How can I stop our Bird from Screaming?

Question

We have a 11 month old Cocatiel. and he is constantly screaming If he hasn't got our attention 100% of the time.
He has clean food, and water, Toys in his cage, and is
5 feet away from us in the same room. He has a $500.00
flight cage, so he has plenty of room.
Also he will only eat certain seeds in his food then screams
about that too.
He is driving me Nuts.
Any (Serious) Answers will be appreciated.
and PLEASE NO Stupid comments.

Answer 1

First of all, he does not need a cage-mate. This will just make the bird harder to train since what he wants is attention, and he can get all the attention he wants from the mate. Cage-mates are never a good idea unless you plan on breeding the birds. Do NOT put a sheet over his cage! This is punishing the bird, and birds don't understand punishment. To get my cockatoo to stop screaming, I would look away when she would scream. If she kept screaming, I would turn off the lights, TV or anything that made noise, and leave the room until she stopped. Also, I would give her no eye contact while screaming. Once she was quiet for 10 minutes, I would come back in the room to play with her. It took about 3 days until she understood that she got no attention for screaming. After a week, instead of screaming for attention, she would ring a bell and say "Kai out?". It may take a few days to train your bird, but this way the bird wont end up getting angry with you for punishing him and he'll get trained just as easily. Email me if you have any other problems and I would be happy to help! Good luck!

Answer 2

Birds scream for a lot of reasons, but the main one is usually attention. In inadvertently you are enforcing this behavior without realizing it.
Your bird screams until you give it attention,
and has learned that that may take a very long time, but eventually you will come and give him the attention he wants.
To stop this behavior you will have to reteach him buy rewarding him for not screaming.
When he starts to scream, you should get up and leave the room. Do not re-enter until he stops screaming. When he does, wait a few seconds walk to his cage and give him a treat and praise him.
I know this sounds like a pain to have to keep getting up and leaving the room but it really is the only way you will unteach him from screaming.
email me for more info or you can go to
www.birdsecrets.com/blog
and join to talk to other bird owners with many of the same problems.

Answer 3

I have 5 parrots and 2 cockatiels. And the main thing I have to say is they are (((loud))). :) It's part of being a bird owner. But I look at it this way...when you are outside and you see a Mother bird with her baby bird, the baby bird always (((screams))) and makes it's wings quiver while she is trying to get food into it's little beak. They do it to look pitiful so she will continue to wait on them. And many of the answers here are correct. Birds want lots and lots of attention and probably when you are not home, you bird is quiet. I know for a fact that mine are. I wait at my door - you don't hear a sound in the house, and when I come in, it sounds like a jungle. *smile*
(((OUR MAMA IS HOME)))
Your bird sees you as the flock leader. So the squacking is really a compliment because it's just acting like a baby bird that needs it's Mama to bring him something. I do cover my bird cages at night. But never during the day! I keep a small color tv in my bird room with Sesame Street type shows playing for them to watch when I'm not home. I hope this helps a bit. I wish you well.

Answer 4

Birds will do that. With birds we have had we just get used to it after a while. We usually cover the cages at night with a black sheet. Then take it off in the morning when we get up. If he is being loud when you are eating diner or something cover the cage durning diner and uncover it when you are done. I have never heard a bird make noise while the cage was covered.

Answer 5

cover part of his cage with a towel so he cant see you cos i bet he doesnt scream when your out shopping. or gradually get him used 2 being on his own but moving him 2 a quiet room with no attention also put the radio on for company may be a good idea

Answer 6

Try a different food.
he may need a buddy in such a big cage. sounds liike heh is lonely. maybe move his cage near a window. A radio is a good idea.

Answer 7

You can put a sheet over their cage.

Answer 8

try squirting him with a sprat bottle and tell him no