What can I do to keep my birds from singing at night and waking me up?

Question

I have four parakeets and have had them for around 3 years. They have been in my room for about the past two years but just recently (past few months) they have started singing or squawking late at night.

I am woken up numerous times (probably close to 10 times) a night and then can't get them to shut up. I have a cover for their cage at night and when I'm asleep all the lights are off so it's very dark.

Why have they just started this recently and what can I do to change it?

Answer 1

Something else has changed. Is there a new light outside? Did you change the cover? Anything else in the room or cage? Any change in your sleep patterns?
Can you move them to a different room?
Try changing the cover. Something heavier, more light proof.

Answer 2

I can think of several possibilities having raised 52 parakeets until it really got out of hand.
One is that they are beginning to get that mating drive. With four of them, are they paired? Is there enough room should 2 of them want to start housekeeping (so to speak), without intrusion from the other 2. Even with just 4 they need a lot of room, so as not to get in each others way. They will try to defend their little area.

Another thing is that may may possibly sleep to much during the day and when you are ready to go to sleep, they are just catching their (second wind). It becomes your bedtime, not theirs.

If the cage is not big enough, they also may be scaring each other. Have you tried a little night-light. If that is not the answer at least all you have to do is unplug it, I would try it first.

Answer 3

birds need to be covered up at nite only for the main reason that in the darkness when you move or turn over in bed or get up to get a drink or you turn on the light all of a sudden ,,,you scare them. haven't you noticed that they flap their wings like crazy in the nite? that's becasue your movements scare the hell out of them . they think for a second its a predator....always cover them,,you can use a pillow case depending on how big the cage is and with 4 parakeets ,,the cage must be medium to large in size so check out what you have around the house that you can cover them with and it should cut down the noise quite abit. even still ..you turn on the lite and they'll see thru the cover and start flapping..they can bust wing feathers.have you notice good feathers at the bottom of the cage or a feather sticking out from their wings? that's what's going on,,,,,

Answer 4

If you cover the birds cage with a cloth, they calm down for the night. Don't use a heavy cover during the summer, just perhaps an old teatowel covering the top part of their cage, should help.

Answer 5

We Put A Towel Over Our Birds Cage

Answer 6

Can you move them to another room where it is dark? They will quiet down about 10 minutes after they are in a dark area. My Birds won't shut up until all the lights are off, but once the daylight comes they are loud and I end up having to get up with them.

Sapphyre
Certified Avian Specialist
http://www.borrowed-rainbow.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BorrowedRainbowAviary/

Answer 7

I bet you are going crazy. I don't really have any good advice for you. I was going to suggest covering them at night, but you said you have a cover.

My mom had two doves who would do that. I stayed with her a while when she was ill. They drove me nuts. I put them in the garage at night (it was a heated garage), and covered them. That worked because I couldn't hear them, but they still were noisy at night.

Answer 8

I cover up my parakeet's cage up with a blanket at night.

Answer 9

Oh my daughter had this problem and I heard them all the way in my room it drove me NUTS. We covered them with a black semi heavy sheet. It worked. Good luck.

Answer 10

are the mixed sexes? are they trying to nest? they might be getting ready for mating if you got them when they were very young, even though they should have mated a while ago if they were in the wild this sometimes is delayed in domestic birds.