my cockatiel won't be quiet!!!

my cockatiel, jacob, will be 7 years old in may. he has always been attached to me and in turn screamed when not around. however, lately no matter what,i can not get him to be quiet. if im reading, he will just cheep and cheep and cheep. if i leave the room, even when he can see me, he just goes crazy! i don't know what to do anymore. spraying him with a water bottle doesnt work, leaving him alone in my bedroom doesn't work, and niether does covering his cage. the only thing that works most of the time is putting him in my closet where it is dark. and trust me, when he wants to, he screams his head off even while in there. i would never hurt my bird, but this screaming and cheeping all the time is driving me CRAZY!!! i just dont know what to do anymore! any suggestions would be great..thanks, christine.

Comments for
my cockatiel won't be quiet!!!

Click here to add your own comments

Feb 08, 2013

Tame or not to tame Mopsy..... 7/2/12
by: Anonymous

Dear Mopsy...... even the most tame bird can be temperamental. One minute ours has his eyeball pressed up against my lips making kissing noises, the next he's biting my cheeks if a noise scared him (like he blames me!).

I would never say "never" but generally, if they've not been hand reared, it's a bit difficult for them to warm to you.....I'd say just persist with routine.

The screeching......won't stop, but the reason why may change. They get separation anxiety...but at the moment, if the bird is screeching when you go near..it (he or she) is possibly scared.

The feather pulling could be boredom, loneliness or mites! You can get mite drops and I'd even recommend some vitamin drops or powder for the water. For loneliness...get a little radio and put it on to a station that has talking. If you get another bird, you may never bond.

The ones that come out of the cage are generally the ones that were reared to do so....I laugh because I let ours out (just for some peace) and I go back into the room (he's hung up in our laundry near the back door so he can see outside)...he's put himself away and is quiet.

Covering them during the day some say to do it...but ours is not quiet when we do that..he KNOWS when it's day time.....they don't just rely on the dark..they have excellent hearing....like a child, if the house is noisy....they want to be part of the action (which isn't always desirable for birds...they poop!!!).

Our bird calls out to other birds, to the cat (was saying "puss puss puss" for a while), to dogs that bark. He says "come on" to us when he can hear us and we're ignoring him....when he gets frustrated with being alone he calls out my name and says "what are you doing"...he has an almost angry one-off screech when we sneeze and if he hears my son on his Apple Mac he copies the sound of the volume button being pressed....he is one odd bird..very amusing and at the moment, lovely and quiet......and no matter what anyone says, they do respond to a stern voice...ours knows when he's too loud if I say "Sunni enough"!

It's all in the tone! Sincere and stern...loving & softer when they are being good.

:-)

Feb 07, 2013

Need help
by: Mopsy

Hi All, I recently bought a cockatiel from a pet store and he is not tamed at all first week he was just quite not eating much and not moving too, but after one week he started eating normally and then he started walking up and down in the cage and started playing with his toys.
How to solve the problems that i have with him:

1- Hes not coming out of his cage at all ( i left the cage door open for more than 1 hour and went away from the room X7 days)

2 Hes not eating from my hand no matter i give him anything even i tried giving him food from out of the cage no hope :(

3 Hes screaming too much when i go near him hes quite soon as i leave the room he starts screaming

4: These days he is just picking his feathers.

Basically hes not tamed and you cannot play with him or he will not come near you it has been a month now that i got him. only thing he dose is scream and scream thats all.

Help please!!!

Editor's note: In the future if you want people to see and answer, you need to post a question, not an answer here to another question, on our Parrot Questions page.

Please use this Find an Avian Vet link to find an avian vet for your bird.

Jan 15, 2013

Training!
by: BernieTheCockatiel

My cockatiel is about 3 years old but I've only had him for 1. In this year I've trained him a bit even though he still bites. But in order to get some peace and quiet out of him I've taught him that when he's covered it's bed time.

I did this by covering him and saying SHHH It's bed time at night and it took him about a month to catch on. I put a black blanket over him so that he knows when his cage is dark it's time to be quiet. Now I can cover him with his black blanket and darken his cage and he'll be for the most part quiet. Every now and then he'll chirp a bit or screech but only when he hears a new voice or someone coughs.

Dec 06, 2012

Human Bird
by: Anonymous

Thanks for the comments...if the response was to our Sunni...then there is a few things.....

He's like a child...not text book at all.

He squawks and carries on even IF he is with one of us and someone walks away.

He hated toys, he is scared of anything too bright or round.

He gets fresh food all the time....refuses to eat vegetables...plays with his peas.

He has a radio on to keep him company, sometimes this works...but heaven help us all when a song comes on with whistling in it!

He is in LOVE with towels, bathrobes, pillow cases & tea towels...he almost bows down to them, it's rather funny......and he likes being on anyone's foot if they have socks on.

The problem with him being out...is he's not content to just play...he wants to be ON someone ALL the time and I understand their poop isn't big...but I'd like my home to be human-healthy and not have bird poop all over the place.

Some days he's a gem.....and some days there is just no quietening him down.....it's those days, that no one warned us about.

Dec 06, 2012

To help you.
by: Anonymous

When you are out of the room. when he starts to make noise. Say i am here. most birds will think when you leave the room you do not exsist any more. also dose your bird have any toys. He could be very bord and wanting your attention. You could also play relaxing music. this helps them calm down. Also is your bird tame? You should try taking your bird out the same time everday. that way he dose not think he will not be taken out of his cage.

Nov 05, 2012

Our Sunni
by: Anonymous

Hello all, I think these birds are like children..there is no right way (or simply..its not text book). Our Sunni isnt content to sit on our knee or our shoulder...he is still a toddler & is bored easily. The only time he stays put is if its a bit dark (Ive worked out why he hisses & bites at night..he is afraid of the dark).

There is no answer to keeping him quiet, I talk in my quiet voice to him in the hope he will calm down and he screams more to be let out to roam and be with me, which is all very nice but working with the fear of poop at any given spot & bite marks on your client's papers isn't desirable.

Sunni needs constant occupation..we tried to mix him with other birds on 'play dates' but he just isnt interested in other birds.

So to those that say "cover him" during the day to keep him quiet, it isnt the way to go and to those that say its cruel..well spend half an hour with him while trying to talk to a client..its frustrating because even if I talk to him quietly he wont calm down (he is nosy and wants to see who is there, which again is not desirable to have a bird out when dealing with clients).....and besides, covering him even at night doesnt keep him quiet.

My neighbour looked after him for a week, he was all cute to her until one night he bit her...now she wont go near him. I wont let him near small children & have to warn people he bites. He wont bite me unless its an accident (aiming for a hand when someone else goes to touch me but he gets my face) & night time (as he cant see properly & is scared).

Very cute, very funny, very cheeky...but needs to see us at all times and sadly this just isnt always possible.

Nov 05, 2012

Whisper
by: Anonymous

My Parrotlet can be loud too. Especially when she wants attention or decides to scold me for being away for so long. When she starts screaming I start talking in a very quiet voice and softly shush her. After about 20 seconds she quiets down and tries to hear what I'm saying. It's actually a trick that works well on toddlers throwing a tantrum. They're social animals so they want to hear what your saying. Talking quietly means they have to stop shouting so that they can hear you. Plus it sets a good example. I would also try and not punish pets with things that should be a normal part of their routine, like covering their cage or spraying them down. They should be taught to like that and that those are good things, not punishments. That doesn't mean you can't cover their cage when they're loud just don't make it a punishment. Be nice when you put the cover on and nice when you take it off. The whole point of covering them is that birds tend to be calmer when they can't see and calmer birds tend to be not as chatty.

Aug 27, 2012

Sunni a year on
by: Anonymous

A year on and Sunni has truly got no sense of understanding that he is a bird.

Yelling definitely doesn't work, but I wont fib, it's hard not to when you are on the phone talking and he can hear my voice and keeps yelling "come on"...then starts the screeching.

He seems content when his cage is open and he can wander in and out (I can hear him calling out as I type though)...the downside to having a bird who doesn't believe he is a bird is also having an inside cat who is scared of said bird as even the cat doesn't seem to believe Sunni is a bird. The cat goes nuts watching birds in the window but cowers when Sunni is around.....for a while Sunni was calling out "puss puss" to the cat.

So, I worry when the bird is out (the jury is not out yet on which pet I should be worried for) and apart from that....Sunni destroys things, it's dangerous to leave him out too long.

We tried the big playground with the toys...didn't work, he hated his toys and refused to stay on the play ground...UNLESS it was up against a mirror....then he'd argue and carry on with the 'bird' in the mirror. *sigh*

And food....it's beneath him (apart from seed) to place food in front of him...unless he sees US eating it, he won't touch it. And veggies...he's like a little child, will only nibble on them as a last resort. And like a child, he can hear the sound of a human eating 'crackers' in another room and will fly to find the crackers. But if we eat veggies....boring!

He has become more noisy in time....I was contemplating getting him a mate but I was warned that if he's bonded with a human, he may not take kindly to another bird being around.....and the risk of double the noise is too much to bear!

Sunni has decided that being covered up even at night isn't going to stop him screeching out....he hisses at the cover, bites anyone that puts their hand near the cage at night (I was silly enough to change his water one night and he lunged at my hand). He has a angry screech when we sneeze or cough and we know there's sirens before we can actually hear them because he arks up....and the minute it's daylight (covered or not) he starts up.

My advise to anyone who is thinking about getting one of these birds is to know up front exactly what you are in for (we weren't warned and didn't read up enough); consider your neighbours; consider your furniture; but most important...only get one IF you agree to spend as much time with the bird as possible. They are not like budgies, happy to sit and chirp all day.

They are gorgeous and friendly (when they want to be and to whom they choose to be friendly to) but they are smart birds and don't take kindly to being left alone like most other small birds.

Aug 27, 2012

It takes time, like training a dog...
by: Anonymous

I have had cockatiels for a while now and love them. My current tiel is a 2 year old white female. She makes different noises, small cute chirpy noises when she is feeling ready to mate. Theres no particular hamr although i wouldnt encourage this as she may be encouraged to lay eggs. The high pitched screetch is basically a cry for attention. A bird needs lots of attention and believe they are the same as you unless you have more than one. If you leave the room they feel alone or neglected and so can cause the high pitched screetch. Try to put them on your knee while you watch tv, i find my tiel will setle fast and sleep while i watch tv. I sit with her right next to me on the remot control (which she loves to sit on) while i do work. She feels content to be right next to me. Also cut up fresh vegs etc and put infront if her, or toys can help to distract them and entertain for a while to stop the screetching. Like a dog which can be noisey and mischeivious a bid needs training, try looking on the net for tips however when the bird is quiet give him/her treats, then dont when she/he is loud -you have to be patient to own a tiel and it does take time to train them but really is worth the while if you do. Music as some others have said can help and I wouldnt cover the cage unless it is night as it can cause confusion for your birds routine. Do you have a floor branched perch which you could put by a window? this can be a good way to keep the bird occupied. otherwise getting it a friend (although the same or similar breed to avoid bullying, larger birds can harm smaller ones).
Birds dont really understand shouting so lots of attention and millet to treat when good then pop them back on cage when they start getting roudy - birds can learn just as dogs do, soon they will understand treats and affection come with a certain behaviour... good luck

Jul 22, 2011

More tips
by: Sunni's other mum

Hi all, I've just read the 22 July comment and I must tell you, we try the 'cover' over him during the day to keep him quiet while I study...but he just sings...we taught him the Darth Vader theme song from Star Wars, the wolf whistle and the 'get your attention' whistle (why, because it was cute when he first started doing it)...his screeching & calling out our names stops but the singing and whistling begins if we cover him. At night he's as good as gold & at most will speak out if he hears a siren or he has a fight with his mirror...but he leaves us in peace.

He's now got sounds for each one of us when we walk into the room he's in. I used to walk in and say "Hello Stinky" (after he'd already learnt to say "Hello Sunni Bird", so now he'll greet me as "Hello Stinky" (my name is only used when he wants to hear where I am). My daughter gets "Come on" because she waves at him then claps her hands and he flies to her (her name is constant all day) and my son, before the hissing & biting starts, gets a kissing sound, but the second he's on my shoulder he goes into guard dog mode and my son can't come near me.

We have since discovered what keeps him happy and stops the screeching.....our bath robes. We did a test yesterday, I wore mine and he could see me, he flew through from the lounge room to my bedroom just to find the robe. I removed the robe and my daughter placed it near his playground and we didn't hear peep from him, he was kissing and singing to the robe.

He also goes incredibly quiet when he climbs into pillow cases..which is sweet & although he to date hasn't done it, I don't like the thought of his droppings in my pillow case!

Strangle little bird....he's in love with my robe!

Jul 22, 2011

Shhhhhh! Please be quiet for awhile
by: Anonymous

I feel your pain. For those of you that know the difference between a chirp and a screech. The high pitched screech is really annoying when it goes on for hours. I put my little guy outside on the porch or out back on the deck in a secure cage. It tends to quiet him up, and if he does screech, I don't hear it as much. I also cover him in a quiet room by himself and he tends to be quiet. This is something I have always done at night so he sleeps undisturbed. Thank god it works for me.

Jun 06, 2011

You know but you don't think...
by: Ibu

Hi all, I bought a Cockatiel for my daughter's b/day a year ago..we love our Sunni Bird, he sings, he talks...but he's just started screeching (I liken it to a 2 year old tantrum).

Yes, he IS driving me nuts...he thinks my dauther and I are his 'kin' (he hisses & bites my son)...when he's on our shoulder he's quiet but still cheeky. However...I'm also studying like one of the posts above was (I didn't think those comments were that bad)....it is VERY difficult to have to remain home and study with a screeching bird in the background (upset because he's not getting 100% attention).

We were advised to use the spray bottle....doesn't work, he LOVES water, trying to use a stern tone (like you would for a child) doesn't work, sedning my son in to quieten him..doesn't work.....he yells out our names and calls out "what are you doing?"...my fault for walking into the room one day & exclaiming that as I caught him destoying my blinds!

Covering him doesn't work, he hates the dark (other than at night he knows it IS bedtime).....putting on music is just about the only thing I can agree with (other than having him on our shoulders, which isn't the healthiest thing to do indoors)......my answer...CLASSICAL MUSIC.

Mine is outside at the moment and after an hour of carry-on...he's just gone quiet. I'm sure my neighbours must be loving it, not.

One set of neighours have Cockatiels and they are never this loud...I think by hand rearing ours from 5 weeks old, he doesn't think he's a bird!!!

But when he kisses and says "Kiss kiss" he's cute and all the noise is forgiven!

Mar 05, 2011

Birds drive everyone crazy
by: Anonymous

I have two birds a they drive us crazy! We Found out that when we put music on it helps a little. Or they want food.

Feb 22, 2011

Jerry, my Little Boy!
by: Big Island Guy

Jerry, my cockatiel, is 10 years old. My Grandmother lived with me for a year. During that time Grandma taught Jerry to say Daddy. Now I hear
DADDY! 50-100 times a day! I have found that since I live in Hawaii, I can put Jerrys cage outside. He loves it. I have also found that a small radio playing soft rock, at a low level has helped. G/D forbid though when they go to commercial. It's then back to DADDY!
Good luck everyone, they are a handful, but I love him.

Sep 26, 2010

Fit the person to fit the enviroment
by: Anonymous

I had a cockatiel for 20 years,which recently passed due to a tragic accident -- I was devastated. I wanted to point out the sounds of which cockatiel make. Just like people, birds make different sounds. Some birds are chatty making chrip sounds all day long, some birds are shy, some birds start out chirpy and eventually start to scream high pitch noises. My bird was a screamer. He started out as a chirper for probably the first 12 years of his life. Then the years that followed were sounds of high pitched, ear piercing screams. I had ear plugs in every room of the house. There was very little I could do to stop the screaming. The one thing I found that helped was to show him something new, like a teddy bear, a shoe, a baseball cap, pennies, marbles, etc. Cockatiels are like 2 year old children that will NEVER grow up. Something to distract him from screaming. My bird also liked exploring closets. Leave the door cracked open for light of course, but sometimes, he would spend all day in the closet -- and then would become territorial, which was not good. Anyways, cockatiels are fun companions to say the least. There wasn't a day that went by where I didn't laugh because of it's quirky personality. Will I get another one... maybe one day. I am enjoying peace and quiet for now.

Jun 09, 2010

my bird drives me crazy
by: Anonymous

my bird drives me crazy chirp chirp chirp the only place he will be quiet is in the pantry i left the door open one day and he flew in because hes never caged and i couldnt find cause he sits in there and tears up every thing bread,cereal boxes and all sorts of stuff im lucky iv got a place he can go to leave me alone

Mar 25, 2010

Cockatiel owner (mom)
by: Neilia

The chirping of a cockatiel is a way of saying..'so glad to be with you...you make me so happy' It is normal for this type of bird to chirp its little head off when in a happy state. My little guy, 'Pretty-Bird', will only scream when he feels like he will be abandoned or if a part of his human 'flock' is not with him. We have trigger words such as; 'all's well' when we are in other rooms and he wants to know where we are...if that doesn't work, whistling does. Do you allow your cockatiel to eat with you? Give him his own dish with the appropriate 'yes' human foods and your bird will want to please you even more. There are plenty of good online sites that will tell you what is good for your bird and what will make it sick. Anyway, cockatiels are a handful...but what a joyful bundle of feathers and fluff they are!

Feb 01, 2010

I know how it feels!!!
by: Jessica

My cockatiel ALWAYS has to be with me and wont let me leave her site! If I leave her in my room alone, she'll chirp and chirp and chirp until I come back! And sometimes she'll even chirp when shes on my shoulder! if I let someone els hold her, she'll go crazy and fly around to try to find me! I NEED ANSWERS! PLEASE!

Editor's note: You need to post your question as a new question under Parrot Questions for people to see it. You answered another person's question instead of posting your own question.

Feb 01, 2010

anoying
by: alvin

my bird alvin has only been here for 2 weeks and it wont shut up it eek eek eek.

Nov 08, 2009

My Cockatiel Won't Be Quiet
by: Anonymous

Although I agree with all the post, it still amaze me that everyone "who I take it is a Bird Lover" but none the less no one offered a humane or bird friendly suggestion to his question aside from the "well birds are naturally chirpy creatures> I think he knows that, oh by the way I don't have an answer to the question other than I dumped my girl and the bird went with her.

Oct 09, 2009

when a cockatiel makes noise
by: Danijela

My cockatiel is only loud when the tv is on, during the day when he hears other birds and sometimes when he is lonly. My bird knows when I turn of the light that it's time to sleep. If i dont want him to make noise i simply turn the tv off, because i love him more than tv:).

Mar 27, 2009

My cockatiel won't be quiet!!!
by: Martha

I have my guy 15 years and for the last 4 years he is doing the same thing. It gets so bad sometimes that I actually leave the house. While I was in nursing school I had to go to the library to study! Even as I am writing to you,he is chirping his high pitched chirp in my left ear.I allow his to fly around the room when I am in it and he finds a spot,perches there and chips,chirps,chirps every 3-5 seconds. So it is not because he is caged!I don't spray him...never have.I only cover him at night. He does seam more quiet in certain rooms,when he really gets annoying I just put him in those rooms. Try moving yours around the house. Although I gather you have tried everything already. I sleep during the day because I work the night shift so it is very challenging. I'm sorry I have no answers for you. I just wanted to tell you that I feel for you.I love him and I know you love yours as well but...HE DRIVES ME CRAZY!!! ...and YES,I did know what I was getting when I bought him,but his behavior has changed over the years.

Jul 27, 2008

condescending commenters
by: Anonymous

Please ignore the condescending comments of the person above.

Birds vary in their noise levels, and there's a difference between high-pitched squeals that sound like the bird is upset and regular bird noises.

If you aren't going to be constructive, please refrain from making comments. We're all bird lovers here, and your good fortune not to have a problem bird doesn't make you a better one.

Thanks

Apr 23, 2008

Noisy Cockatiel
by: Tracie

Hello,

Rather than re-write what has already been written, please go to our Parrot Training articles and see what you can glean from them.

You can find them by clicking this Parrot Training page link.

It might take some investigation and time, but you can help your bird to make noise appropriately. They will make noise, that is what they are made to do.

You must remember that you are the "bird" in their life. If you were the only human and only birds took care of you, you would wish to communicate to I should think. You also might be lonely and wish for companionship.

Hang in there!

Apr 23, 2008

My Cockatiel won't be quiet!!!
by: Marcia

Jacob is a bird and that's what birds do they chirp and make noise.It sounds to me like he is a happy bird and is only expressing himself.I don't understand why you want him to be quiet all the time.Your techniques that your using spraying with
water,putting in the closet as well as covering aren't the best way to get what you want.It actually considered cruel.I have plenty of birds and I knew what I was getting into when I got them.I don't think you knew what you wanted.If you were looking for a quiet pet why didn't you get one that was known for being quiet?You really
shouldn't expect him to stop doing what comes natural to him.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How?
Simply click here to return to Parrot Questions