Screaming
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Written by Michelle Karras Thursday, 15 November 2007 00:00 |
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SCREAMING!!!!!!!! Wouldn’t it be great if parrots did not scream?
Unfortunately this will never happen as it is their natural instinct to call to their flock. So we have to learn to modify this behavior in a way that will make both the parrot and ourselves happy.
First you must make sure your parrot is in good health, which means a thorough vet check-up with blood work. Once you know your parrot is in good health, you can then begin to modify the parrot’s behavior and your own.
Most excessive screaming is a learned behavior that we teach our birds. Going over to your parrot and covering them up with a blanket teaches the parrot that you will come over to the cage when they scream. Others may yell at the parrot for screaming, which once again gives the parrot the attention that it seeks. Ignoring a screaming parrot is not the answer either. I know that I would never forgive myself if I ignored one of my Cockatoos screaming, and found out later that they were hurt or had no clean water or worse.
So what can you do? First, make sure all of your parrot’s needs are satisfied. Large clean cage, clean water, fresh food, working toys, 12 hours of sleep (uninterrupted), with soft white noise playing in the background. Soft wood to chew, and plenty of exercise.
I would like to define Exercise….Activity that requires physical or mental exertion, especially when performed to develop or maintain fitness.
Parrots need true exercise on a daily basis. In the wild, parrots fly anywhere from 15 to 20 miles a day. There are many ways that you can work an exercise routine into your parrots’ life. My Umbrella Cockatoo, Tookie, loves to run up and down our stairs. This is done in a controlled manner at a certain time in the afternoon each day. He will run up and down anywhere from 5-10 times, and then he is rewarded with a treat out on a play gym. He looks forward to this time, and seems to enjoy himself greatly. Placing a parrot on top of a cage or on a gym is not exercise. They need true physical exercise daily.
So now we have determined their basic needs, and we can talk about some different techniques to help the screaming. I like to use a signal to stop my parrots from being too loud. When my cockatoos get over excited and won’t stop screaming, I ring a cowbell that is in the next room or knock on the wall. They hear the bell/knock, they stop to listen, and I appear while they are quiet to praise and reward.
When first training them with this technique you need to set them up to succeed. Take a time when you know they are quite loud and distract them with a new noise in the next room. As soon as they stop to listen, appear and praise. Lengthen the time between the signal and your appearance each time. Try and take a whole day at first and only work with the parrot and the screaming. At first you want the reward to be great. In the beginning, I like to use a favorite treat. You can also use the signal just before feeding fresh food. Wait until the parrot is noisy, give signal, praise, exercise, mist lightly, and feed.
Not all parrots will quiet for the same signal so you may have to try several noises before finding the one that works for you. Do not use your voice, and try to find a signal that will not annoy you if they learn to repeat it.
I would also like to discuss giving your parrots a “Scream Time”. Scream time is a time during the day that you allow your parrots to be noisy. This should be given somewhere between 3p.m. and 7p.m. each day. I encourage my parrots by playing stimulating music, and in the beginning dancing and singing, or screaming, along with them. A scream time should last no less than 30 minutes and no more than 1 hour each day. Some parrots enjoy screaming to the vacuum, this is fine to encourage, but I suggest playing music also. Once you find the type of music that your parrot gets excited about, you will then use that same song every day for scream time. You can change the music from time to time…just try and be consistent. When the time frame is over, you will lower the volume on the music and talk them down.
You can also use a different signal at this point. I like to lower the music slowly, turn it off, and play their relaxation CD. I also then give them their afternoon snacks at this point. Once a routine is established, you should have no excessive screaming happening. You will find that the parrot will wait for their “Scream Time” because they will be rewarded for their patience. If you are standing in front of the parrot and he begins to scream right in your face, simply turn around and walk out and use your signal noise to correct.
“SCREAM TIME” IS SOMETHING THAT ALL PARROTS NEED.
I hope these suggestions help make your home a more peaceful place. Try and remember that your parrots feed off of your emotions, and you need to deal with these issues while you are in a calm state of mind.
Thank You,
Michelle Karras
Avian Behavior Consultant
President/Founder The Polite Parrot
www.thepoliteparrot.com
Published Birds USA 2004/2005
Published Rabbits 2005
International Lecturer
Video: Positive Parrot Behavior Vol.1