Screaming 3yo Sunday, advice

MarieAnn

New member
Sep 4, 2018
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We have been the only owners. There are 5 of us and a bunch of other animals, included a 48yo Too. The Sunday(male) is my daughter's bird. She generally does all his care, but I am home during the days, so I interact with him here and there. He is bonded with her, but gives the rest of us attention.

In the last few months he has started really screaming. Loud short calls, similar to the call when he sees a stranger in the house or a bird outside, but keeps it to one short call with space in between. It is also similar to the call he has for my daughter, as soon as she gets home or he hears the door open he calls to her to see if it's her....SHE NEVER RESPONDS, so she is not giving him verbal feedback...but she does go to his cage and get him out as soon as she gets home. This I can be ok with, but he's recently started calling out when he's OUT of his cage, whether she's in the room or not. And we have him out quite a bit on a daily basis.

We have taught him to ring a bell in his cage when he wants to come out. We have another cage for him in daughter's room and when he gets too repetitive and loud, I just put him up there. I'm kind of at my wit's end. I have worked with domestic and wild animals for many years, I have trained wild animals, I grew up with smaller birds. I knew upon doing research that these birds were loud, but I feel there's something more going on.

Any advice about redirection or something?
 

chris-md

Well-known member
Feb 6, 2010
4,349
2,119
Maryland - USA
Parrots
Parker - male Eclectus

Aphrodite - red throated conure (RIP)
Hello!

I’m sorry you’re going through this. It may be that there is more too it. When was the last time you’ve taken him to a certified avian vet for a full wellness exam, including a full blood panel?

What kind of diet is he on?

Is it possible another animal is bothering him, either something he sees out the window if cage is placed accordingly, or someone/someone inside the house molesting him that you don’t see or otherwise inadvertently scaring him?

Has anything changed recently?

These are just a few of the possible starting points. Others will absolutely chime in with others.
 

fiddlejen

Well-known member
Mar 28, 2019
1,232
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11
1,156
New England
Parrots
Sunny the Sun Conure (sept '18, gotcha 3/'19). Mr Jefferson Budgie & Mrs Calliope Budgie (albino) (nov'18 & jan'19). Summer 2021 Baby Budgies: Riker (Green); Patchouli, Keye, & Tiny (blue greywings).
What they said. Check for health. Remembrr that he's wicked smart, and check to see if he' trying to tell you about something important. Has someone fallen into a pattern which he may have thought was a ROUTINE, and now has diverged from it?? He might be trying to help you do something. If there's been a behavior-pattern change on the part of a human, he might be willing to reason with you about it, once you figure out what changed and explain to him.

Anyway once you've covered all those bases. My Sunny occasionally forgets our agreement about Not yelling about everything all the time. When she falls into that pattern, passively not-reinforcing is not only sometimes not possible, but also not sufficient.

So IF you're sure there's not something else going on that needs addressed, here's what I do:

First - she Does make a few soft sounds that are quite pleasant. Listen for those sounds, actively reinforce them by Responding!! Repeat them back to her; come running and shower her with attention and joy when she makes soft sounds. Come and tell her how beautiful and smart she is when you hear her Rustling around QUIETLY in her cage.

Second - yes you want to ignore the unwanted Yelling. BUT. Just passively ignoring it might not help, I think that's where you are now. ((Again -check for other issues first! )) So, this is where Actively Ignoring comes in. She heard me coming, she's once again trying to recall-train ME. So while she yells I pause before entering the room; I don't look at her; pause before approaching her cage. Of course. But she's still yelling.

So I go to her cage, glance at her, and Turn my Back. She usually gets the hint right and and stops after another yell or two. I turn to her but if she yells again I turn away again. Sometimes if she's really in a yelling mood -like if have to turn more than once - I give her the hint. Sunny's easiest best Soft noise is a sort of "wHhoo" sound, so I present that sound to her as an alternative. The moment she makes that sound, or else let's me turn toward her withOut generating another yell, she wins the game! The prize is the attention she was wanting, plus praise for getting it right.

((Again, check for everything else before doing this, please!! You don't want to risk training her to Not alert you if needed. Also please do not try to train her out of contact- calls. That would be mean -and probably unsuccessful, since it is a natural part of their behavior. Instead, respond to contact calls with soft words.))
 

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