# My cockatiel won't stop screaming . . .



## Screech

I realize my friend has already posted about this, but I want to put in a bit more information, because my dad wants to kill Screech because he won't silence himself . . .

When we first got him, we kept him in the living room (in my old house) so that he could see us. Not enough people went in the kitchen and such, so he saw us quite frequently. That room was never unoccupied.

Since we moved at the end of July, Screech has started to make more noise. More specifically, he makes a lot of noise if he can't see or hear me. I believe he has grown most attached to me. On tuesdays when I get home, nobody is there, so the moment he hears the door, he realizes its me and starts to make a lot of noise and won't even let me go into the kitchen (which is also viewable from his position in the living room) unless I want to listen to him spaz. I've tried to start with the ignoring him until he's quiet thing, but he never stops. We lock him in the bathroom until he's silent, but that takes close to 3 hours to happen, and the moment he hears a noise he goes off again.

But when I take him out, he's perfectly silent and just sits there on my finger, picking at my clothes and nails.

What caused this behavior and how can I fix it? Please, I need to know how I can stop him from making this much noise.

*Note: Not only does he screech, he picked up the sound of the fire alarm the one time that it went off for a few seconds, and he'll make that noise at a level so harsh that I get a migraine.


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## xxxSpikexxx

When I get home and Spike calls to me I will say hi Spike to let him know Iam home and ok. Here are a few links that might help http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-behavior-and-training/bird-behavior-issues/screaming-bird.aspx , http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-beh...es-screaming/squelch-excessive-screaming.aspx and http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-beh...issues-screaming/tips-to-quiet-screaming.aspx Remember that this won't work over night, it might not even work over a few months. You said that when Screech screams you guys go and get him and put him in the bathroom. I think this is reinforcing his screaming. He screams you go and get him, he probably thinks this is great. Hope this helps


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## kat89447

Spike needs a bird friend. It's the only thing that helped Eddie.


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## Sekica

Sounds to me like he might be lonely and bored, especially if he's alone in his cage most of the day.

Another bird might help because he'll pay more attention to it. I have five birds right now (2 tiels, 3 parakeets), and none of them scream for attention or look for me. Every once in a while they'll call me, but other than that they're surprisingly quiet.

How much time does he spend outside the cage? Not necessarily with you, but just outside. Spending some time outside, even if it's just on top of the cage or on a playground might help if you invest in some toys like foraging ones and put treats in them. You could try and see which toy he likes the most and use that as the "special toy" he only gets when you're at home so that he's distracted by it so he doesn't look for you as much. You could also try to make a window sill bird friendly so he can sit on it when you're home and watch what goes on outside. My older tiel did that all the time when he was the only tiel in the house, and he paid no attention to what was going on inside because of all the birds, cars, and people outside.

I hope that helps a bit.


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## atvchick95

first Never lock him in a room any room but specially bathrooms and kitchens are off limits to birds unless supervised and kitchens no cooking is going on 

he was used to having people around now there not - he's a bird - he's flock calling - call back , say hold on, hello, be right back anything Eventually he'll get the hang of it and realize his "flock" (you and your family) didn't leave him

if you keep locking him away your only making matters worse, you'll go from having a screaming bird, to a Plucking screaming bird 

My birds all have friends I only have 5 cages with just One bird in them 2 of those are love birds and they are Side by side but can't be housed together right now because the female plucked the male and they're in the birds room 

2 more are Quakers - they live in the living room where my b/f spends all his time - he can leave the room and they entertain their self but they will call out to him (or us) and as long as some one (even if its my kids) call back they usually let out one more squawk (we take it as them saying OK every one is accounted for) and they'll go back to playing 

1 is my Indian ring neck - she's the only one i have for now she's in my room and out all day and has baby lovebirds to chatter with 

1 is a conure who just lost his mate - and he's also in the birds room 

my house sounds like a zoo but it's happy sounds of budgies, lovebirds, tiels chattering, whistling , making their noises along with the occasional sounds of the Quakers and conure 

Birds are not quiet animals they will make noise but they scream for reasons - and then the owner has to find the reason - your reason is he no longer has the constant activity of his flock in the same room with him 

Spend more time with him , leave a radio/t.v on for him He will stop once his flock spends time with him 

ignoring him and locking him away is not helping at all.

and to be very honest locking him away in a bathroom is cruel


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## Mythara

You need to set up a routine that you can all live with. My birds know they can scream for ten minutes when I get home, and then have to be quiet before they come out. They know that they get a certain amount of time out of the cage with me, then I have to go and make tea so they are quiet then. And so on.

Problems with parrots generally aren't the parrots fault, they're the result of teaching from their human flock. He's learnt that screaming gets him your attention. It doesn't matter whether it's negative or positive - to him any attention is a good thing. You need to be consistant and remember there is no quick fix. Here's another article on foraging.

Make sure he has toys that he likes and plays with. And that he doesn't get bored of them. We swap at least one toy every few days and put in either a new one (I make most of our toys so it's much less expensive) or one they haven't seen for a while. If there's a toy they haven't played with at all, I'll move it around and see if they prefer it in another position. If they still don't like it after removing it, and giving it back, I'll dismantle it and remake it to see if they prefer that.

We also have 50% toys and 50% foraging toys for our birds. Foraging is possibly the best thing you can do for your bird. It stimulates them mentally and physically and allows them to use all sorts of wild instincts. Most foraging toys can easily be made at home, and many just need a piece of paper, or other things you have lying around at home. Some even take just five minutes to set up. My blog has a lot of easy homemade foraging toys that my 'tiels and budgies love. I have written info on why foraging's important, and how you can teach him to forage, along with all the toys I've made the birds. You can also check out the Captive Foraging Thread in the Cockatiel Talk area of the forum.


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## Screech

I do say "Hello, Screech!" Whenever I get home, or I'll say "Be right back" if I'm going in to the kitchen and then I won't stop talking so that he knows where I am. Often I sing (because it seems to relax him, he fell asleep yesterday on my finger while I was singing) so he knows where I am, but it doesn't help. I'll bring up the topic of a "bird friend", but I doubt I'll be allowed to get another (unless perhaps another one from the friend who gave me Screech, as more are expected soon).


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## Mythara

You have to be consistent, and do the same thing every time with no exceptions. Your family also have to join in and do exactly the same as you do, so you aren't sending him mixed messages. You can't expect quick results. You need him to "unlearn" the disruptive behaviour as well as the new "good" behaviour. Here's a case study by Dr Susan Friedman, on screaming: http://www.behaviorworks.org/files/s-files/Lee Rockx Screaming.pdf Try following the steps she outlines in that case. Her websites http://www.behaviourworks.org


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## Screech

Its odd, a few days ago he was almost completely silent. But I think he was just tired because when I took him out of his cage he fell asleep while perched on my finger (while I was singing), then the next day I put him on my back and lay down on my bed and he fell asleep there too.

He's back to being needy and noisy again though.. Dad refuses to get a bird friend for him. His reasoning is because "there is no guarantee that they will both be quiet, for all we know they'll just be twice as loud". . .


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## ipaintbrush

Screech said:


> Its odd, a few days ago he was almost completely silent. But I think he was just tired because when I took him out of his cage he fell asleep while perched on my finger (while I was singing), then the next day I put him on my back and lay down on my bed and he fell asleep there too.
> 
> He's back to being needy and noisy again though.. Dad refuses to get a bird friend for him. His reasoning is because "there is no guarantee that they will both be quiet, for all we know they'll just be twice as loud". . .


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## ipaintbrush

ipaintbrush said:


> I have the same issue. Jasper screams constantly if I am not in the same room with her. She is definitely bonded to me. I am at work most of the day and the other day, my husband said she screamed all day no matter what he did to try to quiet her. It did help the next day to put her by the window, but today that didn't work. Even when I picked her up, she kept screaming at me. I'm sure I have not helped things now that she is sitting here on my shoulder. I think she needs a second bird but the only way that will happen is if I rehome her with someone who has another cockatiel. My husband thinks the same thing your dad does: that two birds will be twice as noisy.


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