Parrot screams when covered with blanket

[Mikxx]

Hello guys

I recently adopted a parrot.

At night time (sunset) when he is supposed to sleep I read I should cover him with a blanket.

As soon as I approach the cage he starts to freak out and screams at me while being covered.

This has not changed in the first week so I wonder if I should not cover him anymore?

Thanks for advise

 

[fiddlejen]

Are you able to darken the room entirely for sleep? If so, you may not need to cover the cage.

Also, how big is the cage? If the cage is too small that might contribute to not wanting to be covered.

 

[texsize]

I don't know your birds history.
But adoption can mean "rescue".
It could be the bird was abused in a previous house and kept covered for extended periods of time.
Covering or not covering can be an individual choice.

Some of my birds don't want to be covered and sleep just fine.

Bingo my Yellow nape resents getting covered too early and will try to pull the covers off with his feet. He is good at it using his whole body to pull down the covers.
Better for him to cover just part of the cage so if he wants to sleep he can go to "the dark side". If he want's to be part of what is happening, he can do that to.

 

[wrench13]

Well Mik, the whole point of covering a parrot at bedtime is to provide in addition to a quiet place, a dark one, emulating night time. If his cage is in a place that can be darkened effectively without a cover, there is no need for a blanket or sheet. In summer time we use a black sheet to cover Salty, not a blanket, because you still want some air circulation; you don't want roast Amazon. We leave about 4" or so of space uncovered at the bottom to do that and that's fine. You don't need the interior to be pitch, can't see your hand in front of your face, black

 

[Flboy]

You should have stopped the first night! Our first parrot, Tango was terrified when covered!
The books say human babies should eat carrots! Ask a room full of adults how that went!

 

[SailBoat]

As so very well covered above. Parrots are individuals and what one likes another will totally dislike. Our Amazon had no want to be covered likely because he believes that he must assure that his Humans are safe.

Remember that there are no blankets in their Natural Range. But on a dark nights it can become very dark and on a night with a clear sky and a full moon it is fairly light. The point is, Parrots sleep best when the room is more to darker side and more on the quiet side.

 

[Anita1250]

I have had my BFA since he was 11 weeks old, and he is now 38. There was no abuse of him any time in his life, because I have always had him. He will not allow me to cover his cage. Never has. If I try, he cowers and screams. I have long since stopped trying. Now ask me why we have a den with black curtains! LOL. He sleeps in there, and everyone is happy.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

I have had my BFA since he was 11 weeks old, and he is now 38. There was no abuse of him any time in his life, because I have always had him. He will not allow me to cover his cage. Never has. If I try, he cowers and screams. I have long since stopped trying. Now ask me why we have a den with black curtains! LOL. He sleeps in there, and everyone is happy.

And I have had Amy 31 years from when he was four months..he and BB get covered every night with "cozy covers" light weight breathable covers and they settle down in minutes..If your bird freaks out I wouldn't cover him! As stated above if you have a room you can keep dark let him sleep there..just my 2 cents.


Jim

 

[Mikxx]

Hello guys,
thank you very much for the answers.

The cage is 32x65x56 inches and in the living room. The parrot is a new member of the family and we do not want to put him in an extra room.

After another week and talking to him before bedtime for a while he got used to the cover procedure.
When it gets dark now he goes to a certain spot in the cage and waits for it to happen. He looks a bit suspicious but that is it.

In general he had problems to adopt to the new environment I think. He was also running around in the cage and chewing his feet. The vet said this can all be due to the change in location as he got nervous. Also these problems have vanished over time.

 

[wrench13]

Good to know he is settling in.