# Screaming



## Billy (Sep 11, 2014)

I know there's another thread on screaming, but this one is slightly different. 

We got a new bird who we called rocky in August. He will be about 6-7 months old. We got him from a pet shop, where he was in a glass cage. 

He does this ear piercing scream all the time. Mostly its when there is whistling or bird noises on TV, but he also does it when the rooms silent. This is starting to really get to us. 

When he starts doing it I have started to go over and cover his cage, when he stops screaming give him a minute then uncover & give him a treat for being quiet. Also when there is whistling on tv that would usually set him off & he doesn't start screaming we reward him with a treat. 

Rocky isn't hand tame yet, but he lives with Billy who is hand tame. 

Are we doing the right thing?


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## Colorguarder08 (Sep 13, 2014)

It sounds as though Rocky is trying to flock call or communicate with other birds. how well does he play with toys?


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## Billy (Sep 11, 2014)

He plays well, he's always chewing on his toys or sat on them. He gets on really well with Billy too, they are always preening each other. They have the odd little peck at each other when Billy preens too hard but nothing major.


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## Colorguarder08 (Sep 13, 2014)

What type of toys do you have?


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## Billy (Sep 11, 2014)

He has wooden block ones with a bell on the end, One with leather straps coming off it which he can chew, a paper roll he can chew, birdie bowling & a swing. Aswell as natural perches & ladders.


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## Colorguarder08 (Sep 13, 2014)

He should have a couple more preferably foraging toys.


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## Billy (Sep 11, 2014)

Thanks will look in to getting them some. will this calm his screaming down?


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## Colorguarder08 (Sep 13, 2014)

It might not right away but as long as he has a variety of toys and knows how to play with them he should start self entertaining which will calm the screaming down.


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

Joey used to be a screamer, and still has episodes, but we have a lot of toys that we rotate every couple weeks, to keep them 'new'. We keep 7 or 8 in at all times, but switch them up. Now we really only screams when I leave the room. He goes into what I call 'mom is neveeeeer comiiiiing baaaaaaack!' mode. Occasionally I can distract him with our flock call of 'peekaboo', and sometimes he just freaks out until I come back.

He does shout at birds on tv though. He also shouts at the tv when we are watching sports and the crowd goes crazy cheering.


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## Schubird (Jun 12, 2015)

Schubert goes into screaming fits at times. I don't know how well it works, but when I worked at a doggy day care, the best way to train a dog was reward for good behavior. So when Schubert is screaming, I ignore him as best as I can completely and the moment he stops, pauses, and makes a quiet "chirp?" I turn around and go "yes!" and give him attention or a treat. He doesn't go into screaming fits often, so I'm not sure if it's my tactic working or him just not being much of a squawker. 

I would just be afraid that your method is him taking you coming to cover him up as a reinforcement because he knows you'll come back to him when he does it.


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## Dylan&Gracie (Nov 21, 2014)

My Freddy occasionally gets very loud, originally when I heard it I thought he was injured, but in fact he just has the most horrible singing voice in the world. Running upstairs to screams of absolute agony, I found him strutting around doing heart-wings happy as a clam.


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

Joey has been screechy and screamy most of today. A couple of the older neighbors decided to have a yard sale. There is a huge grassy area by the parking lot of the building, the whole parking lot, and the rest of the sidewalk along the building. Still, they chose right outside our living room window to set up.  Their non-stop chatter has had Joey stirred up all day, to the point where hubs is ready to run away from home. I was at work most of the day so I have only been here the last hour and a bit of it. He doesn't want to come out of his cage, either. I suppose he feels safer in there with the chatter outside. He won't step up because he is stubborn that way, so we open the cage and let him come out on his own. Otherwise, we'd have gotten him out with the hope he'd be distracted enough to forget they were out there.

We're hoping they will be finished soon, so he will settle. On my way in from work, I detoured to come in the way that gave me a peek at their tiny table of junk no one would be interested in. We're also hoping they will finish soon so he will come out for his play time.


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## Billy (Sep 11, 2014)

He's been really good the last few days, were trying harder to tame him. 
He still occasionally screams at the TV when birds come on but half what he used to.


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## Colorguarder08 (Sep 13, 2014)

Dylan&Gracie said:


> My Freddy occasionally gets very loud, originally when I heard it I thought he was injured, but in fact he just has the most horrible singing voice in the world. Running upstairs to screams of absolute agony, I found him strutting around doing heart-wings happy as a clam.


Riley is awful too he sounds like a dying cat


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## Joyful (Jun 26, 2013)

It definitely sounds like flock calling to me. He may still be insecure since he is still so new to your home. I would not recommend covering him up when he does this, even if it does quiet him down. If he is feeling isolated than covering him up will only intensify this feeling. Give him some time. Be sure not to reinforce the screaming by giving him any sort of attention while he is doing it, but also don't punish him for it. Thankfully, you have already given him a bird buddy. They may not be bonded friends yet, but with time they will be and hopefully the screaming will lessen. When he is being quite, reenforce that by giving him attention and treats. Remember, birds LOVE the sound of their own voice. If he was alone during the time of being in the pet store he might have developed this habit of screaming just to enrich himself. Giving him toys and other enrichments might help with this. Also, personally I have found that my birds scream more when the house is quiet. If they can hear birds outside they are more likely to call out to them. Try leaving soft instrumental music on for the birds during the day. I always leave music on for my guys while I'm out of the house.


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## crow (Sep 5, 2015)

Yes, it sound like he is calling for attention. Elvis does this when I walk out of the room he's in, when he is mad or when he hears visitors coming and they don't come to say hello quickly enough. He also does it if he doesn't agree with the music I put on or if he wants to come out or if we are having a dinner party downstairs and he is stuck in his cage upstairs, or if he just wants to. Mostly he doesn't want to, luckily.


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