Bird thinking... how do you think like a bird?

[FiFee Fiona]

The thing I didn't want is for my neighbours to complain
But Birdie has increased the screaming. It's so loud.
One other neighbour said ... oh your bird screams all the time. 😐
Now nothing works and I'm so tired of it.
He screams now when he's out of the cage. If I so much as touch the balcony door no matter what time of day or night he's off.
I leave the room he's screaming. I drop a spoon ... clank a dish .. it all brings screams.
No he does not care if talk to him. He knows I'm there.
I'm at the end of my tether.
I have now put him in another room and closed the door. I had to ... to gather my thoughts.
I ignore .. he has toys he has food. He gets his 11 hours of sleep.
Honestly he can't run the house. I need to do things that he is in his cage. He has no fear of hot or cold or danger of any sort. My apartment isn't big. So he has to fit in.
The vet just had a cockatiel that had landed in hot water. Its exactly what I think could happen to Birdie.
This all runs through my head ...
This is not really a whinge post only about screaming.
And it sounds weird but how did you get to think like a bird rather than being in charge of said bird?
I'm fighting a losing battle trying to stop him.
And I am finding I'm getting irritated with him ... even little things that shouldn't bother me does. He obviously picks up my annoyance. Which I think is causing more screaming.
So he grooms and nibbles on me. He hangs upside down and chews anything of me that he can reach. He's a clown. But I'm not always thinking it's cute.
I don't want my clothes chewed.
I don't offer my hands to him much because he bites very hard. When he does get my hand he cuddles in ... then latches on.
I feel angry with him. And because he's screaming I'm on a short fuse.
I have had so many pets but none like this.
Has anyone been really challenged and changed their thinking and how?
I have thought about rehoming. I don't want to.
He's here cuddled up asleep next to my ear. I'm the one he has all day and night.
I need to be more relaxed with him.
But its easier said than done.
I should add I do have health issues which can add to my crankies.
I would love some strategies to change my impatient way of thinking of him.
I need to think like another bird 🤔
I need to change not him.

 

[Ronnie27]

Ohh... well, it's been said parrots are smart like 2 or 3 year-old children.
I think it would be useful to check over some books, blogs or videos about parrot training with positive reinforcement. There are many in English.

 

[FiFee Fiona]

Ohh... well, it's been said parrots are smart like 2 or 3 year-old children.
I think it would be useful to check over some books, blogs or videos about parrot training with positive reinforcement. There are many in English.

I've watched and read many.
He isn't very interested in training even with treats involved.
I think a lot of behaviour could be coming from me.
I fall back into correcting him. Then getting angry because he won't stop.
You teach other animals not to do something. Mostly they understand. He doesn't care less. He'll do what he wants no matter what.
I need to keep trying

 

[Kentuckienne]

This worked for me: when the bird screams, don‘t make a face, don’t react, just get up quietly and leave the room like you were going to do that anyway. Wait until the bird is quiet, then walk back up to the cage and give him praise. You might need baby steps to get there. Like walk toward him when he’s quiet, he starts to scream, you just make a slow curve and walk back out. Walk toward him with a treat at any short silence, then gradually drag out the length of silence needed. The idea is to not do anything interesting or entertaining, like make a face or yell shut up or react at all. Only react when the bird does something you want it to keep doing.

 

[Ronnie27]

I've watched and read many.
He isn't very interested in training even with treats involved.
I think a lot of behaviour could be coming from me.
I fall back into correcting him. Then getting angry because he won't stop.
You teach other animals not to do something. Mostly they understand. He doesn't care less. He'll do what he wants no matter what.
I need to keep trying

Positive reinforcement does not only requires physical treats like food. Positive reinforcement is you praise (or give attention to) good or desirable behaviors, like Kentuckienne has described.

 

[HeatherG]

It sounds to me like you are really frustrated and stressed. Can you find a bird behavior consultant to get some help with your birds screaming?
Otherwise it seems like things have been getting more and more negative. I think maybe you need a hand to lower your stress and calm your birdie.

My experience is that greenCheeked conures are very emotional and excitable and pick up on your stress. It seems like your upset is feeding into his screaming and making things worse. I am wondering how you could reset this? It makes me sad to hear about your difficult situation.

I think humans’ stress can make our companion birds insecure and upset. I try to look at it as kind of like having a child in the house. Just as I would moderate my mood around a child, I moderate it around my parrots.

My Lucy used to talk A LOT and she let me know in no uncertain terms that my distressed behavior upset her. For example I took her with me to a meeting and then I had an insecure Velcro bird for a few days. I had thought it was going to be a low key day, but it was upsetting and communicated anxiety to her. I never did that again and I wouldn’t take Willow to an upsetting interaction either.

If Birdie knows you are upset with him, perhaps it is stressing him out and making the noise problem worse. I think maybe he’s insecure and needs reassurance that all is OK. My Meyers parrot came to me with a painfully shrill contact whistle. I figured out that he did this whistle when he was anxious and I started telling him “it’s ok” when he whistled. Now he doesn’t make that painful noise much and we’re getting along a lot better.

How can you take a time out and reset your relationship with Birdie?