Parrot Screaming: Causes and Possible Solutions
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by Shelly Lane Get help with your bird's sreaming problem by understanding the most common causes of screaming and some potential solutions. Although this article is several years old, this is still one of the most common issues that Quaker Parrot owners face. |
Note: Seven years ago or so, I wrote a series of articles that appeared in the Quaker Parakeet Society's quarterly newsletter. This is the fifth of those articles.
My how time flies. QPS is a year old, and spring is just around the corner again.
Without a doubt the question I was asked the most often during the last year was "How do I stop my Quaker from screaming," so I thought I would devote the column this quarter to this very important subject. It is not an easy subject to tackle because there is no "one size fits all" answer. However, I will discuss some of the more common causes of screaming and make some suggestions that I hope will help.
Where are you going?!
It is not uncommon for a Quaker to scream when the owner leaves the room. One reason for this may be that birds call back and forth to each other in their native habitats to communicate their locations. You need to understand that this is a natural behavior for a Quaker, and the only way to overcome it is to work patiently and consistently toward a solution.
Some owners have overcome this type of screaming simply by communicating with the bird as they leave the room. They tell the bird they are leaving, and they let the bird know when they will be back. You can use several short phrases to indicate to your bird how long you will be away. I use "I'll be right back" if I will be away only a few moments and "I'll be back" if I'll be away longer than a few moments. If I'm leaving the house, the birds not only see me get ready to leave, but I also tell them "Bye-bye. I'll be back later."
Even though these 3 phrases are very similar, Quakers have excellent language skills. It didn't take my birds very long to seemingly understand the meaning of these words. In fact, they know my habits so well that they often beat me to the punch with the appropriate phrase. For example, if I go into a certain room during the day, they know I'm usually only a few moments and will say "I'll be right back." When I put on my coat or pick up my purse, it's a sure sign I'm leaving the house and they will often start repeating "Bye-bye" over and over before I'm anywhere near the door.
Other owners have tried to simulate nature a little more closely by answering the bird when it calls, but they have replaced the screams with less irritating sounds such as whispers or whistles. I have not personally tried this method, but I understand that it has been successful for some people.
A third method for dealing with this type of screaming is distraction, and food works the best for this. I've found that treats such as Lafeber Nutri-Berries and Avi-Cakes are ideal because most Quakers love them, and they take a bit of work and time to eat. The key is to have the treats nearby and to give one to the bird just before you leave the room and before the bird has a chance to scream. Once the bird has started to scream, offering a food treat may be seen as a reward for screaming and can make the problem worse rather than better.
Hormonal Screaming
There may be certain times of the year when your Quaker is more vocal than usual. Spring can be one of these times as the lengthening days release hormones into the birds system. You may need to help your bird release excess energy and frustration to combat this type of screaming. Some ways to do this include frequent baths, new toys, wing flapping exercises and making your bird work a little harder for its food. Try a treat carousel or shish kabob, for example.
Another method for dealing with this type of screaming is limiting your pet bird's exposure to light by covering the cage at set times each night so that the lengthening days have less of an affect. This is what we do, and we rarely experience hormonal mood swings in our birds. I would recommend 10-12 hours of covered time each night. (Our birds receive 12.)
The "Stereo" Effect
Your bird's noise level is often a reflection of the general noise level in your home. If one of the other "inhabitants" of your home - whether it be a child, the vacuum, the dishwasher or the TV - is making some noise, your bird may try to match it or even outdo it in volume. This is simply a bird who is enjoying being a part of its flock.
Once again, try to anticipate the screaming if you can. For example, if your family wants to watch a special show on television, plan ahead to give your bird a bath or misting right before the show starts. You might also try making your bird a bowl of fresh veggies and fruit or giving it 3-4 Nutri-Berries. A bird that is giving its full attention to preening or eating is a lot less likely to scream.
Conclusion
I have covered 3 common causes for screaming and offered some potential solutions. Of course, you know your bird better than I do, and you may invent other successful methods of training your bird not to scream. In closing, I'd like to leave you with a few thoughts to consider when dealing with the screaming issue.
1) Loud vocalizing is a natural behavior for parrots. To react in anger or with irritation to these vocalizations is not being fair to a bird that is simply following its instincts.
2) Never punish your bird for screaming. Parrots are incapable of understanding the concept of punishment. In addition, yelling at your bird, banging on its cage or shaking a can of coins will be seen by your bird as you joining in on the noise-making fun. You will have made the problem much worse and harder to deal with in the future.
3) Distraction methods and helping your bird to release excess energy are very effective ways to help teach your Quaker not to scream. Learn to anticipate the noisy periods and try to stop the screaming before it starts. Make sure your bird is getting enough rest as well.
4) No matter how diligent you are at training your bird not to scream, there will still be some times when it is noisy. Learn to accept the vocalizations as a part of parrot ownership. If some peace and quiet becomes imperative and the usual solutions aren't effective, you may need to remove either yourself or your bird from the room until the noisy period has passed - not as a punishment but as a sanity-keeper.
My husband and I live with 8 Quakers, and while we have our noisy times, the majority of the time it is fairly quiet in our home. These methods really do work, but they do not work overnight. Once again, patience and consistency are the keys. And it helps to remember all of the wonderful qualities that our Quakers have to offer - and that we humans are not so perfect either. Good luck!
23 Comments on Parrot Screaming: Causes and Possible Solutions »
March 19, 2007
cecilia kitchens @ 12:01 pm:
My Quaker Parrot is displaying strange behavior lately.He is acting like he's having a seizure.He gets disoriented,one claw draws up,and he shakes,sometimes falling over.For most of the rest of the day,he stays quietly in his cage,fluffed up and napping….
This happens only once in a while……
He has been at another family members home for quite a while (2 years) and we recently got him back.
There was a small fire (a pot caught fire on the stove)that he was in the same room with .I wonder if somehow that hurt him?
Sorry if I posted this in the wrong place,I'm somewhat of a computer Idiot…
Thanks,
c.kitchens
May 6, 2007
heidi @ 4:03 pm:
take your bird to a vet or call one- they are very friendly about over the phone advise.
July 17, 2007
robert wheaton @ 9:49 am:
I have a neighbor that instigates his parrots to screem to aggravate the rest of the neighbors. It seems that this neighbor gets a thrill out of this all hours of the day and evening. I do not mind the noise, but what concerns me is the poor parrots. I feel that the screeming is animal cuelty and I feel sorry for the parrot and want to rescue all of them from these people who are out of controll.
September 25, 2007
Bob @ 3:32 pm:
Our Quaker is very friendly toward me, sits on may finger, nibbles my finger, always quiet around me, etc. However, with my wife, it's a totally different story. It screems at her, tries to attack her through the cage and even chases her around the house trying to, and eventually, biting her. My wife is very kind to the bird, never raises her voice, gives it snacks,etc. Rather than accepting a snack as it does with me, it attampts to attack. Any suggestions? By the way, this bird just showed up in our yard one day, I put up my hand to it, as it was on a tree limb and it got on my finger and I walked into the house with. We've had tthe bird about 3 weeks.
Thanks,
Bob
September 26, 2007
Arianna @ 8:20 pm:
My Quaker does the same thing…he mostly does it towards males though. With me, he's sweet as pie (usually) but if my boyfriend or brother come near him, he freaks out. I think Quakers are just extremely tempermental birds and tend to bond to only one or two people. My bird is only one year old but I have accepted the fact he may not really ever like anyone else..heh I try sometimes, just never too hard because I don't want to frighten him.
Well good luck.
September 27, 2007
Lyla Platow @ 2:17 pm:
I am VERY ignorant when it comes to parrots, but truely want to learn about them.Why do they scream??? Is there a reason?? How do you get them not to eat your food??? My Quaker has a sweet tooth, she eats everything I do.REALLY LOVES, cake candy, rolls ETC. Especially chocolate.How so you know if it is happy???? ANY ADVICE is really WELCOME… Thank you… LYLA
November 3, 2007
DONNA MASTERS @ 4:25 pm:
I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT BIRDS. I JUST LEARNED TODAY THAT MINE WAS A QUAKER PARROT. SHE WAS GIVEN TO ME BY SOME ONE THAT DID NOT TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF HER. SHE WOULD LET HER CHILDREN AND OTHER ADULTS HIT THE CAGE, THROW HER IN THE AIR TO FLY AND THE CELING FAN WOULD BE ON THEN THEY JUST PUT HER OUT SIDE ON AN UNCOVERED PORCH. SO I SAVED HER. SHE TOOK TO ME AND IS VERY PROTECTIVE OF ME. SHE SCREAMS AT EVEYONE ELSE IN THE HOUSE AND TRIES TO BIT THEM. I THINK THEY JUST PICK THE PERSON AND YOU ARE COMPLETLY THEIRS AS THEY SEE IT. TELL YOU WIFE TO KEEP TRYING THAT THE BIRD WILL EVENT. COME AROUND LOLA IS COMING AROUND TO MY FAMILY, BUT SHE WOULD RATHER BE WITH ME. SHE IS MUCH NICER TO THEM NOW.
July 3, 2008
Eric @ 2:16 pm:
Never ever feed your quaker parrot chocolate. It's toxic for them
August 2, 2008
ARes @ 11:06 am:
how do you stop the screaming???
can someone answer me, please everytime i walk in the room, its the loudest scream it wont stop until i leave, he was so nice at the pet store, now he wants to bite you all the time when you put his food in the cage or get near him??
help
September 22, 2008
Chris @ 11:23 pm:
Yes, I have a Quaker named Mr. Pinfeathers and a Cockatiel named Greyone. Mr. Pinfeathers is up and awake at 8 am and screams and wakes me up, so if I am off from work and can sleep in, I wake up and cover Mr. Pinfeathers' cage with a sheet and he calms down. Every time I leave the room to go to the bathroom, go make a pot of coffee, or even give the birds clean fresh water….. first Greyone whistles, then Mr. Pinfeathers squalks, then Greyone whistles a little louder, then Mr. Pinfeathers lets out the same squalk…… then a few moments later Mr. Pinfeathers screams, then Greyone screams. THEY BOTH SCREAM until I return to The Room. In a way it is funny, but in the same way it is a bit frustrating.
January 1, 2009
Cindy @ 4:15 pm:
My Quaker Parrot, Franklin, screams…Almost like he's trying to be a brat. When he starts this, and starts doing it really loud and constantly, I cover him. Is this wrong? I feel quilty when I cover him and he starts being quiet. I dont want to "punish" him for it, I just want to teach him…I'm not sure what I want to teach him but…haha…
January 3, 2009
amy @ 12:00 am:
I hear choclate is deadly toxic to birds. I wouldn't give choclate to the bird anymore.
January 22, 2009
Marnel @ 10:05 pm:
I was reading your post and i have a Quaker that does the same thing. I have experimented and found that he displays this behavior after eating certian foods. Like an alergy or something. Tomatoes, and i just recently found that grapes also afect him the same way. Monitor his diet and see if you find the same result. Please let me know what you discover as i would like to know if other Quakers are having this problem.
February 12, 2009
mary rose burdette @ 10:18 am:
I would like to help everyone with the screaming problem of quaker parrots,try this it works for me.I own 5, and this is what I do. When I get up at 8:oo am I give them a small hand full of cherrios,this keeps them busy for awhile, a few hours latter,comes some baby carrots, they love this it keeps them busy for some time, in the mean time there food bowl has pellets of different types at all times, at about 5:00 pm. dinner time. give them a piece of sliced apple, they love it and its good for them. this has helped me, survive the noise . I hope it works for you. good lucky. mary rose
March 8, 2009
Phim Online @ 12:59 am:
Okay, my bird, Sweety. Scream very loud in the morning. I dont think it a call, because I am in the room as well. It just start screaming. I replaced fresh water, and new food. But it seem it doens't help. And it only scream once in the morning. Is there something I can do?
March 27, 2009
SueC @ 6:32 pm:
I think birds were meant to call out………..it just feels good………
April 8, 2009
Jess @ 4:08 pm:
Hi i have a 3 in a half yr old Quaker who screams all the time. I was wondering should i get another bird for him? i wouldn't put them in the same cage but i would have them in the same room maybe he could pick up the other birds sound like a canary or budgie? Please Help!
April 10, 2009
Parrot, Paco @ 9:28 am:
Hello Everyone,.
I have a Quaker Parrot, I think he/she is around 2 years old now…
I think its normal that they scream, they are birds! but my bird screams also when he sees me, and want some attention.
Sometime it's not funny and make you grazy, but put a blanked over the cage is a good thing that's make them calm.
Don't feel guilty?
I found out that if you give them attention when they scream the link that with the screaming so don't give them food.
I found him in Spain at a camping. so he was wild, but he didn't behave like that. He like's people en to sit on your shoulder, he talks a little bit.
Now I have him for a year now, and he is a funny guy, and very sweet.
Sorry for my Englis?..
Greetz a Quaker lover.
May 15, 2009
katie @ 3:18 pm:
hello, i need some advise as well regarding my quaker kiki he is now 8 months old and i have had him since 8 weeks old. i have tried everything and am still showering him when he screams.he stops for a little while then starts again but by this time he is still wet from the last shower he just wants me all the time. he is so affectionate and is beginning to talk beatuifully…it is just the very loud screaming.please please help
June 7, 2009
wendy @ 6:17 pm:
my parrot reacts funny to sugary foods. things like applesauce make her lock up and fall over. something like a seizure. just watch what it eats.
August 3, 2009
Yesenia @ 3:28 pm:
I have had my 2 Quaker parrots for about a month and a half, and now my parents want me to get rid of them.
They wake us all up at 7 in the morning screaming like crazy, they walk everywhere screaming, and no one gets enough sleep. I always try to spend time with them or i take them outside and watch them but they just want me to be with them the whole day and that is just not possible. I don't know what to do cause it is driving everyone crazy but i really don't want to get rid of them! Help!
August 24, 2009
Christy @ 12:48 am:
I have a 25 yr old quaker female she fusses so much how can i get her to do less? Christy.
August 26, 2009
Donna Hudspeth @ 4:15 pm:
I've had my quaker for approx. 3 years. He was a foundling hung up in a friend's birdfeeder. I took him in to find him a home and promptly fell in love with him. His name is Taco, and he greats my husband and me with "Hi, Taco" every time we walk into the room. When we go to bed at night, I cover Taco and tell him "night-night". He tells us night-night as he is being covered up. When he started the screaming, I didn't know what to do. His cage is next to my recliner, and the screaming was right in my ear. One night I decided to try "time out" on him, and it worked. When the screaming started, I covered his cage and said night-night. Taco doesn't like being covered when we are close by, so when he quieted I would uncover him and say "Be a good bird". If he squawked again, I would repeat the covering routine. after about 3 weeks, he would squawk loudly, realize what he had done and say "Night-night, Taco" before I could get up to cover him. It took about 3 months of persistent covering/uncovering/covering for him to get the picture. For the past 2 years he has not screamed at all in the house. He saves his loud talk for outside. He's a great bird and so smart.