My cockatoo thinks she's an owl.

Jun 29, 2011
5
0
England
Parrots
Umbrella Cockatoo - Ricky
Hello, My names Robyn And I have been told this is a great place to get advice, so heres goes.

I have a 11 year old umbrella Cockatoo, Ricky. I Dont know what sex was told male but pretty sure female. I have had Ricky for 5 years going on six in august. She has a set routine this is generally how it goes, Id like to give the whole background picture so hopefully someone can point out were im going wrong.

We are up 6.30 - 7am, her very large cage is in the living room were at least one of the family members are at any one point.

at 8.45 she goes in to her Other cage (large) in the hallway, where the cage is placed is as you come in the front door on the right. Put the radio on she is quite happy, no noise. The reason she goes in to her other cage is because we live in a semi house with paper thin walls and should she scream when we are not in the neighbour wont hear it as much.

Come in from work my mam generally, comes in at the lastest 3pm its usually the 1pm marker. we move ricky back in to main cage. and thats generally were she stays till the next morning

she comes out at least six out of seven days a week and its not for a couple of hours its for like 5 or 6 hours, sometimes she wants cuddles some times she wants to play some times she just wants to sit by herself, thats fine

she goes to bed at the earliest 11.30 midnight my sister used to put her to bed she wont be covered up, all the lights had to be off inlcuding the ones on your dvd or television (yes, the little red lights). and she would go to bed without a sound its been like that for 5 1/2 YEARS

about 4/5 weeks ago she stated screaming in the morning at 4.50am on the dot every morning, we tired ignoring her, and i am not joking you she screamed for an hour non stop all she did was change the pitch of her voice. then all of a sudden she stopped. it was quiet for two weeks.


now she screams at bedtime.

i dont mind if she would jabber on to herself but its a full blown top of the lungs waking the whole neighbour hood up scream. when she started this i transfared her to her hallway cage that actually shut her up for 2 nights
last night she went to bed at midnight and she statred screaming at 12.45 she eventually shut up when she reliased i wasnt comming down, but my , mam did come down to tell her off go to bed now is what she said in a frim voice like you tell a puppy no.

Tonight she wouldnt go to bed at all, im writing this at 1.37 in the morning because she wouldnt shut up. I had to get up as its starting my neighbours parrots off if i could leave her to scream the place down i would.

So my question to you now that you know the routine, background and now the problem ,
Have I trigged this do i need to change the routine?
Does she need a different approach to putting her to bed?
She is missing something, diet wise to make her more awake at night?
Why has she stared this now?

I dont know what else to do i Have asked so many 'expert' people and nothing they say has worked. I was told this place is great as its full of people who have been in the same position, any help or suggestions will be greatly appricated and acted upon.

Thank You Robyn.

p.s Ricky is generally very good with my mam and sister but can have the odd fit at them especially my mam and has nipped them on occasion.
she never has with me i can do maily anything with her.

I apologise for it being so long winded.
 

wuvzbirdies

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May 5, 2009
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Toronto, Canada
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Congo African Grey: Russell Peters (R.I.P. my baby)
Hi Robyn,

Welcome to the forum. Wow I do NOT envy you, I've heard a cockatoo scream its head off and its not a nice sound, especially at 4 in the morning. The only thing that stands out to me is the sleep time Ricky is getting, you said she goes to bed around 12 and is up at 6:45ish. Cockatoos can be very cranky if they don't get adequate sleep and they need at least 10 hours of sleep.

I'm pretty sure someone will have better advice but that's what stood out to me about your situation. Good luck and I hope Ricky simmas down for your sack!
 
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AmazonServant

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Jun 24, 2011
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I could be totally off the mark here - but is there any chance there are mice in your house that might be foraging in her cage at night? I used to have problems with a mouse hoarding my bird's pellets at night, and my bird would be pretty freaked out in the mornings. She didn't scream though.

Is there a reason you don't cover her? Before, did she scream at all in the mornings if you didn't get up at the usual time?
 

mellykyitus

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Oct 22, 2010
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Angel the blue and gold macaw, mimsy the lesser sulphur too, rocky the galah & willow the blue crowned conure.
i think she needs longer sleep time. my lot get 12 hours of sleep a night, they go to bed at 8pm and up at 8 am. they get covered with a sheet so its not pitch black but they feel safe. my macaw use to scream at night til someone told me she needed more sleep. since the new routine she doesn't make a sound, and is less cranky. and covering the cage really does help. x
 

Autumn

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Oct 21, 2010
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California
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PePe; Dusky Conure
Hmm great advice above me!
Birds make a habit of routines and get stressed if the routine breaks.
But they also get boredvand seek for change, this is just insight.
Birds like humans need excercise, that will tire us/them out enough so they/we can go to bed without a problem, but you let her out for 5-6 hours which is more than enough. Hmm a shower can get out that extra energy they want to burn.
Or maybe if its to quiet, I myself can't sleep if its dead quiet maybe its same deal with Ricky. A fan put on lowest power but just enough to make a soothing sound.
Hope this helps!
 

Jubileeray

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Jun 29, 2011
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i think she needs longer sleep time. my lot get 12 hours of sleep a night, they go to bed at 8pm and up at 8 am. they get covered with a sheet so its not pitch black but they feel safe. my macaw use to scream at night til someone told me she needed more sleep. since the new routine she doesn't make a sound, and is less cranky. and covering the cage really does help. x

I agree with this at bed time around 6-7pm Arnie will start screaming to say it is bed time then all hell breaks lose when the others join in luckily it is only for 5 minutes a day.
Once I have covered the cages I do not here a sound until 8-9am the next day this is my time alone and also keeps the neighbors happy ;)
May be a change in routine is needed though not saying that this is the problem but well worth a try, I owned a Triton cockatoo so know how ear piercing they can be and even used to make my macaws cringe :blue1:
 

Spiritbird

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Aug 20, 2009
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Just a thought - have you tried not covering the cage? Also suggest a sleeping cage so she knows and understands her bedtime routine. 12 hrs. sleep is very important to our birds. No human noises, TV, music and such during those hours.
 
OP
C
Jun 29, 2011
5
0
England
Parrots
Umbrella Cockatoo - Ricky
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #8
Wow Thank you so much all of you, for your advice.

CRANKY sounds just like her that makes sense

We never have been able to cover her cage she was about 4/5 when we got her and the lady I got her off, had a Grey and a Blue and gold Macaw she said they got covered but Ricky didnt because there was no need. I did try it when I got her and she just screamed. Should i try again and just persever

MICE!! I hope not I havent seen any thing but I Have a copule of cats, admittedly lazy cats, so they should hopefully keep them at bay, But i'll keep an eye out just in case, thanks

Wouldn't she like sleep through the day when we are not in?
so if i cover her up, and ignore her screaming while she is covered hopefully she'll get used to it?

Should I move her in to another room for sleeping then? and cover her aswell? what time roughly do you think then to but her to bed we have 3 large dogs so we are ususally up untill a late ish time? A so called expert told me her diet but she does get a bit of everything we get except crisps choclate and advacado she does have a seed diet at the moment trying to wean her on to a organic pellet food. Should she be fed before she goes to bed?

Again thank you so much for the advice. will definetly try to cover her up.

I couldnt help but notice some of you have mutiple birds Is she lonely?
 

suebee

New member
Jan 13, 2011
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i have the one nut :) her bed time routine is this, dinner (bit of what we are having ) an then off to bed in her sleep cage, in spare bed room an she is covered

she is taken up between 7/8pm an we are up from 7am

she also sleeps through the day!

also as your bird has just started this habit recently, have you got black out curtains?? as it has been gettin light at this time, also birds have been chirping outside at this time as well, so are your windows closed to cut out any noise! as i left nuts bedroom window open a crack as its been so warm lately, an she was chirpin at 5am! but lucky for us she has a cute little high pitched chirp, not an earth shattering scream (that i can only imagine)

i don't think your bird is lonely as the problem would have shown up before now :)

try sleepin her in the hallway cage covered an turn telly down/tip toe pass lol ricky might be a little, wtf?? at the start as its a break in her normal routine, but see how it goes, oh nut makes snore sounds if we disturb her when covered :)
 

Amber

New member
Jun 1, 2011
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3
I think the others are right, I think you should make sure she gets more sleep. :)

I'm a night owl too, and I work on my computer alot, so sometimes I'll be up until 3-4am. If Alex had his way, he's be up until then to. As it is, he is put to bed at 10pm, as I am usually up at 10am the next day (I know, I'm terrible). If I put him to bed earlier I doubt I'd be up to uncover him and all that otherwise. It's our crazy routine, but it works. Anyway, after he is put to bed (In my bedroom, that is where he sleeps) I am usually up also in my room on the laptop working, so I use a custom made cage cover made from that curtain material that blocks out light for him. I have the lamp and laptop on, so the room is not pitch black, but it is still very dark in his cage thanks to the cover. Alex can hear me tapping on the keyboard and will peep at me and grind his beak while falling asleep. I talk back to him (just saying silly things like "Watcha doing Alex" etc) Usually he is asleep in under 10 mins.

This way Alex and my schedules line up nicely. Ideally I would put him to bed earlier and wake up earlier, but time does not permit this sometimes, so at least this way we are consistent! If your up late to (and also wake up late like me), I's set up a sleep cage for her in a quiet dark place and make sure she gets the 12 hours she needs :)
 

HRH Di

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Jan 9, 2010
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Everyone has given sound advice so I don't have any more to offer, just a resounding "what they said".

I do not envy you. In my limited experience, I don't know of any bird more ear-piercing than a 'too. Good luck and I hope it helps.
 
OP
C
Jun 29, 2011
5
0
England
Parrots
Umbrella Cockatoo - Ricky
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #12
Hello Everybody,

well good news the covering her up seems to have worked! YAY!!:) fingers crossed it lasts. She still goes to bed pretty late im trying to move it up earlier evey night by ten mins. She will still scream if your not up at 7am so I guess thats her wake up time. so she should go to bed 7pm or 9pm? or ten if she goes to bed to early she will just scream. but thank you all so much

HI Amber my sister is up late but I'm Up early we are sort of getting her in to her routine. Its getting there.

But Again thanks alot guys, its really helped, I cant thank you so much.
 

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