Screaming Eclectus

[suglow17]

so i got my parrot 4 days ago (she is 15 weeks old) and she has settled in nicely. when she is in her cage on her own she is very quiet but the second i walk into the room pat her or try to touch her she SCREAMS (she is hand reared and will let me pat her) but she loves head scratches and she also screams for about a minute after i have left the room too! its very annoying and is making me not want to play with her! how can i stop her screaming and why is she screaming??
also how to teach her to step up!
thanks

 

[Chikoo]

This is a little confusing. She lets you pat her head and give her head scratches, but when you walk in she screams? My female was quite the screamer when I first got her, but I had put her in the wrong environment to begin with, she could see too many birds outside, and she just wanted to scream at them.

By nature, eclectus parrots are very serene and quiet birds. But they are still birds. This means they make noise. But eclectus parrots make gentle noises for the most part, they coo, and talk, and make all kinds of pleasant sounds. Screaming is usually a sign of something not right. Sometimes my female will let out a really loud scream, but it will just be that one scream, and that's the end. It's the "I'm a parrot" scream. It happens sometimes.

She is probably stressed and trying to adjust to her environment, for one. Secondly, as flock creatures, birds do not like to be left alone. It immediately vanishes their sense of security and stability. But I leave my two birds alone for hours sometimes, and they are totally fine, although quite relieved to see me. They just know at this point that I am indeed coming back. That will take time for you.

The best thing you can do is ignore the screaming. Don't play into it. Don't give her the sense that screaming results in something she wants, otherwise she will always do it to achieve that desired result. If you walk in, she screams, and then you pick her up and pat her head and so forth, then you are reinforcing for her the sense that if she screams, you will pet her. So try to see it in that way, and decide when to proceed and when not to. For example, if you walk in, and you and the bird make eye contact, and she screams, then you should simply walk out without another word or glance at her. Let her know that this is not something you like and does not serve what she really wants either.

But really, for the most part, this is just a major adjustment period for her. Give it a few weeks, see how it goes. Don't reinforce the behavior. Try your best to ignore it, but make sure she is okay at the same time. Does she have enough food? Is she in a safe and comfortable circumstance? Are there animals hanging out by her cage? Is she by a window and getting disturbed by birds outside? Make sure all of that is in check, and if so, then just let her adjust to the environment. Reward her when she has been quiet for a while by entering the room, giving her a treat, saying good girl very enthusiastically while petting her. She will get the message. These birds are incredibly smart.

What kind of food are you feeding her btw?

 

[suglow17]

i have been feeding her mostly fruit and veggies with a little bit of seed and pellet mix and occasionally i will feed her some of the formula she was hand reared on (just to bond with her)

 

[Chor22]

Hi there, I hope you find the answer because it would really help me to!

Mine is a fraction younger, also female, she's 12 weeks so still being hand fed twice a day although she dislikes it and is not wanting the baby food at all. I have wanted to drop her to just one feed but her screaming has caused me to be a bit unsure about doing that.

She's eating fruit and veg along with Paradise Pellets (designed for fruit eaters).

She screams when she hears another of our birds, she screams when she hears loud voices or us talking loudly, she screams if you go near her cage, she screams if you take her out of her cage. I believe it's for attention not hunger but I can't seem to fix it.

I've tried putting her back in her cage when she does it, she screams. I've tried covering the cage, she screams. I've tried letting her stay out on my arm just not talking to her or giving her any pats etc until she's quiet, as soon as she's quiet and I reward the good behaviour, she screams! If you go near her cage at all, she screams.

She's stepping up, loves to sit with you, is not aggressive but moody like most female eccys but the screaming is driving me mental too!

HELP!

Good luck with yours, it definitely sounds like wanting attention like mine. Weird that at 15 weeks the breeder hasn't got her stepping up. Mine's been doing it for a while now. It comes fairly naturally to them. Hand under the belly, bit of a push upwards and she should step straight up. Just keep repeating the word 'up' or 'step up' when you do it. I'd say if you can get her stepping up to take her out of her cage, she would probably be happier. Maybe not as noisy. But don't just take my advice haha, I've got the same problems!

 

[moni.k]

This is a topic I am one too familiar with. Haha.

Nalani had a huge screaming issue. She would scream all day, everyday... The only time she wouldn't scream was when she was in her cage. I can tell you that she still screams but it has decreased about 70%.

Her issue, was that she would scream whenever she was with me. If she heard my voice or even saw me she would scream non stop. What I did was give her a lot of foraging toys so that she would be too busy instead of screaming. Whenever she would quiet down I would reward her with praise, affection, treats, etc. if her screaming continued, I would put her back in her cage for a time out. After a few minutes I would take her out and do it all over again. This helped with the screaming for attention. She now does it occasionally, but consistency is key.

The next reason she screamed was out of fear, she was terrified of my dad who is home only a few days out of the month. Whenever he would visit, she would scream all day long. So we worked with clicker training and getting my dad involved. She still is a bit weary of him, but no longer screams when he is home.

she still screams, even to this day. Some out of sheer joy, others out of fear and sometimes out of wanting for attention. I understand that she is just not a quiet bird and as long as there is improvement from the both of us, I am satisfied. Try to find if the screaming is out of fear, hunger, or affection. Once you pinpoint the source you can work from there.

If it is fear, help her overcome it by comforting her and allowing her to explore. If it is hunger, give her some additional hand feeding formula to help calm her, or offer some more of her favorite fruit/veggies. If it is out of affection, ignore her and praise her only for her good behaviors. I hope this will help, I know the screaming can drive you a bit crazy.... But I can tell you from experience that persistence pays off. I cannot imagine my life without Nalani

 

[7birdbilly]

Screaming can be irritating since its a jump out yo skin scream. So sharp. My eclectus flys in the kitchen and sits on a chair and usually talks to his foot. One night he started the rapid screamin in succession. I went in to see what was up , he just stared at me like what??
Left the room , he did it again bout 5 min later. went back in to fuss at him aannndd something caught my eye. A small copper head in my kitchen floor. They are screaming for a reason even if its Im a bird scream.

 

[EclectusRoratus]

Hello. my bird screams sometimes. It's usually when I am out of the house for a while and I come home. I will open the door and he will scream AHHH AHHH AHHHH AHHH! SOOOOO loud!!!! I studied up on it. Now whenever I walk in and he does that, I walk right back out and try it again. I'll go back outside, wait a few seconds, and come back in. The worst thing a person can do is give him attention after he screams. You must show him you do not encourage that behavior. So if for any reasons he screams, leave the room and come back in and try whatever you were doing again. Hope this helps!

 

[Llamalark]

Same problem here, guys! I just posted mine. I thanked everyone here. Would appreciate advice on-- is my guy an idiot , super stubborn, or too young to learn? Because hours of rewarding his silence and ignoring screaming is showing no progress. Does. .. . does it take months?. .

 

[CathnPoe]

You can read all the books, all those people who say that Eclectus are quiet birds who just croon away, but when yours isn't one of these, it's a tad daunting.

Poe screams when he hasn't seen me for a while. Such as in the morning and when he's been in his cage for a few hours. While he's with me, near me, in eye-sight, he's super content and quiet or chatty. It seems to be a separation-anxiety thing.

Best thing is to walk away and ignore. Then reward with attention when he's quiet again. I did this for half and hour a couple of weeks ago. It was as much a test to my patience as anything. But, he has indeed got better. Not perfect, but the volume has really gone down! It's now more of a mini version of the loud scream, and I do ignore it, but it doesn't flood through the house like before. It also doesn't last as long.
Stay at it. You'll see progress.

 

[CathnPoe]

Just to add:
Poe is getting sneakier with it. He sits perfects quietly as I approach the cage, then when I ask him to step up and he has secured my figure in his vice-like-talons, he squawks! He totally knows why I walk away and this is just his little way of being like "Ha! Gotcha!"
At this point I put him on the floor (which is a lot quicker and easier than back in the cage) and take a few steps away with my back turned.
I don't say anything, as any sounds might be reinforcing.
Then turn around and try again. This can take a while, and it's always tempting to just put up with it for a bit, but then they've just got their way. I don't expect silence, but there's a difference between a crow and a screech.

Suglow17, Poe did just the same, but a stressful new home and with her one support network (you) leaving, she's going to be stressed. Just give her time to accept you leaving the room isn't you gone-for-good. And you coming into the room doesn't require her to celebrate loudly for minutes!

 

[Joshuwaaa]

I've had a green cheek for quite a few months now and although he's not an eclectus, green cheeks are also described as apartment friendly and quiet birds.

However, I still get the same thing from him. I think the celebration, the leaving anxiety and general attention seeking is through all birds.

With that being said, I found ignoring a really great tool for cricket. I don't leave the room because sometimes I think he may see it as a reaction or a game of me going in an out. So I sit and ignore him, or I move slightly away from him. I also talk to jack and completely try and let cricket see nothing is different but we don't want to talk to him when he screams.

Now, as soon as he screams, we move away onto the sofa and he stops and stares. When he's quite I go right back over.

Ignoring was the tool for me especially when their so desperate to play all the time they will figure out screaming just doesn't do anything.

Good luck, I hope you find a solution soon.