Parrots are noisy animals, that’s just fact. And although you can’t eliminate every bit of noise your bird is going to make, you CAN greatly decline how often your bird is noisy and for what reasons or lengths of time.

I was noticing that every time Dave and I went out of town for a trip whether it was for one day or 10 days, when we came back our birds were SO loud, especially in the mornings. This was not something that was common before on our two year tour, nor before that when we were often home here in Florida or on trips periodically whether with our birds or otherwise.

I started to wonder if it was because of how they were housed when we went out of town… we house everyone separately in their own cage to avoid a random fight that a bird sitter wouldn’t be able to handle on their own. It’s just safer this way. I thought maybe they wanted to be together, but the screaming continued. In the mornings they were waking up around 6:30am and screaming their heads off!

Dave and I talked it over, and as the nicer days came around (yes, even in January) I decided I wanted to be taking them flying. I thought they could use getting rid of the excess energy that might be part of their screaming lately. I started bringing them in the house to fly and be in a wider space with one another, AND I started trick training more. BOTH of these helped the screaming but still the mornings were rough.

That’s when I realized their feeding charts were way off. They were getting too much food, not enough exercise and receiving breakfast at the same time Patty would give her birds their breakfast (before she’d leave for work which sometimes can be real early). There had become an expectation to receive their breakfast bright and early and to always be full. This meant with no charting of the weight or working on recall that we couldn’t just take them out freeflying on a whim like we would normally have done on tour.

So that was it – it was back to our routine which is exactly the opposite, it’s not a routine much at all! But it’s one feeding a day and that happens around 4pm (but sometimes, 3pm, sometimes with a free flight or training session – they never know what to expect this way throughout the day). This keeps them from screaming for breakfast in the morning because they know it’s not coming until later, and it makes them MORE active in their aviaries by foraging into the grass, looking in toys and interacting with one another. Also, when we would bring them out or in to work with them on something, they were excited about it and looking forward to flying, trick training or just hanging out. They were calmer, happier and at ease again. Which was refreshing, in fact, I took Comet and Tusa out in the backyard with us and worked with them on flying across the pool a few times. Later in the day we went freeflying at a new location by our house and had a blast.

The camelot macaws along with Jinx flocked together around the yard and Bandit the rose breasted cockatoo seemed to have a ball as well.

With their new schedule, or more so back to their OLD schedule, there’s no expectation so the screaming stops and I feed them around the time the sun is going down so that when they would normally scream naturally to say goodbye to the day, it’s too late and is getting so dark that they go to their spot to sleep and that’s it.

With this type of feeding I’m giving fairly large meals at night of fresh foods and pellets in foraging toys. Sometimes I put the fresh foods in foraging toys if I choose to serve them earlier so that it takes longer, or if the days become lighter longer this way they take longer to eat and by the same time it gets dark they are still ready to sleep. Depending on the time of day and what I’m feeding depends on HOW I feed them (foraging toys, etc)

So if you’re looking for ways to make your noisy bird quiet try a different routine (your bird might object at first) with daily interactions of small treats throughout the day when you plan on handling your bird, and experiment with foraging toys so that it takes your bird a while to eat his meal (that way you have longer amounts of time of peace and quiet) you can also put in empty foraging toys too, to make your bird work even harder. The more active your bird, the healthier he is. Just think of how active he would be in the wild! I know when I’m stuffed full I just wanna lay on the couch and chill out. So if you’re like that all day you’re gonna have one serious perch potato on your hands!

Whether or not a bird is vocal or not depends on how the bird is naturally, and how it’s reinforced throughout its life. What exactly gets reinforced and how, when, why and with what and how often.

I consider our galahs quiet birds. But I’ve met some galahs that I would consider noisy. Any bird can have a screaming problem – and I’ve even met loud budgies or cockatiels that learn screaming gets them the attention (or something else) that they crave.

So to me, a bird’s screaming being reinforced to the point where it screams for something it wants until it gets it – is a noisy parrot.

From our flock, the noisiest of them all is maybe the macaws when it comes to “most often” as they make their macaw coos at intervals and when they scream, they are the loudest. So they have the most potential to be the noisiest… however, I’d say my personal vote would go to our congo African grey parrot Cressi. She tends to act like a sentinel among our flock (which Bandit has since copied) and makes a very high pitched alarm call when she sees something in the sky, or feels there’s something wrong or something scary in the nearby area. It’s a very loud, ear piercing noise that I’ve had her do from my shoulder straight into my ear… ow!

She’s just naturally louder altogether. When she whistles, it’s loud and when she talks you can hear her clearly above the others. She’s just a louder parrot, kind of like kids with naturally louder voices than others.

Rocko our toucan is probably the quietest because he merely makes his squeaky baby noises now and eventually will make purring and growling noises that won’t get as loud as a macaw’s scream or a grey’s warning call.

Our cockatoos tend to be the most vocal of our flock – they have the largest vocabularies and honestly are the most interested in training so they get the most time spent training them. They naturally pick up more on talking and mimicking and will fight over attention and training time that they get. Even going so far as acting out if they aren’t mentally challenged and stimulated often enough.

When we’re living in Florida and keeping our birds outside, they all average about the same noise level. We feed them when they would naturally scream so that it doesn’t occur – so screaming at dusk and dawn isn’t really an option to hear. And when one goes, they usually all go if it’s a warning call or playful call. When one rosie takes off in celebration bursts and flights, usually the whole flock will watch and not say a thing, or all join in on the fun.

Hyancinth photo by ZakVTA @ flickr.com

Q: Do any of the anti-plucking products available actually work?
Gary M., New London, CT

A: There are two types of products on the market that address the issue of plucking: one approaches the problem medicinally, the other physically prevents access to the affected areas.

The following is my opinion. It is based on research of the ingredients in the herbal products and on the opinions of trusted sources who have used them and other products:

Ingestible remedies:

There are a few varieties of these products available, but there is one main brand whose name you would recognize. I am not going to mention this name (you don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure it out) because I don’t wish to give any atrtention to a product I disapprove of. This un-named product is distributed by a company whose main product I LOVE, own and would recommend to anyone. It is a strange affiliation that I have never understood.

This product is an herbal liquid that is added to the bird’s daily drinking water. The company does provide some testimonial claiming that it works. I know of a few cases where owners have seen results. It seems reasonable that the product has had some successes, but at what cost.

This product contains ingredients which cause lethargy It’s aim is to stupify. Plucking is most often a behavioral problem. To the manufacturers way of thinking, the best way to eliminate a behavioral problem is to eliminate the behavior. Unfortunately, it eliminates many behaviors, even those that aren’t problematic, leaving a bird that is too zoned-out to enjoy the good parts of its life.

This product has been “reformulated” to address biting and screaming issues. The bird that is too stupid to pluck is also too stupid to bite or scream. Further, some of the ingredients in the formulas are considered toxic to birds. These ingredients aren’t present in large amounts, but there is no room for toxicity in any bird product – ever.

Blue and gold macaw

Anti-plucking “suits”:  

There are several of these available online. They are simply garments that are worn by the plucking parrot that cover his “areas of interest”. There are patterns, templates, out there that can teach you how to make one of your own. Some people just use tube socks with holes placed in the appropriate places. However, any self-respecting parrot could have his way with any one of these in a very short time.

People’s opinions on plucking suits vary. Some have found success with them. Some think they irritate the plucked areas thereby calling attention to the very place you would like your parrot to forget about. Others think they work great – until they come off and the parrot resumes its unwanted activities.

Umbrella cockatoo

Both of these options fail in one key area: they solve nothing.Your bird has a plucking problem – accent on the word PROBLEM. It is the problem which needs your attention. There are no quick fixes out there. You cannot give your bird a pill or a bandaid to make this go away.

The idea of medicating a behavior away is insane to me, and covering a problem with fabric to prevent access to it won’t fix anything, The problem will still be there when the suit comes off or the drug wears off. If you need to eliminate a behavior, find the source of the behavior and eliminate IT.

**NOTE – ALWAYS have your bird vet checked for any possible medical cause for the plucking problems. There are certains illnesses and conditions that might be responsible for this behavior.

Congo african grey

We recently received this email from a customer and just had to share it:

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!  In just a few short hours your training tips have made me love my bird again.
My African Grey had become a screamer, I think mostly from being left alone too much.  The kids are grown and I work two jobs, so she spent a lot of time alone.  When I came home she screamed constantly.  I was on the verge of finding her a new home, but hesitated because I thought someone who did not know birds would end up with her and not treat her well.  The clicker training has pretty much stopped the screaming in just two evenings and in about 15 minutes she mastered the “no” head shake on signal.  I’m amazed and cannot wait to teach her more tricks.  The purchase of your cd’s & dvd is the best money I have ever spent.

Sincerely,

Nancy Bendon

To Nancy: Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your success. We appreciate how difficult it can be to live with a bird that screams to make itself understood. Many people choose to rid themselves of their “defective” bird rather than manage a fixable problem. Thanks for going the extra mile for your bird and congratlations on a job well done!

Screaming course

Screaming is one of the most perplexing of all the behavioral issues our birds have. They scream because they want your attention. They scream because they are bored. They scream because they feel insecure about you or their environment. I suspect that many have no idea why they are screaming at all beyond the notion things are just generally not to their liking. For whatever the reason, all screaming has one thing in common – it manipulates the owner into action of some sort.

The most typical reaction to a screaming bird is over-reaction: anger, pleading, and forced affection. All of these responses add fuel to the fire and reinforce the likelihood that the sceaming will continue. From a bird’s perspective, he has gotten what he wants. He definitely has your attention and is no longer bored. He is feeling less insecure about his world because he has discovered a way of gaining control over it, and you.

It only makes sense that you don’t respond with over-reaction, and in fact, should show no response to the screaming at all. This will make it clear that he can’t manipulate your behavior with his own. However, and this is very important to remember, it does not solve the problem that initiated the screaming to begin with.

Nancy’s first step toward success came when she recognized that there had been a change in her bird’s environment.  Her african grey was not getting the same level of attention she was accustomed to and chose to state her objection through screaming. Nancy amped up her interaction with her bird through training.

cockatiel

One area where we bird owners often fall short is in the type of interaction we share with our birds. We may come home from work and let the bird out of its cage to sit on a nearby perch while we make dinner or on our shoulder as we watch TV or read the paper. No doubt our birds appreciate being with us, but this level of engagement is shallow. Our attention is on our dinner, the TV or the paper – not the bird.

If we can truly call it interaction, it must be…interactive. We should have our focus solely on our bird, engaging in a mutual activity. This is where training works its real magic. The opportunity for bonding through training is unique. It is all about you and your bird, and nothing else.

Training gives your bird the opportunity to earn treats, but it also opens the doors to a new world of learning. You will see how important training becomes to your bird in the focus it has on each task, but you will also notice how much more directly and intnently your bird now looks into your eyes. You reach a new height in your communication and it is a deeply rewarding experience for you both.

rosebreasted cockatoo

Imagine if our birds could say to us: “Look I know you mean well, but this isn’t working out. I’m bored to tears. Either you give me something to do or I’ll have to scream all afternoon…” in language just that clear. There wouldn’t be any behavioral problems and this site wouldn’t exist. The fact is, there’s a lot of guess work and it is hard to find and correct the exact problem. When you begin training your bird, you inadvertantly address a number of issues. Boredom is alleviated, mental stimulation is increased, your level of interaction becomes meaningful. These are the three most common causes of problem behaviors and all can be managed through simple training.

If you have problems with your birds, whether it be biting or screaming, or if you simply want to take your relationship with your bird to the next level,Birdtricks courses are designed to help you get where you want to be with your bird. Visit Birdtricks.com/store  to get started.

Blue and gold macaw

It apparent to me that one of the biggest problems in bird ownership is with the bird who is only bonded to a single individual in the house. I hear about it almost daily. Interestingly enough, many people don’t even see it as a problem, or as the origins of the problem they are currently describing. In many. many cases, issues of screaming and biting are rooted in the bird’s unwillingness to interact with all family members.

Birds are highly social creatures. It is the strength of the social structure that keeps a wild flock alive and healthy, and they associate with each individual in the flock. They will have their mates, and other preferred relationships, but they are at least tolerant of all members. Although, around breeding season, a bird can become very defensive with another in the flock who too closely approaches his or her mate, lunging, threatening, sometimes attacking.

These flock dynamics also exist with captive-bred birds. The difference, of course, being that their flock is comprised mainly of humans. Within its flock, a captive bird, like a wild one, will select its favorite. That may be you, and it is bound to make you feel pretty special. The bird only wants to ride on your shoulder, only wants to nuzzle and cuddle with you, and would prefer that the rest of the flock be elsewhere.

Camelot, miltary, bluethroated macaws and rosebrested cockatoo

If you allow this attachment to continue, your bird will begin to look at you as more than just a friend and will begin to act defensively when the other “flock members” try to interact with it, or worse, make the mistake of approaching you. You now have a big problem on your hands, or shoulder. Your bird screams for your constant attention because no other member of the flock is satisfactory. It bites to ward off any potential suitors.

I really do understand how wonderful it is to feel that your bird has selected you – that is finds you to be the most trustworthy and desirable of all of the possible candidates in the house. Naturally, you will want to nurture this special bond and be all that your bird wants and needs. But you must understand that in doing so, it is a terrible disservice to your bird and that you are compromising its future.

Rosebreasted cockatoo, goffins cockatoo, and quaker

If you allow your bird to be a one person bird, to the point where it will not tolerate anyone else, you will guarantee that it will be disliked by the rest of the household. The screaming for your attention and unpredictable behavior will make it unpleasant to have around, and perhaps even dangerous.

In your absence, your bird will have no one. And in the event of your death, the bird will land in the hands of the nearest rescue or the first person who is willing to take him, where the problems will continue. The relationship may conclude with an ultimatum by your real mate that either they or the bird must go.

It is imperative that you be certain that your bird is, at least in some way, bonded to the entire family.That must begin from the first day you bring him home. Every member of the family must handle the bird, share in its upkeep, and spend meaningful time with it during playtime or in training.

Congo african grey

If you are currently experiencing this problem, you must step back from the bird and allow the others in the house to step forward to participate in the bird’s care and handling. You must allow them to build a relationship from square one, while you wait in the background. There will be lots of screaming and carrying on as your bird makes this important adjustment. Be patient with it and ask the family to do the same. Whenever you step in to quiet the screaming, it will cause a set back in the process.  Remember that you are doing this for the long-term good of your bird.

Once your family has earned the bird’s trust, and try to be as certain of this as possible, you can resume physical interaction with it.  If it shows signs of trying to renew that singular bond with you, hand it off to the nearest family member unless it is showing aggression. In this event, return it to its cage and let someone else retrieve it after a short while.

Quaker

Your bird will still be likely to have a preferred person, perhaps you, but it will enjoy a more fulfilling life with a multitude of playmates and will no longer spend its entire day pining for the attentions of a single person.

Umbrella cockatoo

I have to assume that anyone reading this blog has, has had, or intends to get a parrot. Those of us with previous experience can attest to the fact that they are nothing like the other animals we have in our lives. Because the human race has such little understanding of a bird’s behaviors, we spend a lot of our time time trying to second guess them. We often fall into the trap of assigning human traits to our birds because it is the only way we know how to make sense of some of the things they do.

I spoke recently with someone who was concerned that her parrot had “anger issues” because it regularly attacked and destroyed its toys. (I explained that while this would be cause for concern in a human child, it was perfectly healthy behavior for a parrot.) Someone else once told me that she was certain her parrot purposely pulls the keys off her computer keyboard just to get back at her for some past transgression. (I explained to her that her bird certainly does do this on purpose, but that it has nothing to do with pay back.)

Camelot macaw

With this post, I ask you to step back and look at a parrot’s behavior from a different standpoint and to change your line of thinking to one that doesn’t include viewing your birds as humans with feathers. Further, unlike cats and dogs, they have not been subjected to thousands of years of domestication. They have not had traits bred in or out of them so that they might fit in more nicely with human society, or bred for single-minded focus so that they can perform tasks for us. Most of the larger parrots might only be 2 or 3 generations from the wild. They are birds, not dogs, not children, and we can’t expect that they will behave in ways that are familiar to us.

If you were to study wild birds, you would find that they live in elaborate social structures. They have very defined ways of communicating with one another. This language is very clear, should you happen to be another bird. It is much less clear to we humans. Imagine being a parrot trying to communicate its wants or needs to to a human being. It is a frustrating process for us both. We want to understand, but we often do not. The parrot tries in the only ways it know how, and sometimes that involves biting and screaming. These behaviors are simply a form of communication.

Blue and gold macaw

In the case of a parrot that bites, this is about as clear a message as your bird can send out. “Don’t touch me.”  “Keep out of my cage.”  “I don’t want to do what you are trying to make me do.”  It is rare that a bird will use biting as a first resort. It is much more likely that the human missed all the warning signals, the attempts to communicate, that preceded the bite. With some species of birds, it is not hard to make those mistakes.

Screaming, too, is a form of communication, albeit a difficult one to comprehend at times. A screaming parrot might be saying: “come here” or “go away”. It might be a generalized way of saying: “something is wrong”, leaving you to figure out what that “something” might be. When a parrot begins to scream incessantly, it is surely the result of not being understood. The smart parrot will, over time, learn to use biting and screaming as a means to manipulate its owners actions.

Blue throated macaw

Perhaps we shouldn’t even be referring to biting and screaming as “problem” behaviors, but instead regard them as breakdowns in communication.

When a parrot makes your hands, or ears, bleed, it is difficult to step away and look at things intellectually. It’s very easy to come to the conclusion that it bites because it hates you and screams because it is unreasonable. The fact is that everything your bird does serves a purpose. When it makes the decision to take a certain course of action, it only has itself in mind. It will scream to call your attention to something it wants or needs. It will bite to get you to back off. It will destroy the furniture to satisfy its need to chew. A bird’s motto is: me, me, it’s all about me.

Hyacinth macaw

Try to be understanding in that your bird has a self-serving nature, and be patient with it. Remember that it is we who took them out of their natural environments to live with us, a species totally foreign to them.  Try to appreciate them for their attempts to communicate with us in the only ways they know how. This might help you to overcome the turmoil you feel as you bandage your wounded fingers and hurt feelings. When you get past your emotional reactions to their behaviors, you will see a clearer path to the solutions to the “communication breakdown” you are both experiencing. They are birds. We are humans. This isn’t supposed to be easy.