7 years old

[otto1995]

Hello,
Some months ago(6 or 7) I received from someone a 7years old Alexandrine (he was donating her).
My problems are the following:
1. She's verry loud (usually in the morning, or at night).
2. She doesn't fully trust me yet (or that's how she was taught, cause sometimes she comes to me and stays to pet her, and sometimes she just doesn't seems to wanna be near me).
3. She only does 2-3 sounds, a loud scream, some sound like a crow or something, and when she's angry she goes like "Coco tsk tsk", and that's all she wanna say. I tried talking with her, repeating the same word for like 2 weeks, but she just doesn't seem interested to imitate anything.

Is there anything I can do?

 

[wrench13]

HI Otto and welcome. Thank you for accepting in this Alexandrien.
I'll try to give you some answers.

1) Most parrots are loudest at sunrise and sunset, its their way of letting the flock know where they are, 'everyone here?', and in the evening 'This is where I am, where is everyone else?'. Its is very difficult to change this almost instinctual behavior. Parrots often just make noise for the plain old love of life but sometimes its a warning call and most common (after a parrot is bonded to a person) is what is known as a contact call. Like the morning and evening calls, contact calls are to make sure the parrot stays incontact with the flock and vice versa. Once you recognize this type of call, you should answer back when ever you leave the room or leave the house. After awhile, he should just call once, you answer and thats the end of the calling.

2) Parrots are all about trust. Everything you do should be measured against the thought of "Does this build trust or break trust?". Like a bank, a trust bank. Saying hello every time you go into the room - builds trust; Making sure to approach your parrot the same way every time, with plenty of warning - builds trust. Plenty of praise and maybe a treat when he does something good - builds trust. Grabbing him or chasing him to get him back into the cage - destroys trust, you just made a BIG withdrawal. Parrots have most excellent memorys and are very smart to boot. And they are very long lived, most, with good care, can live 30-40 years or more. So you have a lot of time in which to work with him. Be patient and consistent in your approach to fully taming him - this is a long distance marathon, not a short distance sprint!

3) Parrots talk when they want to, there is no 'making' him talk. When they hear something they find interesting, they imitate it. SImple repetition does not make him say it. Try making your voice sound excited or loving or odd, he may pick up on that. Parrots can read our emotional state very very accurately, it is uncanny, so be in the right state of mind when you try this.

Above all, read read read, especially on the ParrotForums sub-forums, there is a TON of great advice, answers to many questions in there. Avoid these general pet advice sites and sponsored sites, these are just advertising disguised as advice.