The root of some screaming

[Siobhan]

My birthday was a couple of weeks ago, and I wanted balloons, so I went to the party supply shop and got a Star Wars and a Batman balloon. Rocky screamed and screamed and screamed and would not stop until I put them in another room out of his sight.

Yesterday, Hubby, who works construction, brought home a giant cardboard tube (I'm talking 10 feet long) because Rocky loves to destroy cardboard and gets all the boxes to chew up. But this tube terrified him and he freaked out, and Hubby laid it down on the floor. This morning, Rocky screamed and screamed until I took the tube outdoors out of his sight.

I've often heard from parrot "experts" that you have to learn to look at things through your parrot's eyes. What is a harmless balloon to me is a terrifying monster to Rocky. Of course, cockatoos scream sometimes just to hear their heads rattle, or to make you come and play with them, or because it's Tuesday, but I've found with Rocky lately that if I start looking around to discover something that might be scary or out of place or new, that is often the source of the scream. If I move/fix/change the thing that's disturbing him, he might well quiet down and go back to chewing up his toys.

 

[Scott]

Great job being perceptive! We have a huge array of experiences and knowledge of how to evaluate something new, but our parrots are far more limited. Certainly helps to see things "their way."

 

[Kiwibird]

So glad you're still working with Rocky It is always interesting what innocuous items freak out a parrot, but also helpful to know what they are to help acclimate them or just remove it.

 

[LordTriggs]

looking through the eyes of a parrot is really good and I find fun exercise

although sometimes it's impossible for us to understand, I think I'll always get a headache over rio's fear of red things except the sofa

 

[ToMang07]

Of course, cockatoos scream sometimes just to hear their heads rattle

^This made me literally LOL

 

[Birdman666]

Yeah balloons are one of those things that tend to freak birds out...

 

[clark_conure]

to be honest if someone came into my house with a ten foot tube I'd be a little WTF? also. You probably just have a really smart bird.

 

[LordTriggs]

Yeah balloons are one of those things that tend to freak birds out...

not just birds...

 

[Scott]

Yeah balloons are one of those things that tend to freak birds out...

not just birds...

People. And clowns? They seem to be a persistent theme of freakiness! As in Stephen King's "It."

 

[LordTriggs]

Yeah balloons are one of those things that tend to freak birds out...

not just birds...

Clowns? They seem to be a persistent theme of freakiness! As in Stephen King's "It."

haha yeah I'm unnerved by clowns too. Never seen IT though, I may read the book sometime though. considering my fondness for Eldritch horror which I hear IT borrows some bits from

 

[Kiwibird]

Yeah balloons are one of those things that tend to freak birds out...

not just birds...

People. And clowns? They seem to be a persistent theme of freakiness! As in Stephen King's "It."

Clowns *shudders*, a universal terror it seems! Having grownup in the more rural southwest where there was a heavy influence of Native American culture, the Hopi clown kachina... god those things freaked me out as a kid (kachinas in general, but the clown one was the worst). I had more than one nightmare about them. Not sure if Pennywise or the kachinas are more terrifying!

 

[clark_conure]

Is it ok to point out to some of you, some/most of which are on my friends list....that you kinda sorta have some issues with balloons and clowns....neither of which I'm afraid of....I'd be more afraid of say Nora Dunn....that is scary.