Help!!! New bird owner...

Hello, I am a vet tech who recently rescued a 21 year old Congo African Grey. His previous owner had passed away. We brought him home last August (2011) and he seemed to be adjusting quit well. He seemed to bond with me more so then my husband. Normally he would say "time to go to bed" and get excited to be covered and would go right to sleep. My problem is this....

At night we have always covered his cage. Recently, like in the last month or so every night when we cover him and we go to bed he goes to the bottom of his cage and picks at the bars with his beak in the same rithym....for sometimes an hour at a time! It is soooooooo annoying!!!! Nothing we do or say seems to make him stop. Eventually he just goes to sleep but I'm concerned he isn't getting something he needs??? Why would he all the sudden start this? Nothing in our daily routine has changed...we buy him new toys frequently and give him large varieties of food including fresh fruits and vegetables. I need people who know A LOT about birds!!! Any suggestions are appreciated!!!

Greybeard says, "Go nite nite" and flaps his wings before we take him to bed. We have always let him settle down in the half-covered open door cage in the unlit spare bathroom, then go back an hour or so later and pull the cover the rest of the way over. He likes that.

He has a soft toy at his side he tugs at to signal to cover him, or put cover back on if we come in too early. Lately, Chewbaca roosts on the same bar or another bar in the open door cage.

Watch his body language.

PP

He may not like being covered! I stopped covering all my birds long time ago. Most of my birds seems to hate it when I cover them. Some of my birds would start banging on their cage when I try to put them to bed. But I leave a night light on for all my birds. I don't find it bothersome when they start making noise with their cage bars. IF you really find it annoying, you have the wrong pet.....At least he's not screaming!

BTW, Greybeard sleeps head down, with body at about a 30-50 degree angle.

He may just be reacting to the time of the year and hormonal changes. You can try adding a night light, moving him to a "sleep" cage in a quiet room, removing the cover, starting for bed sooner and using standard positive reinforcement techniques. Has his behavior changed in any other ways?

Thanks, no RescueMe he has not changed any other behaviors really. We did get him a new cover but it has been several months since we started using it, he didn't seem to mind it at all at first. I think I may try taking it off or not covering the cage completely and see what happens.
MikeyTN, I am well aware birds make noise, and I'm fine with all his little words, singing,chirps, etc. but anyone with functioning ear drums would agree with me how annoying the sound really is, it's like Chinese water torture, so no, it's not because I have the wrong pet. If my dogs were doing a behavior like that I would also get annoyed. Mainly I want to know why, if he needs something that I'm not doing then I want to know. I am mainly concerned about him...

I really appreciate everyone's suggestions!!! I will try them all

I think a nightlight would be something you should look into, kinda 'preparing' him for bedtime, with a half covered cage, nightlight etc. then letting him go to sleep when he wants?

Merlin does his own thing for bedtime. He puts himself to bed and we leave the cage covered except for the drop down entrance near the top, he gets light form our lamp but enough shade and covering for him to nap when he wants. He'll beak grind then settle to sleep. Maybe your Grey just isn't ready for going to sleep right at that point and is trying to keep himself entertained until he sleeps?

I imagine he's just gone/going through hormone time too which could be why he's acting a little bit differently in regards to the tapping. Chinese water torture sounds about right, it can be frustrating with a constant sound like the tap... tap... tap.... I can't stand clocks ticking for that reason

your bird might have had a special treat before going to sleep,
or he might not have slept in a cage at all, or he,s afraid of the dark,
might be he wants to sleep near his owners, or just missing them,
trial and error will win at the end.

My grey will hang on the front of her cage by her beak and move her feet up and down at bedtime. I guess that's her way of saying shes's not ready for bed yet. After a while she will settle in..Maybe try giving him his favorite treat when you put him to bed so he will look forward to his bedtime.

another suggestion, my parrot was doing the same kind of actions,
it turned out he wanted to sleep outside his cage on his bird stand perch,