Cockatiel won't stop purring/laughing/screaming

by Aaron
(College Station, TX)

My cockatiel Speck is going through bird puberty. It is a pearl mutation that just molted for the first time, I think its a female based on its markings and demeanor, although it sings a lot like a male. No whistles or words.

It makes laughing and purring noises constantly along with random crescendos into screams. It will not stop, even when I go over to it. The only way to stop it is to cover the cage. Are the long drawn purring noises indication that it is sick? Sometimes it will even continue making these noises when I pet it or make motions that startle it.

I also used to empty and refill its food dish and it would immediately go over to it and pig out. Now it just continues singing when I do that. It still eats, just not when I am around (I can tell by the giant pile of hulls on the floor of the cage).