Fireworks are difficult as until they are experienced, one really does not know how ones Parrot will react.
This year IMHO was very different (at least in our area) as the large town or city displays had been cancelled and as a result, far more individuals had purchased their own Fireworks. This resulted in what I will call an extended evening /night of near to continuous booms, booms and more booms, some very larger and very loud.
Our DYH Amazon tends not to be bothered by loud noises like aircraft overhead, lighting storms, large trucks, and historical levels of Fireworks. This year, we saw two evenings /nights of Fireworks with Saturday (4th of July) being very intense with near continuous noise for two hours.
That bothered our DYH Amazon. What I found worked, for him, was to simply have him with us. As the volume slowed, in general, his comfort increased and sleep quickly followed. Today, he is napping...
Same here. Our city display is located far away enough to be heard Distantly by birds - last year was my first with birdies so I skipped attending just-in-case, and though they were audible they were not loud and the birds did not care.
This year has been Entirely Different. City displays cancelled, and we are near the NH border so anyone can get whatever fireworks they want, even very Large ones. So we had full-size fireworks going off randomly all around us all night last night. (Friday night there were somewhat-more-than-normal pre-holiday of the small-to-moderately-large fireworks.) Last night included Many of the flash-LOUDBANG types as well.
I had tried to keep Sunny up because I didn't want her startled in her dark-cage by noises. However she insisted on going to sleep around 7 pm.
Around 6 or 7, I observed the budgies both in their cage and closed it to keep them there. (To avoid a repeat of Jefferson's self-scalping-ceiling-panic that occurred a few months ago.) I normally lay a cloth across the top, so if Im awakle they can choose to not have light in their eyes, but Jefferson if nervous will perch well-below the cover. Friday night with the pre-holiday soundworks, they had both perched below. So last night I was gonna leave-off the top cover. Well... Calliope Never talks to me. Never. If she's not happy she tells Jefferson to tell me. But last night she did. (This was Before the fireworks started.) "CHIRP. CHIRP. .. CHIPR. CHIRP. CHIPR." When I looked up, she was even Looking!! right at me. Apparently although JEfferson doesn't like that cover, she does!
Anyway as it got dark the sounds began. Frustratingly -- I LOVE fireworks. Really love them. And we're up on a hill so you'd think they'd be visible. But tall houses and tall trees mean Very Limited visibility. So - across the street, and two houses over, and I still cannot SEE anything. Can hear it though!
I ran the airconditioner and the air filter, and put on a British detective show. Sunny in her dark cage must've been sleeping soundly -- no peep from her until after the worst; nearly 11 pm before she awoke. Those across-the-street two-houses-over neighbors were having one of their typical Loud-Music picnics, only even louder and much later for the holiday. I
think their loud music may have helped the birds stay calm. The budgies Did respond to some of the louder bangs, but when I went to them with my usual "
it's okaayy, it's ookaaayy, everything is allriighht... they were just fine.
I actually left for a little while, drove around to get a better view of these hyper-local fireworks. They were everywhere. The biggest, professional-sized ones were mostly a couple streets over, being set off in the Middle of that street. There were cop cars everywhere. Basically ignoring the fireworks (which are technically illegal in this state
and specifically in this town) -- I
think they were simply being "ready" in case of trouble & also keeping fireworks off Main thoroughfares.
When I returned I got the strong impression from the Budgies that they thought I had left to fix the situation. Even though the sound had Not diminished at that point, they seemed to have concluded that
I was in-control (
ha-ha to that!) and so it was O-KAY.
Sunny was also still asleep at that point. However, as the explosion-frequency dropped, she was awoken by a boom, and started ringing her bell frantically. When I brought her out, I expected her to make herself comfy on my shoulder, as typical in the evenings. Instead she insisted on tucking herself Under my Chin and gripping my fingers with her claws. Seeming not-scared, thataway, but definitely not-really-happy about all the noise.
My across-the-street neighbors didn't end their LOud music until past 12:30ish. I sat up maybe another 2 hours with Sunny. Every time I looked up, the budgies appeared awake from the noise also. Eventually I was too sleepy & put her back to bed despite continuing occasional "Boom!'s." She complained - but did go on to sleep (or at least, sat quietly).
Surprisingly, the Budgies and Sunny all wanted to wake up at my normal time in the morning. UN-surprisingly, Sunny has been much more grumpy than usual today, asking to come out of cage and then wanting to go right back in - not wanting me to leave the room - acts like she wants scritches or wants to step-up, but then turns away. Right now she is contentedly sleeping on my shoulder while I type--instead of trying to help remove keys as she normally would.
Anyway. Sorry for the long post. I think it's a Very Good thing I was able to be here, in the room with them last night. The sounds definitely awakened and bothered them -- and, Might've well terrified them, had I not been there to reassure them. I definitely would recommend staying nearby for yours when your fireworks-times occur also.
