# My Tiel Squawks/Screams Every Morning. I've Tried Everything!



## crazytiel (Jan 19, 2012)

One of my cockatiels has made it a habit to squawk every single morning. At approximately 9:30 to 10am, she starts, and her male friend soon joins in (he's even louder). This continues to about 12PM every day. There is never a day that she hasn't done this, and this has been going on for MONTHS.

I thought it was a hygiene problem, but nope, spray bathing didn't work. I tried letting them out of the cage, but nope, they squawked on the top of it. I suspect it's because we may have spoiled her with too much attention in the past. I read a bunch of tiel owners that say if this happens, you just have to ignore them in order to teach them that yelling doesn't work to get attention. I've tried this for a few months as well; we just completely ignore them when they're squawking. Nope, she keeps doing it.

After 12pm, everything is back to normal. Everything's quiet, I give them attention, take them out of the cage, etc. They're calm, and happy. Until next morning...

I haven't heard of anything else that can work, so I'm just posting this for the slight chance that someone can come up with a solution that actually works. Here is an example of the squawking (note, that's not my bird, it's just an idea. Plus, mine is in the cage.)

Thanks in advance for any help.


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## LeopardPrintBee (Nov 22, 2011)

I have no idea I'm afraid  Ours does the same, but at no set time. And you can't ignore her because as soon as she hears you coming in to the living room she starts back up again 

Hope you get help and a quiet home  x


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## stevechurch2222 (Sep 25, 2011)

Have you tried longer nights,12 to 14 hours of sleep.That might help.


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## crazytiel (Jan 19, 2012)

That's an interesting idea, stevechurch2222. The same cockatiel does scream at around 10pm-11pm if the lights aren't off by then. Turning off the light does help. I never connected that with the morning screams because it doesn't quite add up. The sun comes up at around 7, and it's already very light at 8am. Why would she start up only 2 hours later?

If she would start as long as there's any light, then I'd understand. Plus, if she didn't get enough sleep, why does she stop at 12pm?


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

I sometimes close my curtains during the day so that they will quieten down


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## Dizzy (Oct 5, 2011)

Rally? Mine does this every morning for a while and I really enjoy it XD. Might just be me though.


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Luna will sing at 3 AM, at 5 AM, 7-10 AM, in the afternoon...whatever he feels like. I'm hanging blackout curtains as soon as the tension rod comes in the mail. So i'm thinking it might help.


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Dizzy said:


> Rally? Mine does this every morning for a while and I really enjoy it XD. Might just be me though.


Having only one i will understand but since all mine start copy from each other it does get annoying lol


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## Dizzy (Oct 5, 2011)

lperry82 said:


> Having only one i will understand but since all mine start copy from each other it does get annoying lol


Haha, fair enough


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## LeopardPrintBee (Nov 22, 2011)

lperry82 said:


> Having only one i will understand but since all mine start copy from each other it does get annoying lol


I have one and it still drives me a little mad lol  x


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## leoyys (Jan 9, 2012)

Well, screaming and shouting are the habits that every parrot has.


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## Dieselness (Oct 28, 2011)

Thats pretty normal for birds to be loud in the morning, thats part of their behavior in the wild. mine did the same thing, he started the minute I uncovered him, at around 10 until 2 PM, he just screamed his head off.
One thing that worked really well for me (knock on wood) is moving his cage to a different spot. He was near the window and I moved him away from it and the screaming stopped the next day. Good luck!


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## medicineheart (Jan 22, 2012)

OMG! My two males do the same thing and it's driving me banana's. They have been doing this for a number of months and the only way to shut them up after hearing it for an hour and giving me a headache, I cover them up till they are quiet or start singing instead. Telling that they are being "bad boys" during their squawking and covering them to keep continuing the behaviour has produced nothing. They do this around 9am to 12pm EVERYDAY.

My boys were a rescue I am the fourth owner of them. I can't get near them with a broom to clean up their messes because they go ballistic. They have however gone to a nervous chirp. I think they were abused with a broom-- but I can use the vacuum with crevice tool attachment and they are okay with that. They were never trained for anything. I have offered them up fresh fruit and veggies-- they aren't interested. They don't like my hand coming into their cage even when I am talking to them. I've only been bitten once. I have had them since July 2009. They reside in the bathroom at night and I do cover them up. I will open up their cage door and them have run of the bathroom-- but I close the door. One will come out and visit, but the other won't get near it.


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## jeme (Jan 19, 2010)

Things that come to mind...

Bed time (cover the cage) at the same time each night. Wake them up (uncover the cage) at the same time every morning. 12 hours of darkness every night.

Change to placement of the cage, move all the toys around. 

Do they have lots of toys? How many? How often do they get something new? Things they can chew and destroy? Plenty of room to move around? What kind of cage/how big?

Lots of variety of food, different places in the cage to get food and treats will encourage them to be active.

Do they have a play gym or other location away from the cage and do they get plenty of attention out and away from the cage?

If you know they usually start squawking about the same time every day, change the routine. If they are usually in the cage at that time, take them out and in to a different room and do something new with them BEFORE they start. 

Give them a spray bottle misting before putting them back in the cage, so they'll spend some time preening.

Reward them with attention and favorite treats when they are quiet.

Hope something there helps!


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## medicineheart (Jan 22, 2012)

*Squawking and changing things around*

They do get their 12 hours of a covered cage. They stay in the bathroom at night and they get moved to a window for the daylight and vitamin D. The have squawked in the bathroom and at the window. 

I change out their toys weekly.

I purchase them bird treats to keep them busy. Stuff that they need to work at. They haven't touched them.

I even went and purchased new perches and they didn't want anything to do with them. It's been two months. I don't change everything all at once..that would just confuse them-- 

They get a mist bath every week and they love it! I found that out by accident.


I dunno anymore. 

I guess I will muddle thru this more -- hey it's only been three years already. lol

Jill


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## jeme (Jan 19, 2010)

Try putting their cage in a different location during the day. Maybe there is too much stimulation by the window.

Go ahead and change out all the perches and toys at once, first thing in the morning. The idea is to break the routine.

Mist them every morning right before they get noisy.

Try all of that and see if it makes a difference.


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