Why are parakeets so loud?

Question

I have 3 parakeets, and when they want food or water, they chirp real loud. well, they have a full dish of food, and and they have fresh water. they get loud when they're scared, or when they are fighting. is there anything else that would make them get real loud? i can't let them out, b/c they don't have their wings clipped, and they're not exactly human friendly. and i'm scared my dog will eat them when they hit the floor.

And what could i do, or try, to keep them more quiet? i don't want them to be totally quiet, i mean i like their soft chirping. but when they start screeching, and being really loud, is when i can't handle it. it hurts my ears, and it drives me nuts!!

I've tried putting a sheet over their cage. They chewed a big hole in it, and i'm scared to try it again, because i don't want them to swallow the fabric.

I've noticed that the birds respond to a clap or 2, and the word hush or shush. it only quiets them for a minute or 2 tho. i've also noticed that when i tell them quiet loud enough for all of us to hear, they ALL start in. i guess they don't like to hear it, or i startle all of them. could they be trying to fight over who's going to mate with the fem? i have 1 fem and 2 male.

I've noticed today, that while my kids were in their room, I had the tv off, and sometimes the radio was on, sometimes it was off. when it was off, they were chirping quietly, or not at all. but when there was noise, they're a little louder, but not as loud as they are when there's a ton of noise going on; the tv will be on, my husband is on his computer playing a game or playing music for his guitar, while playing his guitar, and i'm playin a game.
like i said, they aren't really sociable with us, so they aren't really obthered by my back facing them.
right now, their isn't hardly any noise, and they're pretty quiet. then again, last time i looked at them, 2 were sleeping, and one was kinda hangin around. maybe i could have less noise during the day, and see how that goes.
any thoughts on how to keep their claws trimmed down? i got that snadpaper stuff u put on the bars, but that didn't really work, and now that it's all off of it, they chewed it off the bars, and thew it down.

Answer 1

I've had parakeets for over 10 years. They are never quiet. :) That's just the nature of parakeets. They like to be the loudest noise around, they LOVE joining in on noise. If they hear a TV or people talking, they have to compete. That's just the way they are. They're energetic birds and love being an active part of a flock, where they can communicate and bop beaks and jump all over the place. Truthfully, there isn't anything you can do to quiet them down.

Putting a sheet over their cage isn't a good idea, except at night if necessary. They need air and daylight to be healthy. You can try closing their cage in another room and closing the door if you need quiet, but that's only a temporary solution. I've learned to love their squawking and chirping because it tells me they are healthy and happy to be alive!

EDIT*** I'm adding something here because you asked a second question in your comments. It might be better to post your "keep their nails trimmed" question as a new one. Those sandpaper perch covers are hard on birds' feet. They aren't a good idea. I have a concrete perch (Polly's) in each of the cages. I put it in a place where they have to step on it to get to their food or water. It helps keep their nails trimmed very well!! Also remember to have different size perches in the cage, for foot health. You can get a manzanita perch, the comfy cotton perch, and make sure the perches have different diameters so they are opening and closing their feet according to the size of the perch. That will exercize them and prevent foot problems. It also helps the nails to have a larger diameter perch.

Answer 2

I also have three parakeets and they are loud
the chirp is when there are lonely or alone
the loud squawk is when they are scared, mad , or they just want attention
my birds wings are not clipped either i let them into a room and shut the door and they can fly freely
usally you can tell when they want to fly, they began to flap their wings really fast and jump around in the cage
when they get to loud put a sheet over their cage and they will be quiet.

Answer 3

Birds are meant to fly and be with others of their own kind in a natural environment. In the wild, these beautiful beings are never alone, and if they are separated from their flock even for a moment, they call wildly to their flockmates. These social animals preen one another, fly together, play, and share egg-incubation duties. You have to keep in mind that parakeets are not domestic animals like dogs and cats; captive-bred birds are only a few generations from their wild ancestors, so many of their natural behaviors do not mesh well with human companionship.

Confinement causes birds to have temper tantrums and mood swings. The Los Angeles Times reported that parrots "quickly become frustrated 'perch potatoes' in captivity. ... Many end up obese and with serious behavioral problems such as screaming, biting and self-mutilation by plucking out their feathers. Parrots are the primates of the bird world. They aren't content to sit on a perch and sing.

Birds can also be mischievous and highly destructive. In the wild, they typically play in the treetops and chew on branches or leaves. In captivity, birds display this behavior by chewing on walls, door moldings, electrical or telephone wires, furniture, or any other material that they can get to. “Screaming” is really a bird’s way of calling out to flockmates who, in the wild, might be half a mile away. Punishing birds only increases their frustration and makes them more unruly, as they do not understand that their natural behaviors are not welcome in a human home environment.


Let the parakeets fly free for long periods of time every day—spending as much time out of the cage as possible. Convert your balcony or porch into an aviary or build a good-weather aviary in your backyard if possible. Otherwise, provide a “bird-proof” room or rooms, with no ceiling fans or other bird hazards. Include a bird “gym” or nonpoisonous tree branches (such as dogwood, apple, or elm) for exercise.

Ideally, birds should get between eight and 12 hours of sleep a night, preferably from dusk on, in a draped flight enclosure or a covered cage. Parakeets aren’t going to eat the fabric; they chew it in their beaks and will spit it out. You don’t have to worry about that.

I would recommend reading a book called "My Parrot, My Friend", as it covers all the topics related to your parakeets problems.

Answer 4

You think your parakeets are loud, try having a green cheeked conure, and a quaker parrot both squawking and competing to be the loudest at the same time. As far as I know, all birds are loud. Good Luck.

Answer 5

well.i know its frusterating..you have to remember that birds cant normally speak our language so the best way to get across us humans to get what they want is to tweet and chirp.they sound like they just want some good old attention from you..another response is when they make all that loud noise is to go over,but turn youre back on them...pet birds HATE when you do that.hope it all works out for you 4..good luck

Answer 6

You might try clipping their wings and getting them to socialize with you. Almost all of my birds (parrots, cockatiels, parakeets, cockatoos, etc. etc. through the years) enjoy close contact either with me or my wife (or both of us) or our kids. They're also louder because they're together and communicate with each other.