# Behavioral Help - Screaming 'tiel



## Zypher (Jul 6, 2011)

Hi all! I am new here but have a unique situation that I'm having trouble finding the answer to. I think my background may be necessary to the story so here goes, if you don't want to read it feel free to skip down:

I have had birds for the majority of my life. I had a Cockatiel I got sometime around 6th grade that unfortunately we lost due to illness several years later while I was on vacation. A year or two after that I got a nice parakeet that required little to no hand training and the same thing happened to her and we determined it was an issue with the kennel they were staying at (the owner had a Cockatoo so we had deemed that she knew what she was doing but apparently not).

Anyway, I went off to college and after losing my childhood dog and grandmother in the same summer, I decided I was ready a pet of my own while on my own. I got my parakeet I have now in 2006. Her name is Zoe so she is around 5-6 years old. She was a pet-shop bird who was scared of everything - she sat in the corner of her cage for almost a week after I brought her home. I tried to get the store to take her back as they were selling these birds that were so terrified of everyone and everything but they refused to discuss the matter or help me so they have since lost my business. I managed to hand train her but she was never interested in me. If I open the cage she won't even come out, but is content playing with her toys. I have had no behavioral issues with her like plucking or screaming (although she can tweet quite loudly). She makes pretty little noises all day long and purchased a larger cage for her since she has no interest in the outside world. I have toyed with the idea of finding her someone who would have the time to train her or perhaps find her a friend or mate but I am not prepared to hand her off to a stranger.

Fast forward to Summer 2010, I purchased a condo and decided I was ready for a Cockatiel once again. I loved my first 'tiel and Zoe didn't exactly turn out to be the bird I had been looking for. Pepper came from a local bird breeder who has many Cockatoos and Cockatiels and breeds them in his home here in Texas. Pepper was just a few months old when I got her.

Pepper is grey/white...I believed her to be a 'her' because of her lack of song, but she has picked up words consistently since I got her. She wolf whistles, mimics a whistle I do to call my dogs, says 'Pretty bird', clicks her tongue at me like I do to her and has recently started to say "Gina come" which is one of my dog's names.

I also have two aforementioned dogs. Maybe important?

So I had a roommate last summer that moved in right after I got Pepper. We were home alternatively but usually both gone for most of the day. She would sing all the time, respond to my roommate's whistles during the early evening and overall was a happy bird. She lived in my room since my roommate wasn't all that fond of birds, along with Zoe (in her separate cage on the other side of a bookshelf where they couldn't see each other). I took her out a few times a week (not as often as I should have) and took good care of her. She virtually never saw my roommate. 

I am not sure when her habit developed but since last fall she has developed a screeching/screaming issue. My roommate moved out last October, and a couple months later I decided Pepper might enjoy being in the family room where she could see me. I placed her cage next to a large mirror as there's no other place away from drafts, and covered the back of the cage with a blanket so she couldn't see herself. Zoe was next to her and they could see each other a little bit out of the corners of their cages.

My real issue: She screams constantly now. She used to sing pretty all day and night, ultimately waking me in the morning, but now she gives me headaches at night. I come home, she screams, I cook dinner, she screams, I watch TV, she screams, I go upstairs, she screams, I walk outside, she screams, I go to the bathroom, she screams...I cannot get her to stop. I have been trying the ignoring technique but this does not seem to make it better. I sat confined upstairs for an hour because I did not want to reward her screaming by coming back downstairs.

2-3 weeks ago I decided to try a few new things, I'm covering her every single night between 9:30-10:30pm and taking her cover off before work at 7:30am (where she could potentially go back to sleep if she wanted to). I also moved Zoe to the other side of the room and am doing the same covering routine. Zoe makes virtually NO noise so I do not have an issue with her - but Pepper will not stop. I have been ignoring her screams for close to a month now, taking her out when she IS quiet almost every single day just letting her sit on her playpen, but now she even screams outside of the cage. It just keeps getting worse.

I am lost guys...I don't get it. Half the time I'm on the phone with my long distance boyfriend and don't know if she thinks I'm talking to her (and he can't stand the screams on the phone so it's causing us to talk less), or maybe she feels her screaming is rewarded when the dogs run downstairs? I am trying everything I feel I can do right now and my last resort is to find her a new home with someone who can train her and/or give her more attention. I don't want to give her away so I'm desperate for some help. She is a little skittish when I go to take her out of the cage, but does not really bite (in fact today was the first time she seemed to have a little aggression) and she is hand tamed and responds to step-up. Also I clipped her wings at first and now I am not because of the dogs and she's finally learning to fly to get around which is good I think.

 Anyone have any suggestions? Thank you all I really appreciate it.

My situation with having a parakeet and also the two dogs just makes this so confusing I am hoping someone has some insight.


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## Belinda (Oct 9, 2010)

How much out of cage time does she get now and attention from you (scritches and playing)? Does she have toys and things to keep her occupied? Chances are that if she is talking she may be a boy, but it's hard to tell without dna sexing her or visually sexing if possible. She may be screaming because she's sexually frustrated, or bored, or has bonded to you and is flock calling you, wants to come out of the cage or needs more attention. 

I don't think she is getting enough sleep, or her cage is being covered too late at night. Cover her no later than 7.30pm if you are uncovering the cage at 7.30am. Once you uncover the cage she won't go back to sleep, she will only nap during the day. This could be contributing to her recent aggression and screaming. It may settle her down a bit. This is where you could start. It will also quieten her down at night so you can have some peace and quiet too. Good luck


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## Duckybird (Sep 13, 2010)

Is there any way that Pepper can be out of the cage more when you're home without having to be on you? (and it does sound like Pepper is a boy  ) My adult male, Ducky, can be a bit screechy if he wants out of the cage, but quiets right down when he gets enough playtime. I have a sunroom that the birds are in, and besides some furniture, there's not much he can get into. I have a playgym built on top of their cage, and he can amuse himself. It stops the screaming pretty well.

Ducky is very tame but not too keen about scritches anymore (he has a mate and they groom each other now). He does love to be out and play with me, so more out of the cage time has helped him. I would also suggest moving Pepper back into a room; sometimes I think being in the center of things can be too stimulating.


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## Zypher (Jul 6, 2011)

Thank you for all the help already. Pepper has several types of perches, a swing and right now I think 5-6 toys plus a calcium block. She also has two food dishes and a covered water dish. 

She has been out of the cage pretty consistently 5-6 days a week from 30 minutes to a few hours. She has a play gym that she(or he) sits on sometimes without ever leaving it. She doesn't like to be scratched at all or rubbed so we have little interaction when she is out. I do walk up to her when I'm home and she's not out telling her hello (trying to teach this word). I say hello when I get home or walk inside or downstairs and if I'm going away for just a minute or two I've started saying be right back so she won't scream. 

I can cover her earlier but she's in the family room where I watch TV. I stay up until 10 or 11 and I turn the tv down after I cover her but it's still on. I could put her upstairs in my art room but she won't see me when she's there often. I could also put her at the top of the stairs in the hall. What do you guys think of those options?

Also have been reading a lot that suggests maybe I should consider a mate...I'm not sure about this. I also don't know how she views me. It's hard to tell if she wants my affection.


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## #1Maverick (Jul 1, 2011)

I have a bonded female/male pair. I adopted them in March of 2011. For the last couple weeks the female has screamed throughout the day (I work from home), so a mate may not help your problem. Reading this article made me realize that I haven't been covering them on time like I was. I will start tonight and hopefully the screaming will subside. As for the tiels being in the living room with the late night tv on? I've always (15 years) had my birds, Cockatiels and a African Gray in the living room and always stay up until 10-11pm sometimes later on the weekend. Until recently I've covered them on time and made sure there wasn't a lamp turned on right beside them. They seem to sleep fine with only the occasional peep if the dogs move quickly etc... I have their cages in the corners away from the high traffic areas so if we walk around in the middle of the night we don't pass directly by their cages. I sit in the recliner about 3 feet away from the cage when I'm watching pm tv. They don't seem to mind.


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## Zypher (Jul 6, 2011)

Well I covered her at 8 last night. She screamed for a good 5-10 minutes and then stopped. I was playing video games and watching tv so I think I kept her up but I'm not sure. At one point I said my dogs name and I hear her go "Gina come" from user her blanket. Not another peep after that. Hopefully this will help if not cure the issue. Thanks everyone! If you think of anything else please let me know.


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

I agree, it sounds like you have a male, all my males say pretty bird, I've found this to be a pretty straight forward breeding call. He could be hormonal and thinks you're his mate. Long nights would help with that. Also when a cockatiel goes to bed he needs it to be quiet, not any noise. Is it possible you move his cage to another room but leave his play area stay in the room you're most likely to be in? He may not be as cranky after that. Do you have pictures?


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## Zypher (Jul 6, 2011)

I do not have any pictures. My luck with the sleeping issue is mixed. Mainly she screeches when I leave the room and go upstairs. She's quiet right now, but if I go upstairs she will yell. I am happy to whistle back as long as this won't be encouragement. Often when I whistle back (wolf whistle is something she knows and it's been something i am using as a flock call) she keeps screaming louder OR she screeches the wolf whistle and continues to screech. What do you all think? Should I answer? When should I answer?

On another note, I know Pepper shredded a toy I put in there a little but other than that she takes little interest in toys (at least when I am home). Is there an easy way to teach this? She sat next to the parakeet Zoe who would always play with toys but even though she saw her play she still ignores the toys.


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