# Joey Making an Odd Noise



## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

*He seems fine now, but...

Joey was pigging out, as normal, then moved away from his dish. He started making an odd sound that almost sounded like hiccups. While searching here to discover birds can't have hiccups, I have been watching him. He is singing, dancing, whistling, snacking on millet, playing with his toys and making that noise from time to time.

He is acting perfectly fine, other than that noise. At first it was every second or so, then tapered off to several seconds in between. Now it is about twice a minute but seems to be slowing from that. 

Maybe something stuck in his throat that irritated him? He has a new toy, with shells, thread and other fun things that he got for Christmas, but we only just put in there. We're wondering if one of the threads may have gotten loose and he swallowed it. I tried to find a picture of it, but it is the one in Kiwi's signature pic. In the time I have tried to search for it to link to, he has stopped.

While searching, I also had the thought he was shoving his face greedily into his food dish and shaking it as he took bites has he does sometimes, Maybe he might have gotten a husk in one of his nares? 

He seems perfectly fine now, and has for several minutes.I hate to seem like I am overreacting, but I'd never heard that noise before. Better safe than sorry.


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

Since posting, he has been preening, playing with toys, and dancing in his food dish making a huge mess. He is currently shouting at the geese outside, as if they really want to have a conversation with a pampered, spoiled, indoor bird while they are outside cold and unhappy.

The way he is acting now, I am pretty sure he just irritated himself with a seed husk.


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

Oh that is that cotton ring toy in my signature kind of similar to this if people are wondering where I got it: http://www.petco.com/product/121452...ng-Bird-Toy.aspx?CoreCat=LN_BirdSupplies_Toys
I'm scared of the cotton rope toys and sisal ones now after poor Bjorn had that lump of sisal removed. ><'

Kiwi has scared me a few times with a noise like that! It was when she was drinking water and something surprised her a little and she would do a little cough noise, but would be fine after a few seconds. One time she did choke on a seed husk and make a noise like that too, she actually vomited it back out. That was the only time she has ever done that and it still scared me to death to think about it. O_O
I believe I read that the vet guild lines say that if your 'tiel has been making coughing noises like that for more than 5 to 10 minutes then you should take them in as it has a lower chance of going away on its own. 

I'm glad that Joey is ok now!


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## tielbob (Mar 25, 2013)

I'm glad Joey's better!


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

Before I even hit the post button, I'd decided it wasn't the toy. The one he has looks like the one in the signature, same color and everything. We got it at Petsmart. I'm certain it was the way he was greedily eating, and he got a husk stuck. He has never made the noise before and hasn't since. The way he was acting fine otherwise, I was concerned but not overly.

Thanks, both! I'm glad he is okay too.


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## Dante1010 (Aug 11, 2013)

TamaMoo said:


> *He seems fine now, but...
> 
> Joey was pigging out, as normal, then moved away from his dish. He started making an odd sound that almost sounded like hiccups. While searching here to discover birds can't have hiccups, I have been watching him. He is singing, dancing, whistling, snacking on millet, playing with his toys and making that noise from time to time.
> 
> ...


My cockatiel does a similar hiccup noise. After eating, he often takes a big gulp of water and starts hiccuping for like 30 seconds, and then it goes away on its own. Does anyone know what this is?


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## Robert Seale (Sep 16, 2017)

It's a new one one me but I'm sure interested to know just WHAT caused it. If you REALLY want to hear some strange sounds, try a sun conure! The tiels seem all normal!


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