# My cockatiel won't stop squawking



## penhryn

Hello Everyone. I am new to this forum. Hopefully I will get the right answers. I have a 1yr old male cockatiel. Very tame, cute and cuddly. In the last month or so he has been squawking in his cage and at playtime. He has a 5 star cage. I have tried almost everything to settle him down. Clicker training, blanket, move the cage, music, talk softly, new toys, change the toys around to name just a few. Nothing seems to work. In the mornings for 2 to 3 hrs non stop and sometimes all day. I have had cockatiels before but never like this one. I have to put his cage out on our deck and just keeps squawking. Mind you, he does do some talking in between. To me he seems nervous, always looking around. His head goes from left to right and back again really fast. He doesn't seem calm and relaxed. I am treating him exactly the same as the others I have had but he doesn't seem to stop. The only time he stops is when he is asleep. When he is out of the cage he is with me mumbling with his wings half out. I think that is flirting. Not sure. He was out for over an hour this morning, put him back and starts squawking. He is a very good whistler but now if he hears anyone whistling around the house or on the radio and tv he lets out this unbearable squawk. Have spoken to a few people and some say get him another bird and others say don't because he will turn aggressive. They all have their different personalities. Maybe mines not normal. To me it sounds like a calling noise. He wasn't like this before this started. He was so quiet. I had to check the cage to see if he was okay. Maybe he thinks he's human. What do you do if you've done almost everything to try and fix the problem. I don't want to start stressing out over a bird if you know what I mean. Any help would be much appreciated.


----------



## lperry82

Hello and welcome to the forum 

Getting another tiel will make him happy and will calm him down
I have the same problem with my beano and he will not be quiet, he prefers to be on his own and he doesnt want a female which i have dumpling and buttercup and he not interested. All my others are quiet at times but him is really annoying so i know how you feel.


----------



## penhryn

Thanks for replying. The only thing that worries me is if I get him a friend, he might not accept it or will accept and they both end up squawkers. I am tearing my hair out as to which way to go.


----------



## lperry82

I have a total of 12 at the minute and only beano wont be quiet but the others are fine

I also find that blowing up a balloon just a little bit and pull at the sides when its going back down and the noise coming from it makes them quiet for a bit


----------



## penhryn

Something else for me to try. Thanks.


----------



## lperry82

Your welcome 

We would love to see some pics of him


----------



## penhryn

I will post a pic tomorrow.


----------



## Mentha

It sounds like he may be bored. Maybe a few new toys to play with in his cage would help, or swap out his toys with new ones. How often do you take him out? Has the time you've spent out of cage time been reduced for some reason? Getting another bird might calm him down, but it might also make him less interested in you as a flock mate. It really depends on the bird though.


----------



## ozzy-nator

when Ozzy does that generally its because she wants something, mostly she wants to come out and hang out. Sometimes its more seed. sometimes its a bath.  LOL shes a goober 
maybe he wants to come out of the cage more


----------



## penhryn

He comes out most of the time for an hour or longer. Watches tv with us and has a play. I have bought him and made all sorts of toys. Plays with them for a while and then looses interest. His cage is very large. At the moment it's 9am over here and when I took his cover off he has start to squawk and won't stop. Sounds to me likes he's lonely and wants a mate. Taking him to a breeder to find out if everything is okay with him. He will definitely quieten down when he sees her birds. He is even squawking when he's outside the cage which I don't understand. Anyhow, things will get sorted out in the end. Thanks for all of your replies.


----------



## lperry82

Thats what we are here for


----------



## elinore

We care for my uncle's rescue tiel on most weekends, and he will sometimes get into that horrible squawk cycle, like you described. Usually it only lasts a few hours (2-4 hours or so, but I think he gets bored of it eventually), and wow is it obnoxious. One day I just couldn't take it any more, so I put my iPod on shuffle and blasted it really loud to drown him out. The first songs he ignored, but eventually a "Jersey Boys" (a musical based off the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons) tune came on, one that has very high notes, and Trix immediately stopped the lound, rhythmic shrieks and started singing along with the music. He would focus really hard on the tune, and try to mimic the sounds he heard. After I'd played it a few times in a row, he had forgotten about his annoying squawking. I don't know if you've tried something similar, but this is what I do now whenever he gets that way, and so far it's never failed. I just turn on 15 minutes of Jersey Boys, and the bird sings his head off and then seems happy when it's over.


----------



## penhryn

This has only been happening in the last couple of months. Before that he was a quiet as a mouse. Even when I talk and whisper to him to calm down he won't.


----------



## penhryn

Thanks for replying. I would love to get inside his head and find out whats going on. I tried John Denver. Didn't mind that but he looses interest so quickly. The other cockatiels I had (RIP) didn't say boo but this one I can't work out. I don't understand why he squawks when he's outside the cage for playtime because that's when they're suppose to be quiet because they are out. Maybe a smaller cage because his one is really big. He might feel content in a smaller one. Beats me. I will need a straight jacket soon. My husband is at boiling point with him. Shotgun loaded. LOL.


----------



## lperry82

Is he spoilt as thats what people have told me that my cookie is just a spoilt brat and gets away with anything lol


----------



## penhryn

MMMMM!!!!! He is spoilt I guess. He loves my fingers for some reason. When I put my fingers through the bars of the cage he starts flirting with them. I wave my fingers around and he loves that. Maybe a mechanical hand would do the trick. Post pic later today.


----------



## elinore

Has any distraction worked? My Magga used to get squawky when she was younger once in awhile. That was when I was in high school and it often happened on weekend afternoons, like she was just too overwhealmed with everything and trying to get even more attention at the same time. With her we could just give her a "time out," usually 20-30 minutes of quiet time in her cage in my room, away from the hustle and bustle, and she'd stop no problem. With Trix, our weekend male, it's a bit trickier, and we really have to distract him well, which is why strange (to him), loud, high-pitched music works so well. Opera has also been a big hit, especially Sarah Brightman. It's kind of funny, but we'll do anything to shut him up and it does work wonders lol!


----------



## penhryn

He is out on our deck at the moment calling out even if I am out there. Everyone has been so helpful and I am going to try a few things. I know that noise is part of their lifestyle but this is getting beyond a joke. It is constant and driving me insane.


----------



## Mentha

Maybe he's hormonal. you mentioned a bowing with a wing flap? Sounds like heart wings. He thinks you are his mate and wants to mate. Search the forum for hormone reduction. This might help you. Getting another bird will just make him want to breed more.


----------



## penhryn

I think he is hormonal because when I get him out he starts babbling and talking to my hands with his wings half out. Thanks for your help.


----------



## MeanneyFids

first, start covering his cage 12-14 hours a night. that will help reduce his hormones... nothing he can see as a nestbox... and theres other things, but those 2 are the biggest things to do to reduce his hormones


----------



## Mentha

take any mirrors away too.


----------



## penhryn

Okay. I will try what has been suggested. I am overwhelmed with the responses. Thanks so much.


----------



## Poekiej

I'm not an expert, but Rocky used to scream all the time, in his cage, out of his cage, everyware.
Then I took him to clip his wings, because he was crashing the whole time and after that he never screamed again..
I still think it's got to do with that, so I don't know if yours is clipped?
If not, maybe give it a try?


----------



## penhryn

Mine is called Rocky as well. He did have his wings clipped when we bought him but now they have grown back. He has no problem flying around as he has a perch on top of his cage and knows where to land. I was thinking about clipping his wings but I don't know whether it would be cruel or not.


----------



## Poekiej

I would give it a try and clip his wings.
It's not cruel, as he had them clipped before and they get easily used to the fact they can't fly.
They grow back anyways, maybe it stops his screaming..?


----------



## penhryn

What has been happening now is, I take his cover off in the morning and he starts squawking. 3hrs non stop. Every 4 seconds to be precise. He did come out of his cage but sat on his perch screaming. Well actually it's not screaming. It's like a calling. Hard to explain. I was about 4 foot away and was going on and on. I have been watching him and to me he seems lonely. I am giving him all the love in the world but to him I don't think that's enough. When he is outside on our deck he calls out and has heart wings. Even if I'm there and talk to him he just calls out. I spoke to a breeder and told her about his carryings on and she suggested a friend. She has a 4 month old semi-tame male. The only thing she said he doesn't do is to step up. I need to do something asap as it' driving me crazy and I haven't the patience to wait for it to stop. He is such and adorable bird and I love the way he talks and repeats everything he has heard during the day.


----------

