Flock calls and attention calls?

[Lorne96]

Hello, how can you tell the difference between a flock call and a call for attention? I read that you should call back to a flock call by saying 'I'm here' in a normal voice but you shouldn't respond to calls just for your attention. So if this is true, how can you tell the difference? Are there other types of calls I should be aware of? Can anyone link me to a video of the different calls if there is a good one? Thanks!

 

[chris-md]

What you are asking about are called contact calls. Which are also flock calls, and it’s how they call for attention in trying to reach out to their flock.

You’ll know, once you get used to the bird, what a lot of the calls mean. My ekkie has a very distinct contact call - a two pulsed call, “ACK ACK”. He will often scream it when he is feeling particularly desperate for attention and we’re not in the room with him.

I Actually know how agitated he is, because more often than not he actually typically whistles and talking for attention first. If he’s particularly upset or the attention seeking is hormonal driven, he’s quicker to use the contact calls.

 

[Aspie_Aviphile]

This is a contact call:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqUVsWQoNKc"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqUVsWQoNKc[/ame]

It means 'I'm here, where are you?' You can let them know you're close by and not dead by returning the call, as long as you make sure they know what your particular contact call sounds like so they recognise it when they can't see you. It's not always as loud or piercing as it seems in this video, at least mine isn't that bad.

If the parrot can see you, it's not a contact call. Could be an alarm call which is similar but worse in every way and more panicked, or an angry shriek, or the result of boredom. Anger and fear are sometimes expressed by a squawk instead. The squawk is more obnoxious to the human brain but less dangerous to the human ear. When Bo first started spending a lot of time on my shoulder, I got shrieks directly into the ear almost every day for a week. He doesn't seem to feel the need to shriek at everything now, but each time it happened my hearing went quiet for a second.

 

[SailBoat]

Well covered by the above Posts.

In their natural range, there can be distance between them and the rest of the family /flock. As a result, they are very interested in maintaining contact with each other as a result, a natural chatter between each other exists. We tend to be far less concerned about where each other are since we busy with our Smart Phones.

Over the years, our Amazons have come to us sick, hurt, and/or abused. They are near silent and our greatest joy is when they open up. A loud and noisy Amazon is music to our ears. When you involve yourself with your Parrot and share in the communication you will be very surprised as just how much you miss that is happening around you and them. Whether it is a delivery to the home. Something different in the backyard or something out of place in a room, etc, etc, etc...

Enjoy the sounds of an active healthy Parrot. Join it, you will be surprised just how much joy you will get with keeping in contact.

 

[ChristaNL]

Great question!


In the beginning it is sometimes really hard to differenciate- but your bird will teach you.
(good examples already posted here)

 

[Lorne96]

Thanks for all of your advice! Seriously helping me out here haha. I have a couple of questions about the bluffing stage and contact calls and/or attention calls. I read you had to always ignore the bird when it is screaming/calling in the bluffing stage. Is this true? During the bluffing stage should you call back if it is calling for you? Will i even know the difference between the calls by this point? Or should I just ignore the bird until it goes quiet then I give it a treat? The bluffing stage is still a little confusing to me but I am researching to make sure I know all this before I get the bird! That is one of the things I worry about, I read you need to train the bird extremely well during this stage because if you don't they can become a 'monster' bird so I want to make sure I get it all right!

 

[chris-md]

I’ve not had to deal with any sort of bluffing stage since ekkies don’t experience that. I’ll let those with bluffing experience address that directly.

But I’ll tie it to hormones which bluffing is related. Even when hormonal they can still learn bad behaviors by your reactions. So even when hormonal you wouldn’t respond to undesired calling.

 

[ChristaNL]

I think that the "be especialy vigilant" stems from a lot of people who got shocked that their baby-bird started changing 'all of a sudden' and only then found that some behaviours are actually *not* very cute/ nice anymore.

It's like parenting in that way- you cannot indulge your children and let them get away with everything for years and years, and then all of a sudden expect them to behave themselves -> they should have been taught since birth!
(-ish, everything age-related of course )



So if you already have a great stable consistent thing going with your bird - it wont be such a shock.
And no worries- after you've been together for a few weeks you'll have the "help, I really need you" and "come, play with me I am booooooooooored" calls sorted out.

We dont really train parrots, we are more or less trained by them anyway - it's a partnership: working together.

 

[wrench13]

Salty has at least 2 different contact calls. 1 for me and one he uses for both Geri and my son. They are definately contact calls and if we answer them back to him he is satisfied we are close by. He has other calls he uses for when he wants attention ( but then he usually accepts our attetion too).

 

[Just-Passn-Thru]

There's a definite difference in contact and alarm calls, depending on the species as to how these calls are vocalized, is something that you will learn as you get to know the subtle nuances of your future avian companion. My cockatoos have a screeching brakes sound ,in a sequence of three followed with a brief pause.
If I don't respond back when I'm upstairs out of their sight, they repeat their contact call pattern.
I have to respond back to them to let them know I'm ok. I loudly call back ...."I'm ok " three times. That's usually enough for them to quiet down. Alarm calls have a more higher level of energy behind the sound, usually a continuous panicked high pitched shrill. It's a good thing to be consistent in whatever you decide use to call back to your bird .