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Post by nancyd on Jan 8, 2006 19:29:09 GMT -7
Today my tiel started screaming at 12:30 when I was on the phone with my nephew. (My nephew even mentioned hearing it over the phone and the bird is almost 20 feet and a wall away from the phone). Anyhow this bird didn't stop until 4:50. Yes I ignored him, but it got the better of me and I wound up with an upset stomach because by then my nerves were totally frayed. It was cold out today so I couldn't go out, and so I spent the day listening to a screaming tiel and watching my dog shake all afternoon, (he does this when the bird starts screaming). The bird is not sick, it seems to me he is just bored. He doesn't play with any toys I buy him and the other day I tried giving him a bath as someone suggested, (preening would keep him busy) but that didn't work either. He has veggies, pellets and seed everyday. I really love the little guy but I can't put up with this. I feel so bad when I think of having to give him up, but I don't know what else to do !! Someone suggested getting him a mate, but there's no way I would get another tiel for fear I would end up with 2 screamers. This scream is a loud flock call as if I can get to him before he starts, he's fine and yet after I scritch him for awhile, he'll be sittin on my finger or my shoulder and start screamin like I'm not even there. We have breakfast together and then I'll spend an hour one on one with him. Sometimes he is out of the cage for 3 or 4 hours and sometimes only an hour. (I used to spend more time with him one on one, maybe two-three hours, but I am really getting turned off with him) It really doesn't seem to make any difference in the screaming though. I think that if he would whistle or talk or something I would put up with some screaming but he doesn't do anything but scream !! I have had parakeets most of my life and never encountered anything like this. I have been around many other tiels at bird fairs, pet stores, etc and have never seen this kind of behavior with them either. This has been going on since he was around 6 months old and he's 1 1/2 now. What could have caused this ?? Is there such a thing as taking a bird away from the flock so totally that he would be like this ?? (He showed up at the pet store a month after the rest of the babies and although I asked several times- noone seems to know why) Could he really hate the cage I got him so much that he screams to get out  I was wondering if I gave him to someone else who had tiels for a couple of weeks would this help ?? I am so totally lost and just don't know what to do anymore!! I know some of you breed tiels-and I was hopin maybe someone would be able to help me Thanks for letting me bend your ears or shall I say strain your eyes !! |
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Post by John on Jan 8, 2006 20:35:54 GMT -7
Hello Nancy, I have had my tiel for 4 months now. She came from a home where she didn't get much attention. Her old owner was afraid of her and never took her out of her cage. She was never a screamer tho. Once I took her in and gave her a new home she got more friendly with me. I would take her out of her cage for an hour or so then put her back. Then when ever I was on the computer she would scream for attention. I got her wings clipped and now I leave her cage open all day. She goes in and out when she wants and is allot happier. She never screams any more. I even leave her out when I am not at home, she stays in or on her cage. I am not sure why your tiel screams but this worked for me.
John
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Post by spookyhurst on Jan 8, 2006 23:28:27 GMT -7
When my conure would get a case of the screams, the only thing that would calm him would be to have his cage covered for a little while. It wasn't an everyday thing though.
I'm reading a book about clicker training birds. It claims that you can teach a bird not to scream. It said to be sure to praise and reward the bird when it's quiet. It also says to use clicker training to encourage the bird to talk, whistle, sing, or make other pleasant sounds.
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Post by traci on Jan 9, 2006 0:36:48 GMT -7
omg omg!!! i need to do something like that with my bare eyed cockatoo, hes driving us nutz, the second i am out of his sight, he screams, i went out to KFC the other nite, my other half said all he did was hollar while i was gone.. my boss said its cuz hes over bonded with me, i talk to him from where ever i am, its that he cant see me.. so now i put him back in his cage n cover it up til he quiets down... phewwwwwww n now im getting a B & G macaw, man am i going to do things different with HER.... not as much one on one time, lots of out time, just not one on one.. i want to make sure she can entertain her self instead of my doing it...  |
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Post by anniea1234 on Jan 9, 2006 10:04:16 GMT -7
Paulie used to come over and scream at me when I was on the phone. He'd shut up when I got off. We'd give him time out in the cage when he acted up and let him out after her was quiet for 5 minutes. Seemed to work.
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Post by anglepepper on Jan 9, 2006 10:06:42 GMT -7
Yea I totally understand that part, Angle the cockatoo I got does the same thing as soon as she cannot see me she screams also. As soon as she sees me comming her way she stops. Hubby says she is alright when I am gone but it is if she knows I am home and she cannot see me she screams. She is getting better but she still is doing it at times.. Mostly when I go outside to have a cig and she cannot see me. But even the shower I have tried to put her in there but she is afraid of the water LOL but she gets it anyway..
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Post by lindsay on Jan 10, 2006 12:49:12 GMT -7
I have four tiels who share a cage and I know the exact noise you mean, like a tuneless high pitched shriek, mine do it for at dawn and dusk and at weekends when there is more noise in the house they can be pretty unbearable.
I was shocked when we got our grey at how quiet he is in comparison. (my husband says we should get rid of the tiels and get another grey but of course I ignore him) to be honest once they get like that it's hard to quieten them down so I don't have any tips to give you....just wanted to let you know I understand how irritating that shrieking can be.
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Post by nancyd on Jan 11, 2006 19:21:26 GMT -7
My first post was so long and I didn't mention that the day he screamed all day--well after about an hour and a half or so, I did cover the cage. So the better part of the screaming took place when he was covered already. (aout 2 1/2 hours). I have also tried timeouts in a smaller cage in another room with no success. His cage used to be in the family room but after 6 months of screamin, I moved him into another room where he can't see me. I had read that perhaps he "saw too much of me". He's been in that room for 3 months know. There is no difference in screaming at all. Mind you this move from one room to another is only a matter of about 15 feet and the only divide between the two rooms is an archway so its not like he's secluded at all. He just can't see me. (My house is not that big).
I gotta add here that yesterday he was so quiet it was unbelievable and today he started screamin again not quite as loud but it still lasted for about 4 hours or so.
He always seems to start at around noon and goes on until around 4-4:30. I know this because when he started this behavior I was paying close attention to see if something was going on that might've been bothering him without me knowing it was bothering him.
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hana
Weaned Todd
Susu
Joined: October 2005
Posts: 63
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Post by hana on Jan 12, 2006 1:55:13 GMT -7
Hiya Nancy,
Oh i can so understand how you feel, our grey has his screaming moments sometimes and its aweful and gets us very depressed.
I just wanted to enquire about your tiel's behaviour yesterday..you mentioned he was abnormally quiet..if you track your own behaviour yesterday, was there something in specific you did or didn't do that may have contributed to him calming down a little? If you do find out, i wonder whether you can do more of it and see if he calms down.
Good luck
Hana
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Post by nancyd on Jan 12, 2006 20:28:00 GMT -7
No, my activities are so monotonous in the winter it's ridiculous. My job is very seasonal so my winter days consist of watching TV, or playing my PS2, up until the end of January when I get busy with work. In the summer, I'm never in the house so the screaming isn't as bothersome then. The trouble is I work out of my home and in the next couple of weeks my phone is going to start ringing off the hook and my customers will be coming here. I can put up with the screams for a while and then I just lose my concentration. I can't even imagine what my clients might think. Already someone calling me to make an appointment has heard the bird screamin in the background and wanted to know if I needed to get off the phone and call him back.
Today when he started up, I covered him and 2 hrs later when he finally quieted down, I went to uncover him and as soon as I did he started screaming again, so back went the cover, (although this didn't stop the screaming). for the rest of the day. I almost wanted to just let him go outside when he started up again, but I know he would never survive and I am not that heartless. Sadly though, it doesn't seem fair to leave him covered all day either. I then thought about putting him on the second floor to see if it would muffle the sound--of course just as I was gonna go upstairs, he quit screamin for the day. That was at 5:00 or so.
Sunday I am going to the PEAC meeting on parrot behavior and safety. It's one of the course that you have to have if you want to adopt a bird. I am going just for the knowledge as I am going to get a baby from a breeder (hopefully soon --but no eggs yet). I don't have a clue what they'll discuss but they also are having a meeting on tiels--Sadly its not until May which is far too long for me to wait to get help. I also thought of having a friend "bird sit" him for a few months. She has 7 tiels and a CAG and a TAG. If he screams too much though she's not gonna want him either. Besides then its gonna cost me to board him there cause I wouldn't expect her to do it for nothing, and all that's gonna do is put off the inevitable I'm afraid
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Post by jozi on Jan 13, 2006 15:15:31 GMT -7
Hi Nancy Do some reading at www.goodbird.com/ and some online research into ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) training with birds. Also, do some research and apply the clicker training methods with your screaming cockatiel. I also HIGHLY recommend subscribing to the Good Bird magazine www.goodbirdinc.com/ as the info is invaluable to situations such as plucking, screaming or any other undesirable behavior. No bird too small or too difficult to try ABA and clicker training...give it a try before anything else. I promise results. |
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Post by spookyhurst on Jan 13, 2006 17:59:55 GMT -7
Does PEAC have a behavior consultant on staff that could help you? If not, here's a partial list of experts that do behavior consultations: www.thebirdbrain.com/html/BehavioralConsultations.cfmI read an issue of Good Bird magazine (they gave me a free issue when I took the parrot care class for Nikko). It was pretty good. That's why I decided to do clicker training with Nikko. Right now, we're still "priming the clicker," but I think we should be ready to start training soon. The book I'm reading is called, "Clicker Training For Birds" by Melinda Johnson. |
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Post by anglepepper on Jan 13, 2006 21:19:04 GMT -7
One question... Does your tiel take baths often, I have noticed with mine that if they do not have a dish to bath in at least every other day they will scream more. I have tried not giving it to them for 3 days and they did alot of screaming them selves. So that could be some of it to just thinking here...
Carol
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I was wondering if I gave him to someone else who had tiels for a couple of weeks would this help ?? 
