Can Someone PLEASE Help Me...screaming bird

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Can Someone PLEASE Help Me...screaming bird

I am writing this as a last resort. My 9-month old sun conure simply will not stop screaming. Morning, midday, afternoon, you name it. I walk within his sight and he screams - I walk away from him and he screams. I've tried everything - I tried whispering to him while he's screaming but because he screams so loudly he cannot even hear me! I've purchased new toys by the truckful. I've played cds for him. I bring his cage into whatever room I may be in and he screams until I pick him up. I even called our avian vet thinking he might be ill. I was told to cover him when he screams.

The above solutions are only temporary. What upsets me most is that I have two large dogs that are terrified of the noise. As I write this, one is hiding behind the sofa, the other behind the bed. Believe it or not, I have grown attached to him even though his screaming disrupts my entire household. I truly, truly need help with this - I just cannot live the next 15+ years of my life in chaos. I'm sure you can sense my desperation. Does anyone have any suggestions? Any help at all would be appreciated. Thank you.

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Can Someone PLEASE Help Me...screaming bird

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Mar 05, 2011

screaming conure, hippocrites to rescue
by: Anonymous

First and foremost let me say, Conures are screamers/highly social birds/and very needy.
This is never going to change!!! And I don't care how you train the bird.
The more you work with the bird, the stronger the bond will be, the more the bird will call for you via screaming!
It is their nature. And until you learn to speak Parrot, you're not going to be able to say "sweetheart please talk in your inside voice".

Breeders and petshops will lie to you in a heartbeat to get your money. In the parrot business you have to do your homework and then go to the shop and physically look, listen and handle the bird for some time to learn it's true specific traits.

I have been dealing with many different species of Parrots for over 30 years and the one thing I know for certain is no 2 parrots are alike and breeders and shops will lie like a dog to get that all mighty dollar, telling you anything they think you want to hear until cha ching happens and then make every excuse in the book to get rid of you!

Also be careful of the so called Bird rescuers as 98% are just out to collect your pet for free and then offer them out as adoptee's for a nominal fee of course.
Parrot Parapheneilia in Lexington, S.C. is a good one. Her exotic birds are only $250.00 to adopt and this is tax deductable. But, you must buy her cage which usually sells anywhere from $675.00 to $850.00 or the deals off!!!
And folks you can buy the exact same cages "anywhere else" for $225.00 to $350.00.

See my point?

Do your homework, learn the nature of the animal you want to keep and their common personalty traits and then go to your breeder or store and study study study, the animal you want to buy.
From a truely reputable dealer you should also recieve a statement from a local Vet showing the bird to be healthy at the time of purchase.

All this said, conures are flock birds and want to know where their flock is all the time, just like you would constantly keep track of a very small child in your house, so the conure keeps up with you. And while you can train some of the screaming down to a minimal level, you can never change the conures natural instincts!!!

There are parrots who are less needy and hollar out all through the day for attention but they come with their own specific price as well, meaning some less cuddly, less freindly etc...

Have fun:

Feb 26, 2010

Hope this helps- my experience with my amazon
by: Jennifer

Hello!
First off, I'd like to empathize with you-- I have a screaming double yellowheaded amazon and am currently working with him to stop it-he is SO Loud (but is improving and screaming less). Although I am in no way an expert, I have done a considerable amount of research, so I will tell you what I've found and come to believe... screaming is a natural thing for parrots (and other birds)!!! Especially in the morning and evenings because this is instinctual, and often irreversible. Mine doesn't do this, he screams for my attention and because he is jealous of my being in another room with my fiance. HOWEVER: since birds act by both instinct and emotion, you have to decide why your conure might be screaming. Other than instinct, they usually scream for two reasons: fear and/or attention. Does he (or she??) scream when you leave the room? Or scream when something seems to intimidate (like, if we entertained the idea that the bird is afraid of the dogs, does he scream when they come near?) Birds often scream to communicate with their flock, and if he has identified you as part of his flock (im sure he has by now)then he is trying to get you to come back to him (or see if you are "foraging" for food without him!)...

I know that you've said he screams when you are in eyesight and when you walk away.. Maybe keep a journal of exactly what is going on each time he begins? That way you can try to figure out the main cause. Maybe when he sees you he wants to call you to come near and feed him/give attention, and when you walk away it may be the same reason? I am only guessing.

Anyway, because of my bird's need for attention, I use his ability to talk to reinforce his good behavior. If he is quiet or saying hello, I will come give him a treat or attention. If he begins to scream at any time, if I am in the same room I will leave; or if I am out of eyesight (which is when he usually begins screaming) I will remain where I am and stay silent--even though it is so frustrating, until he stops for awhile or he says something nice (not screaming!). Then I will talk back and/or come back into eyesight to reward him (sometimes a treat too) He has now learned to say "hello" or "come back" instead of screaming, although I am still working on the screaming when my fiance is home and he becomes jealous (the bird not the human!)

I don't know conures' abilities to speak, but if you give him positive reinforcement when he DOESNT scream, this may help him to react differently rather than screaming... I think the worst thing to do when he is screaming, though, is to give him that attention. Don't even talk or look at him. I would research (google) any info you can find, and find any ways to make him feel safe in his home. His idea of "safe" may be a little more complicated than yours.

I hope hope hope I am on the right track with your situation and that I have helped a little bit. Good luck to you, your conure, and the dogs!!

Feb 21, 2010

screaming bird
by: Hillary

Good luck with your bird and screaming. Last resort might have indicated you were making final decisions. Do forgive my offer of assistance, I withdraw it. I told myself if I were ever misconstrued on this site I would also withdraw from submissions. Regrettable, as I enjoy this and so many people buy birds without thinking about how they will work into a family and have practical questions I can help with.

Have a good day.

Feb 19, 2010

Your Screaming Bird
by: Bert

Even though your bird is only 9 months old, how long have you had your conure? What is the history, although brief, of your bird?
Maybe it needs a friend?
I wonder that if your bird is sick, would it be screaming? Normally birds don't show their sickness until it's too late.
Does your bird stop screaming when you pick him/her up?
there are many, many questions and possible reasons why your conure is screaming so much.
I would suggest calling/emailing Mark Marrone from Parrots of the World in Rockville Center, New York. You can google his website. He's very, very knowledgeable about parrots - he also breeds them. I can't promise that he will even help you but he's the expert that I would first go to if I had a similiar issue.
Don't give up on your bird. All Birds have amazing memories and know who their owners/parents are and develop bonds with us.

Good Luck and DON'T GIVE UP!!

Feb 19, 2010

Screaming
by: 1birdlover

I think he may be afraid of the dogs also. Excessive screaming is not normal. Some is. I have a sun conure and yes she screams. She screams when she sees something she doesn't like, when she wants a bath. There is a normal amount and then there is excessive. Find out if some is medically wrong. Mine like music so I play the radio for her almost all day. It works. I let her look out the window. It seems to have calmed her over things she sees and now she is not as fearful. What kind of scream is it? Is the sun yelling for you or something else. Mine is attached to me and therefore wants to be with me all the time. This is not always possible. Before you give the bird up and start a cycle of sending it from home to home try to eliminate things. Try moving to a different area of the house. See if it wants to bath. Try different food. Reach out to other conure owners. I would like to help. This is a beautiful species. I hope others read this and think twice about getting a conure and other parrots unless they understand that this is a committment.

Feb 19, 2010

Response to My Question Re: My Screaming Sun Conure
by:

This is in response to Hillary's comment regarding my question about my sun conure's screaming. Actually, I'd like to make a couple of comments. First, I never once mentioned that I would like to find my bird a new home. Our bird is a part of our family. I'm really not sure where your suggestion came from. Second, I do not consider him to be a "problem" bird as you called him. I am far from alone in trying to find a solution to limit the screaming of a conure. There are many more people like me that are also looking for answers. While I am sure that some of these people would like to find a new home for their bird(s), I can assure you I am not one of them. Third, I am happy that your bird(s) screaming never bothered your dogs. My dogs were adopted before the bird and have never been accustomed to this type of noise. They are adjusting wonderfully may I add. I am sure you meant well in your suggestion. You sound like a good person who genuinely cares about birds. However, do bear in mind that everyone's situation is different. Please do not try to compare other's situations to yours.

Feb 19, 2010

Screaming sun conure
by: Tracie

I am sorry you are going through this, and I am sorry for your bird too. I wish we spoke bird and our birds spoke our language too. :-/

You said you talked to your vet, did you take the bird to the vet? An avian vet would NOT give advice like this over the phone, I should hope.

We have some training articles you might want to read on our Parrot Training page. Hopefully you will have the time and patience to try to teach him an alternate behavior. Some people do not have the time and patience for training birds, I understand that.

Thanks for writing, and I hope you are able to solve this problem so that both of you will be happy.

Feb 19, 2010

Can Someone PLEASE Help Me...screaming bird
by: Linda

Okay, calm down and listen. Your bird may be ill and in some kind of pain, so instead of just calling an Avian Vet, please take him in for an exam to see if he has infection or other physical problems. All new birds need to have an exam by an Avian Vet the very first thing to make sure they are healthy. If you bought him from a pet store, I almost guarantee he is sick as they buy sick birds, sell sick birds and take no responsibility when bird dies. Some breeders are the same, and one has to be very careful from whom they buy birds.

Covering him up will not stop this until you know what is wrong. He is most likely TERRIFIED OF YOUR BIG DOGS, so I suggest you set him up in a room where you can install a screen door or make one using hardware cloth, so he feels safe. He will be lonely in this room, so make sure it's one where he can still see household activity and you and feel safe. A TV may also help him calm down some. Make sure it is NOT closer than 6-10 feet or more because birds have incredible eyesight, and if too close, will see only pixels.

Allowing him outside of cage is NOT recommended until you get him a safe, secure place. We have big dogs, and birds have their own small room with a hardware cloth door that is closed when they are out. Most dogs leave the birds alone, and yours does not know that yet.

Have his wings clipped while at the Avian Vet. Have only the 6 long primary feathers clipped at the end of the wings, so he will be easier to handle. Once clipped, you MUST HAVE HIM IN A SECURE AREA AWAY FROM DOGS until everyone gets used to each other. Your cage needs to be roomy enough so he can spread his wings and flap without hitting sides or toys. He needs appropriately sized toys and natural branch perches as well. He also needs to be eating an organic high quality pelleted diet.

Take him to the Avian Vet to rule out physical causes for his discomfort because that's what this is. He is frightened if not terrified and is very uncomfortable in his cage. Let us know how it goes and thanks for writing. Learning and asking questions should not be a LAST resort, it should be your first and foremost remedy.

Linda

Feb 19, 2010

Screamer
by: Hillary

He/she must not be getting his message to you somehow and he needs a new home. I am an adopter/foster and I am starting work with a rescue that works with 'problem' birds and then finds them good homes in CVolumbia SC. My dogs don't care about the noise. Funny. I hope if you are close he can come to us or if you aren't you can find someone like us.

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