Screaming Cockatiel!!!

[Justine729]

I have an approx. 2 yr old normal grey cockatiel. Pretty sure he is a male because he whistles a lot and has the bright orange cheek patches.

Here's my problem. He screams almost ALL the time. Now he was a very socialized bird when i got him and he loved to take showers with me and hang out with me outside his cage. Then I made the mistake of getting him a mirror. Now he never wants to come out of his cage and he will fly back in if you take him out. He used to step up very nicely and now he has a heart attack if you put your hand in the cage. Sometimes if I can get him out he will sit with me for a little while and then fly back to his cage.

He seems to scream only when we are home, because i noticed once I close the door to my apartment he stops screaming. But his scream is so loud and annoying that it is driving me crazy and probably driving my neighbors crazy too. I have tried covering him to make him quiet, whistling at him to get him to mimick me, and taking him out of the cage. He screams like he wants attention but when you get near the cage he hisses at you. I just don't want my appartment complex to make me get rid of him because he is so loud.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

[Macawpower58]

First, if you haven't already, take away the mirror. Long time parrot owners learn mirrors are a no no.

If you have left the mirror in the cage, he has most likely bonded (as in a mate) with the 'other bird'. Once bonded many birds want nothing to do with their human caretaker. They live for their mate. Your Tiel sounds as though he needs to be reintroduced to you as his best friend.

Give him time to get used to having the mirror gone. Perhaps relocate his cage to another corner to get him out of his predictable behavior. Shake up his routine slightly. Rearrange his cage slightly. Buy him some new toys/perches/swings. Anything that could be considered to reinterest him in things other than the 'other bird'.

[Egoplot]

First and that needs to be done with rocket speed.Remove that mirror.!!! Don´t smash it,7 years bad luck,just throw it away.Sadly your Tiel has fallen in love with a mirror,he hisses becose he is protecting his mate the mirror.The screaming is quit normal.When he hears a noise,human voice,music,phone or doorbell ring or for that matter any sound he screams becose he is calling his mate.

Here is what I would do.
Place the cage in a different place than before.Go to a petstore a buy some toys for him.Rings with bells are good.Also everything he can gnaw on.Soft toys he can swing are great.Buy at least two wooden perches and place the as high up in the cage as possibly for him to sit on.Make sure that were you put his cage he is never higher than your head.He should always be looking up to you.For at least one month ever never feed him with sunflowerseeds.Do NOT wistle at him and do not try to take him out of his cage, do not put your hand nor finger inside it.Make sure one of his cage doors are always open unless you are not at home then have it closed.When he screams talk to him in a joyfull voice.Talk to him all the time.Get a chair sit close to his cage and talk.Say his name,talk long sentences always calmly and joyfull,and never raise your voice,try talking to him as much as you can every day slowly moving closer to his cage every day always with door open.Tell him to come out and after few days add few times a day a kissing sound but only if he gives first a sound or screams.If you need to clean his cage or feed him always talk when doing that and simply tell him what you are doing.He will soon start to calm down but only when he is starting to calm down add a wistle but make it soft.Call him and urge him to come out of the cage.After few days and when you are sure you see a change in him be in the same room were his cage is.Make sure he notice you by talking to him few minutes.Then try to do some work sitting down at a table not far from him ignore him,keep cage door open and make sure he notice you in the room by doing some sounds,paperwork or what ever.It might take some time for him to come out of the cage by him self but it is critical that he makes that first move all by him self.If the first move is only to stand in the cage door talk to him and compliment him.I he goes all the way out and fly around,do the same talk to him and compliment.Don´t dream about putting him back into the cage he needs to make that move him self.Once inside talk and compliment him.The trick here is to let him get the feeling that you are verry happy with what he is doing.When you get to the point that he is almost out of the cage as soon as you open the door,you should start to offer him your finger to sit on.Do it slowly talking joyfully all the time.When he accepts your finger you are a winner,his next stopp will be your shoulder then your head and when he finaly makes up his mind to trust you again he will alow you to scratch him while he will tell you never to put a thing like a mirror into his cage it will only confuse him.I bet he will to tell you how much he has realy missed you.Good luck.

The key here is constant talking in soft joyfull voice,no quick movments and lots of patience.

[lexi]

This info is very interesting. I have mirrows in all my bird cages and I never had a problem with my tiel screaming. Now that I know, I'll check for signs.