# Desensitizing Tips



## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

We live on a rather large lake, with an abundance of water birds. We love it, but Joey doesn't seem to be happy with the birds. At the moment there are a couple thousand Canadian geese over on the other side, and when all is quiet we can hear their chatter. Joey seems to tolerate that, but when he hears them as they are flying over, he freaks out and starts screaming. We're talking the loud, piercing, 'I'm about to be murdered' type of screaming. 

We want him happy and calm living here, and don't want the neighbors to be upset, so we are looking for ways to get him to relax and know that the outside birds aren't going to hurt him. He didn't do it from the beginning, but has only started in the last couple weeks, with the extra geese we seem to have these days. Before there were so many, when they would be loud, I would talk to him telling him they were geese and they were outside and use calm tones to assure him. Now he screams so loud he can't hear me talking to him. This happens a few times a day. My heart goes out to him for his fear, but at the same time, he needs to learn he is safe. 

Any ideas?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

I don't think its fear since their calling doesn't scare him. Sounds like he's trying to tell them where he's at (flock calling, but loudly because they never respond back to him.) Maybe playing a radio in his room that is loud enough he can't hear them and be upset may help? The only desensitizing I know of is to expose them continuously to the sounds but that would mean lots of screaming for you too.


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

I didn't think of it as flock calling with them being different birds. Duh, Tam.  That makes sense. Living where we do, he is going to be continuously exposed and has since moving here, so if it is only recent, it makes sense to be the flock call. 

He is in the living room so he is with us for our awake and at home hours, but we can have a radio for him. We've been considering it anyway for while we are at work to give him company.


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## caterpillar (Oct 14, 2013)

TamaMoo said:


> I didn't think of it as flock calling with them being different birds. Duh, Tam.  That makes sense. Living where we do, he is going to be continuously exposed and has since moving here, so if it is only recent, it makes sense to be the flock call.
> 
> He is in the living room so he is with us for our awake and at home hours, but we can have a radio for him. We've been considering it anyway for while we are at work to give him company.


Our bird flock calls to crows outside and they respond -- they DEFINITELY flock call to different species (as well as to humans).


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

Now that I realize he is calling the outside birds, I have been listening and am hearing that some are calling back. He had a bit of a chatter with a bird on the balcony a couple days ago.


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