried leaving the room and just ignoring him but it does not seem to be working. Right now he's on top of his cage chatting away and in between screams like crazy. I don't even want to look at him cos when i do he screams even more like he's mad at me. Sometimes i think he doesn't like me

but this morning he climbed on the bed and tried to get right close to my face and he was so sweet. It all started when DH returned from his trip abroad. It seemed Bibou just went crazy following him around everywhere. I've also just found out i'm pregnant and i'm worried that this stress cannot be good for me especially as i can't even seem to take a nap in peace. Please somebody help. I'm really tempted sometimes to just leave him in the guest toilet for half an hour so i can get some peace. There's nothing in there that can harm him but i really don't want to do that. HELP!

Neokireina · Post by **Neokireina** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 4:58 am

Here are some articles on screaming taken from the Articles page at http://www.parrotchronicles.com/departments/articleindex.htm

This one is about screaming behaviour
http://www.parrotchronicles.com/departments/scream_behavior.htm

This one is about screaming in regards to a weaning problem
http://www.parrotchronicles.com/departments/conurescream_behavior.htm

This one is off topic about how parrots do not mourn. It's still interesting due to the fact It talks about how parrots are used to being part of a flock at all times and dont feel safe alone
http://www.parrotchronicles.com/departments/mourn_behavior.htm

Mikaela · Post by **Mikaela** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 6:05 am

I adopted a screamer. Unless she was ON YOUR SHOULDER she would scream from the time her eyes opened until she fell asleep.

I read a million articles and tried 2 million things. The only thing that worked was to completely ignore her at all times. When 5 minutes of no screaming would pass, I allowed her on my hand, NEVER on my shoulder.

Screaming = being ignored. To ignore a bird means to NOT EVEN glance in its direction. To even look at the bird acknowledges and accepts the behavior.

A screamer is by far the worse, almost ruined my family... literally.

Again: If anyone wants to GIVE you one of these beautiful creatures, you had better get to the bottom of why because these arent something you just give away unless the bird is distroying your family, in this case she was her old home and her new one.

Above is the method I used and I no longer have a screamer.

In short, ignore the bird completely unless it is being quiet, then handle her and treat her. If she is screaming DONT EVEN LOOK AT HER.

Within two weeks she will realize screaming gets me ignored. Not screaming gets me love and treats. They have the mentality of a 2 yr old some as a 5 yr old. They know what they are doing and they also know when they win. You can see it on their faces.

selma · Post by **selma** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 6:43 am

thanks neokireina and mikaela for the replies. I have had a look at those websites and have read some of the articles. It all makes sense about the ignoring as Mikaela also mentioned. But what do you do when you ignore and he just screams intermittently for 2 hours? I've also noticed that when he thinks i'm not around he'll be quiet. Then when i go into the room and praise him and tell him what a good boy he is he starts screaming. So i ignore him and leave the room. The minute he makes an agreeable sound i respond from the other room and he screams back at me. As if to say: DONT TALK! I do the same when he's chatting away. I praise him and he screams at me. :roll:

I cant seem to win with this bird. But i'm going to stick it out and keep ignoring the screaming. I just hope the neighbours won't be knocking at my door anytime soon.

Mikaela · Post by **Mikaela** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 8:52 am

I know selma... I swear Peek-a-Boo would literally scream ALL DAY. It was maddening.

You just have to suck it up and tell your family this is something you all have to go through. It will be hell but it will break her. Peek-a-Boo was determined I was going to hold her. She would make herself sick screaming.

It was tramatic for her and us but she is a happier bird now and my family didnt leave me.

This very reason is why Peek-a-Boo was given to me.

Baby is doing her 'puppies whimpering in a box' head tuck thing now and it is getting on my nerves, to be honest with you. :oops:

Im sure she gets sick of hearing me getting on the her 4 human brothers though soooo.....

selma · Post by **selma** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 9:18 am

i know what you mean Mikaela about her getting on your nerves. I never ever thought i would say it too :oops:

and i know you should ignore them when they scream like that but a few times i just gave him the evil eye and i was soooooooooo tempted to tell him to shut up. Managed to control myself on that but all i want to do is shut the bedroom door, hide and pretend nobody's home then at least he'll keep quiet. But that would mean he's controlling us and i don't want it to get to that. The good thing though is once the sun has set and we switch on the lights he tends to calm down a whole lot. Just the odd scream now and then. He used to sleep on top of the cage but for the last few days we made him sleep inside because he started jumping down at 6 in the morning and getting up to no good. I thought at first that could be the reason he was mad but the second night he just got into the cage by himself and went to sit on his sleep spot. Then the next night he went back to the top of the cage and we had to trick him into the cage and close the door. Maybe it's just a whole combination of things making him mad. Hormones? Mating time? Anyway, will see how it goes tomorrow. You must be so happy you got success with peek-a-boo. What a relief...no screaming.

Mikaela · Post by **Mikaela** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 2:38 pm

Seeeee that is what Peek-a-Boo came from... screaming for attention and the owner screaming back to SHUT UP because the damn bird will literally make you want to hurt her... I am not joking. It IS MADDENING! A babies cry I can take all day but that sqwacking WAS KILLING ME!

My husband literally said "She has got to go Baby or I am, these arent my birds, I dont love them, I dont want this is my life to come home and listen to this. So I had a huge goal. I had to get her fixed or get her gone.

I asked my family for 3 more weeks, if I couldnt fix her I would let her go and not shed a tear (they would sooner jump off a cliff as to see a tear roll down my cheek). I was granted the three weeks of no complaining about her, looking at her, interacting with her, ect. I too, only changed her food and water, talked to her with an open door when she was quiet but other than that, left her be.

I honestly think she screamed until she broke something and cant anymore. Or my theory worked.

Always remember... the baby that cries loudest gets the most milk. These arent stupid birds.

jen5239 · Post by **jen5239** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 4:38 pm

Is this something they all go thru? Or is it just some birds? Good grief, John will KILL me if I get another one and it starts to do this. I'm kind of afraid after reading these posts.

Jen

Mikaela · Post by **Mikaela** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 5:42 pm

It is something spoiled birds go through OR neglected.

No offense selma, I hold my babies too much too.

And of course there could be other reasons for it... some illness or the daggone thing just likes to scream.

ScarletKnight · Post by **ScarletKnight** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 8:07 pm

selma hpw far along are u in ure pregnancy ( if you can work with bird then read the following, if not have your significat other read) have you trained the bird if so how you need to start with it. is there special games you guys played. you need to ignore liek mekela said. if that doesn't work my grandma taught me a trip you cover the cage and turn off all distraction tv, radio and all jazz and get your sleep and uncover when you get your sleep coving should be limited to upper portion of the cage not the whole cage.
scarlet
ps good luck with your future endavors as a mommy.

Neokireina · Post by **Neokireina** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 8:28 pm

I could be wrong but I get the feeling it's an insecurity thing. You said your bird started this when hubby came home from a long time away. Also it happens alot when you try to interact with your bird.

This is taken from Companion Parrot Quarterly http://www.companionparrot.com/articles/contact.html

Our birds are also able to learn birdlike calls that we teach them. I didn’t care much for Jing’s natural, shrill contact call, so taught her a three note whistle that resembles some natural African grey whistles. She learned it immediately and, just as quickly associated it as a contact call. Now my life and hearing is much better, as we call back and forth with my whistle, not hers.

Another survey respondent replies, "My eight month old grey either whistles a specific whistle I taught her to use (which I respond with), or says ‘Come Here!’ which is something she picked up from my two year old saying ‘come here, Mama’."

Esther Pascal writes, "My two birds do two different things that I would consider contact calls. Buffy, my three-year-old Citron, began her adventures at my house by screaming every time I left her room. As she learned to talk, the screams were replaced with ‘Mommy right back. After a while, she learned to say ‘Bye-bye’."

Please read the full article to understand the context of the quoted passage

Mikaela · Post by **Mikaela** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 3:59 am

Ahhhh Neo, thats right... Selma? You are the young lady whose husband works away alot? And you said your bird wasnt a 1 person bird but loved you both equally? Is that you?

I have a suggestion! Do you have a speaker phone? When your husband calls put it on speaker phone and have him say 'Hey fella, its ok, daddy will be there soon blah blah blah in a very reassuring voice.

Now that I have put two and two together, that is probably what it is, as Neo said, insecurity/abandonment.

My girls love talking on the phone, they look behind it to see who is talking back :lol:

Different topic here for a moment:

I can not talk on my cell phone or my birds make ALOT of noise and movement. However, when I use my house phone they dont seem to notice. I imagine they must hear signals or something from the cell phone that is unpleasant to them. Have any of you experienced this?

ScarletKnight · Post by **ScarletKnight** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 6:17 am

mikela i think house phone is funny my irn squaks as the phoen rings each time and few sec before. lol esp man. i though he was doing thsi to be cute around me so i set up a camcorder and called when i was teaching and lo and behold he did then to. wierd huh. well i dunno if you know who move around alot when you tlak on a cell phone since you are active so are your birds. if you sit and talk on ure cell after a whiel they will stop. asfar as i know cell rf don't have any effect of birds. unless you pu the phoen right next to the bird constantly then again if you do that human we get cancer.
scarlet

Neokireina · Post by **Neokireina** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 7:41 am

I had a cockatiel that used to mimic the phone exactly. So I stopped answering the phone. To answer it you had to go from the house, outside and into a granny flat.

ScarletKnight · Post by **ScarletKnight** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 7:52 am

im thinking of getting a flashy phone that way it will just flash so the irn won't know what noise to make. it is kinda of good in a way im suppose to hear from the hospital soon to hear wheather or not my mom can have surgery to remove her cancer they said it unoperable since it might be diagonised to late. maybe after i find out i will change the phone out.
scarlet

selma · Post by **selma** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 8:56 am

Mikaela it's so funny you said that. My husband is on a trip again and when he called about an hour ago i did just that. I put it on speaker and he spoke to bibou. I will do that everytime he calls so bibou won't feel abandoned. Actually I thought bibou loved us equally but sometimes i'm not so sure cos when daddy is home that bird has no time for his mommy. Just follows hubby around and screams for his head to be rubbed. Doesn't care if i rub his head or not as long as daddy does it. Then he makes all sorts of lovey dovey sounds. :roll:

I really should start referring to Bibou as she. I'm convinced he's a girl and remember we were talking about the ring? Well actually the ring is paler than the rest of his body so i'm sure it's a girl.
Today went a bit better. I taught him/her to climb up and down his/her big ladder that daddy bought for the cage. Last week it scared her half to death. I don't know why that bird gets scared of toys. If only she would be scared of the things she's not supposed to stick her nose in. :lol:

Sounds so strange saying she
thanks again you guys for your advice.

Mikaela · Post by **Mikaela** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 5:17 pm

Seeee Selma! :lol:

People think I am a nut because I treat my birds like 5 yr olds but if you look at their behavior they act like well-behaved 5 yr olds so, so be it.

My man will talk to the birds sometimes when he calls and they love it. They prance on the perch looking for him. It is usually something mean like 'Daddy is going to throw you out the door when he gets home, birdie wanna be free?'

He is AFRAID of my babies and I let everyone know it. Punk. And he is to protect me? Ha, thank god Im american!

*props her sawed-off shotgun back up behind the couch*