Can your bird cause you hearing loss?

[DRB]

Perjo will coax her way onto my shoulder everyday now, a rookie mistake on my part I'm sure, yet we both enjoy it and we vocally interact like we usually do. She occasionally whistles and she can whistle very LOUD and in a high pitch and it is piercing to my ear.

Ever hear of someone losing hearing due to their bird?

 

[Piasa]

It can happen.

On the other hand, birds regrow the hairs in their ears that are damaged by loud noises. So they don't lose their hearing from squawks!

 

[psychocircus91]

You definitely can. Any loud noise, especially up close can do so. Macaws and cockatoos can be louder than a chainsaw! I don't know that you can ever say for certain "my hearing worsened from xyz," but yes these are very loud animals

 

[Amanda_Bennett]

A friend of mine's TAG ruptured his ear drum being on his shoulder and screaming in his ear, so yes, not only can you lose hearing but you can sustain real damage if your bird is intent on screaming while that close to your ears.

 

[RavensGryf]

A friend of mine's TAG ruptured his ear drum being on his shoulder and screaming in his ear, so yes, not only can you lose hearing but you can sustain real damage if your bird is intent on screaming while that close to your ears.

Wow an eardrum ruptured by a TAG?! I bet there are definitely some Large Mac and Too owners out there with some damage. Sounds like it can happen with less noise than that when it happens at close range.

 

[Mekaisto]

I used to work at a place where parrots had an indoor "feeding" component, and an outdoor 'natural' component to their enclosures. During the daily morning and afternoon feed, every single bird would be inside, screaming their heads off for food - that's over 60 cockatoos, birds of paradise and macaws in a VERY small area!
I wore earplugs

 

[plumsmum2005]

Perjo will coax her way onto my shoulder everyday now, a rookie mistake on my part I'm sure, yet we both enjoy it and we vocally interact like we usually do. She occasionally whistles and she can whistle very LOUD and in a high pitch and it is piercing to my ear.

Ever hear of someone losing hearing due to their bird?

I think it's possible over a period of time it may have an effect.

Have you tried whispering to her when she does it? They love to copy and she may pick up it's too loud. You never know she may whisper back which is what my holiday RB2 does to us now ha ha

 

[SailBoat]

And, yet another in the already long list of reasons not to allow one's parrot on your shoulder.

If your ear has a ringing or white noise rasp after the 'event,' your parrot is exceeding the decibel level of damage. If the ringing or rasp goes away within a couple of days and does not return, you got lucky this time! If you notice a lost in your range of hearing or the ringing or rasp does not go away (which in an of itself is a lost of hearing range), what you have is likely not going to improve or go away.

 

[Kiwibird]

What was that you said?

Yes, I'm pretty certain some larger species of parrots are in fact loud enough to theoretically cause some hearing damage (dependent of course on exposure and proximity). I think it would be rare though as we typically move away from them or put them in time out when they are screaming at a volume that would peel the paint off the walls and don't allow it to continue for hours at a time every day (or I'd hope no one was allowing that). I don't think the occasional whistle or loud noise would be harmful.

 

[DRB]

While I can start training her to whisper it's not as effective as weening her off of my shoulder.

For 18 month old CAG she can hit high notes and with some volume.

 

[plumsmum2005]

While I can start training her to whisper it's not as effective as weening her off of my shoulder.

For 18 month old CAG she can hit high notes and with some volume.

If you go through 'unwanted behaviour' routine she may pick up that it's unwanted on your shoulder. She is still a baby (bless) and could be a little exuberant in her vocalizations.