If you are a parrot or cockatoo owner, you may quickly realize how noisy your new family member can be. Parrots are exceedingly emotional and demand a great amount of attention from their owners. If you’re dealing with a screaming parrot, you need to consider methods of reducing the noise in order to restore peace in your home.
1. Quietly Leave The Room
When your bird screams, it is typically a method of demanding attention. In the wild, parrots will cry out loud enough to attract the attention of their flock up to one mile away. Your parrot may live with you in your house, but they certainly do not know how closed in your space is. Your parrot does not know the concept of indoor voices. It will not know that it does not need to scream as loud to grab your attention.
When your parrot screams indoors, it’s best to calmly leave the room. You may be tempted to yell back to them, but that might be exactly what they are looking for. When your bird loudly cries out, and when it’s not in trouble, stand up and leave the room without making nay noise or making eye contact.
2. Calmly Cover Your Bird’s Cage
A successful method many parrot owners have to reduce screaming is to cover the cage with a dark blanket or towel in order to block out the light. Parrots are instinctual, and they know that when it is dark out, it usually means that it’s nighttime. Birds are not as vocally active at night. Therefore, by covering their cage, you’re simulating a quiet environment in order to encourage them to scream less.
When you cover their cage, they may give a few loud squawks. These are what is known as extinguishing cries. It’s common for birds to cry out very loud before they stop crying altogether. If they scream out loud and you respond by yelling or paying attention to them, then you’re simply encouraging their unruly behavior.
3. Do Not Pay Attention To Their Loud Behaviors
Birds love attention. They enjoy getting a rise from their owners, because that’s how they relate to one another in the wild. Parrot owners might think they are training their bird by yelling back or saying “No!” when he or she screams. This has the unfortunate side effect of reinforcing their behavior. They learn to expect attention when they cry out, so they’ll do it more often when you’re not paying attention to them.
The best way to smother loud and undesirable noise levels is to follow these three steps. With enough consistent efforts, you’ll come to notice that your parrot may rely on alternative, less noisy behaviors in order to catch your attention.
Remember that consistency is key. If you don’t see improvement after one, two, or even three days, keep going at it. Your bird may have developed their screaming habit after a week of reinforced behaviors, so you should expect just as much time – or more – before you can begin to see improvements.
Photo Credits: Pixabay
