Teach your Bird to whisper

Little Critters Veterinary Hospital

1525 N Gilbert Road Suite #C-101
Gilbert, AZ 85234

(480)696-7744

www.littlecrittersvet.com

Teach your bird to whisper:

Screamers are made and not born

Birds quickly learn that we respond when they yell which results in one of the most common behavior problems – the bird that screams incessantly. The best way to deal with this is to use your birds intelligence to your advantage.

Never respond when the bird is yelling. This means do not talk to them, don’t look at them and certainly don’t go to their cage. I recommend leaving the room if the bird starts to scream inappropriately.

Reward the bird for good behavior. Pick a vocalization that your bird already makes and encourage it. Most birds have a variety of vocalizations that they make throughout the day even if they don’t actually speak. Pick one of these and EVERY time the bird repeats this vocalization in your presence reward the bird. Rewards can vary depending on the individual, but common ones include food rewards, toy rewards and the best is to be taken out of the cage for a cuddle.

Realize that some screaming is normal for birds and cannot be totally eliminated. Most birds will vocalize at dusk and dawn and an occasional vocalization should be accepted as a part of a healthy well-adjusted bird’s normal behavior. We just want to eliminate the inappropriate behaviors only.

More on Parrot Behavior and Screaming Problems LINK