Levi is a year and half old quaker parrot.

The last month he is driving me and my partner crazy.
He's always had noisy times (but in moderation), but lately it is just ridiculous.

He used to sit happily on his playstand playing with toys or just watching us, and even in his cage. Sure, he'd make noise now and again, but it was mostly talking with a screech here and there.

Now he just screeches constantly. Its like he isn't even screeching for a reason. I'll be sitting on the lounge watching TV with Levi about 2 metres away from me on his stand and he'll just start screeching and won't stop.

We've tried telling him No. He knows he's in trouble but doesn't care. We've tried putting him back in his cage, that didn't work. We tried putting him in his cage and covering him up for 5 minutes, or until he was quiet, and even now that doesn't work. He'll just sit in his cage screeching, even with the cover on. Even if I ignore him, he'll just keep going and going and going.

The only thing that stops the screeching is if we go get him and hold him. I've only done this twice, as I certainly didn't want him to think he got to come and sit with me by screeching.

I have no idea how to stop this behaviour. Somethings got to happen though, as he's really driving me nuts. Its starting to affect my study as I can't concentrate.

Help!

you could try whispering to him when he's loud. sometimes that works in conjunction to their level of nosyness. they just have to hear what you are saying, so they quiet down a bit to hear you. another thing would be to pile on heaps of "good boy!" praise when he's quiet. pick him up when he's quiet and give him some lovins.

i would say there is a reason he's squawking, you just haven't figured it out yet. sometimes something that we don't notice can upset their worlds, like a new item in their line of sight that stresses them out, if you wear a new scent, if partner has suddenly grown a beard or if you have started wearing glasses, for instance.

also, i hear that spring time brings hormonal issues. i know it's hard, but be patient and hopefully this will pass. also hopefully someone with more ideas will be along too.

kris

Can you take him to watch tv with you, maybe he just want to be with you both.

Well I understand your frustration...I have the same problem a lots with Harley....He is quite as long as I'm out of the room and when I appear again, he'll start...I think it is an attention getter..so I start just talking to myself in a low voice or just humming and he will quiten down to hear what I'm saying....
If he starts again I've started saying in a stern voice...."no,--- bad boy, that isn't going to get my attention, so quiten down", and he has done that....Wow, to my amazement for sure....then I'll say "good boy"....afterwhile I may go and pick him up....

And too it is hormonal season and your baby could be molting.....Try a bath or misting, that seems to quiten Harley down for a good while when he starts to preen his feathers..
Good luck---let us know what he does...Just keep trying anything....
or give him time out in a dark room, preferably the bathroom, make sure lid is down...and leave him for say 5 or 10 and tell him when you leave him in there "time out"....that works with Harley too....Keep in touch....

Normally when he starts being noisy is when Im trying to do study on my laptop.
Im starting to wonder now if the laptop could be the problem, as his screeching did start around the time I got the laptop. Maybe he's jealous of the laptop being on my lap and not him?

I can't have him near me when Im studying as he chews up all my text books and paper.
I spend time with Levi when I get home from work, and I do try and spend time with him again once Ive finished study and my partner always spends time ( with levi on his lap, playing games etc) with him every night before we put levi to bed.

We've tried the bath thing as he loves baths, but if he's in the noisy mood, even that doesn't keep him quiet.

We are going to give the whispering and talking to him in a quiet voice a go though and see how we go with that.

And yes Levi could be jealous of the laptop...That certainly is a possibility....Once again, good luck....

Hey there --
I am having this exact same problem with my sun conure and it is driving me and my husband crazy.

We cover him up and this usually works for a little while. We notice that he does
this when its dinner time and if we are eating, he has to be eating but even if he
eats a little bit he still starts his jungle call again.

He just wants to be with me and I have made a bad habit of just getting him out of the cage.
My husband became so frustrated that I wasn't sure who to tend to first, my husband or the bird
and teach him right. Needless to say, the lack of patience on my husbands end made me
teach the bird that I would come to him when he screamed for a long time. So the cover
started taking the place. You know, though, I kinda think he likes being covered because
he starts playing so I don't think he feels like he is being punished at all. My conure loves
being up under a hand towel I have hanging in his cage. He cuddles up in it and the part
hanging on the outside, he crawls up under and plays. He loves that so the covering up
may be more of a play time for him.

I also noticed that his screeming started when I actually moved him and his cage to another
location in the house. Since that time, he screems more and has become very aggressive
toward other people and I am to the point that I have to put him up when we have company
over so that he doesn't hurt himself or someone else.

I am working on finding that magic trick. If I find something I will let you know. HOwever
I am thinking about moving him back to where he was but he will have to have a new cage
to do that with side guards so that it doesn't ruin my floor. I am concerned about
also making that change for him and how that will stress him out. So at this point, we
are bringing a new quaker into the house and I am going to go very slowly and let
him get used to the new baby for a while in his current cage and just deal with the screeming
until I can figure out when to move him back to where he was.

If anyone has any advice on this topic, I am in desparate need of some experiences that
others have had to help me.




Hey there Harley's Mom?
I noticed your photo of Harley in that blue housing? What is that and where did you get it? It is very cute
and looks like fun. Just curious?

Carmen (we do not have a name for our new baby quaker, we are waiting to find out the sex)
(I currently go by Mia Quaker)

I don't have any advice to give you. But I just wanted to say I hope you find something that works.

It's called a jolly ball and can be ordered on line....

Also, I would like to mention that you shouldn't punish birdie...just try giving him a time out say in a dark room and leave him for 5 or 10 min, and tell him "time out" in a stern voice when you leave him...then go get him and put him back in/on the cage...
Sometimes that works or it has in the past with Harley...
Also Harley likes to eat also when we are eating....If you have something that he can eat, give him a little bit....they like to be included in what you are doing also I found that out....

You mention another bird, I guess you know to quarantine the new bird....and yes, I think I would put his cage back where it was and spread a large sheet or vinly tablecloth (you can get them at the WalMart or some place like that) under his cage....I keep a white sheet around Harley's cage because he is on his playstand a lot and poops so now it goes on the sheet....
Hope you can find something that will work for you....Keep in touch...