TheTameParrot.com - Say “BYE” To Your Parrot Problems

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***QUESTION***

“How do I stop my blue fronted Amazon parrot from screaming? Whenever we leave the room, she screams. We’ve tryed spraying her with water, clapping our hands loudly, etc. We are about to look for a new home for her if we can’t get this behavior under control.”

Barbara F.

***MY COMMENTS***

From that one paragraph you wrote, I can already see two big mistakes that you are making. I’ll get to those later…

Firstly, let me differentiate between constant ear-piercing, nerve-racking, blatant screaming (that needs to be tackled) and a parrot’s “call to the flock” (which you should not attempt to stop)

It is important to understand that most parrots “call to the flock” several times per day, usually in the morning, around noon, at dusk, which is a completely natural behavior since birds are social animals.

You cannot, and SHOULD NOT, attempt to stop this natural process. This flock calling is a parrot’s way of determining which flock members are present or not present and it’s just checking up on you because YOU are part of the parrot’s flock!

Now, onto the annoying, ear-piercing screaming that drives you crazy…

Before attempting to resolve any screaming problem, you must ensure there’s NO medical reason involved by seeking medical evaluation by a certified avian veterinarian.

Now, there are LOTS of different reasons why birds may scream - just like a human child. If you hear your kid screaming upstairs, you can’t just pinpoint exactly what’s wrong with the child, right? You have to investigate…

In this article, I’m going to tackle one of them -

Something to consider is whether YOU have taught the bird to scream. Barbara, you mentioned that you clap your hands loudly in order to hush her up. What you’re actually doing is encouraging this screaming behavior…

“WHAT ARE YOU SAYING, DANNY??”

You see, when a parrot screams and the owner reacts by screaming back at the bird, the bird learns that screaming is an ACCEPTABLE form of communication.

The bird owners react by screaming back, throwing items at the bird, dousing the bird with water, etc. This human reaction is negative, but reaction none the less, which is exactly what the parrot wanted to begin with! As a result, some parrots become confused and don’t know how to behave, but since they’ve learned to scream, this is how they react!

You need to understand that some parrots scream as a way to get ATTENTION!

By the way… don’t use water as a punishment… And then you wonder why the parrot doesn’t want to take a bath.

Basically, if there is a lot of screaming or noise in the home, a parrot may feel it is acceptable for it to scream in order to be heard or that screaming is a natural part of life.

Interesting little creatures, aren’t they?

A VICIOUS CYCLE IS CREATED

The cycle must be broken in order to change the negative behavior. Reward your bird when s/he doesn’t scream and never reward your bird when it does.

A reward can be as simple as a look from you.

You must…

COMPLETELY IGNORE THE SCREAMING BEHAVIOR!

Go outside, use ear plugs, lock yourself in a room or go out of ear range if you must, but do NOT reward screaming behavior by showing your bird any reaction to it.

However, shower your bird with attention and love once the screaming stops.

Try the techniques I’ve shared and let me know how you get on with your parrot.

True story:

Dateline: Tel Aviv:

Tele Aviv District Court issues a restraining order forbidding the owner of a pet parrot that won’t stop swearing from harming the bird in any way, upon petition from a local animal group. It had been recommended that the bird be sentenced to death, or that the tongue be severed, prompting the group to intervene with court action.

Dateline: South Africa:

A stolen African Grey parrot was recovered after police were able to identify the bird from it’s extremely vulgar language. It was identified when the owner supplied a list of words that the bird knew to the police. Officers were shocked by the parrot’s vocabulary and pleaded with its owner to take it back.

PROBLEM???

My friend Jerry has an interesting story as well:

“Boy, am I sure glad I’m not the only person with this problem! I had this sweet African Grey that had a swearing problem! The final straw was when we had some elderly ladies visiting us. Suddenly, out of the back room comes a string of language that would make a sailor blush! The shocked look on our visitors face prompted me to start taking action to stop it.

But how? I can’t kill the bird. Oh, I thought about it one day, after he raided my candy dish on my computer desk! Or the day he bit into several cans of soda because he loved to hear the whooshing sound of the soda spraying all over my kitchen! I just couldn’t do it.

Severing the tongue is barbaric! But something had to be done…and I knew it was going to take some time, lots of persistence, and tough love to accomplish it.”

UN-TEACHING YOUR BIRD

IGNORE the bird. Do not give any verbal or eye contact. The reason the bird is swearing is because it is trying to get your attention. If using a swear word does it, that is what you will hear!

When your bird says a word that is acceptable, praise him and give out a treat. Give lots of attention and emphasis on the good word. If the bird uses unacceptable words or noises, put the bird into “time out” by placing him in his case without toys or food. This should be a separate cage that is dedicated as a “time out” cage, so that the bird will know he’s being punished. Give the bird 15 minutes in “time out” and let the bird out. Interact with the bird and try to get him to talk other words through this interaction. This is generally how constant reinforcement works in training.

Never physically discipline the bird, as this will only upset the bird and you will lose your bond with it. It only creates more problems.

Find the source of these words…..they are learning these words from you, friends or family members. Put a stop to it!

Teach the bird other words by turning on the TV, using other alternative sources, or just by doing basic teaching lessons from repetitive learning and reinforcement. The bird will learn that if he talks appropriately, he will get your attention. Swearing will only land him in “time-out”.

Let the bird keep one swear word though…..if he’s stolen you may need a way for the police to identify it.

Please share any experiences you might have had with such birds. I’d love to read your feedback and comment! Thanks!

There are a lot of concerned bird owners out there who want to know about feather plucking. If left untreated and ignored, it can develop into serious health problems.

Trying to determine the cause is difficult, because it can be the result of an underlying health issue, something in the environment, or simply a behavior problem. Therefore, treating it will take a step-by-step approach which will eliminate possible causes.

MEDICAL ISSUES- The bird must be taken to an experienced avian veterinarian for this. Many vets simply are not experienced enough to identify bird diseases. The vet will do a CBC blood test, and possibly some other tests to isolate the problem. Things they look for are liver disease (common in all birds), Giardiasis (common intestinal infection in cockatiels), or vitamin deficiencies. Low protein or vitamin A deficiencies is common in birds fed an all seed diet, and a major cause for feather problems. A blood feather is also a very common cause for plucking feathers on the wings.

ENVIRONMENT- This can actually be the hardest to figure out. Something in the home could be causing some sort of allergic reaction. One common cause is mold. This spore can cause an itching problem with the skin, and the bird will break off features in order to get to the trouble spot. Other things like new carpet, furniture, or maybe some type of spray or room deodorizer produce toxins that may be causing it. Extremely dry air caused by an overworked dehumidifier could even be the cause. A careful inspection of the home will hopefully turn up clues. A humidifier for dry rooms, or a HEPA filter for dusty areas will greatly improve the living conditions.

POOR DIET- I am convinced that a major cause of many bird problems can be traced directly to their diet. Feather plucking is a great example.

Seed diets lack important vitamins in the development and health of bird feathers. A lack of Beta-carotene (Vitamin A) and protein are chief causes of feather problems, and can easily be discovered with a blood test. Signs of dull feathers or dark, black tips are a good visual sign. Products such as Spirulina are recommended as a safe food additive. This product is high in Vitamin A, Protein and B-12. Be careful to follow the dosage recommendations.

BEHAVIOR- Feather plucking is very common in birds like Cockatoos and African Grey’s. This results from lack of attention, boredom, or sudden changes in the living conditions. New additions to the family like babies, pets, or even a change in the room they are in can upset them.

Some birds enjoy being around people, so placing them in the living areas of your home will help. Others get nervous around constant activity. Changes in food, new toys in the cage, or even new furniture in the home can cause neurotic plucking. So it’s necessary to first examine these issues before proceeding.

The bird must be able to move around and exercise. Too small of a cage can result in mental issues. It’s going to take some careful observation to determine the exact cause of your birds psychological issues. Be patient, give your bird lots of attention, and eventually the plucking will cease.

I’d love to read your feedback and comments. Please post them below!