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Post by africangrey on Oct 1, 2005 5:46:06 GMT -7
 I have a female african grey called Lucy. She is approx 19 months old, a really nice lovable bird who chats away and is very playfull............then the day came when she heard my Conure screaching, she decided to copy this dreadfull noice...I got rid of my conure but alas Lucy still does this terrible noice all the time.........what can I do, my dad has threatened to sell her if I cant stop her..............Ben....15 years old
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Post by lidiam on Oct 1, 2005 7:39:14 GMT -7
Hi Ben, Welcome to the board. Lucy will probably stop mimicking the conure's screech after a while and when she finds something else that amuses her as much. There is no way to stop the screech quickly, just perhaps try to disctract her at the times she would normally screech, and call to her when you're in the room with her and when you're in other rooms, call her name, or call hello, or something like that, so that she calls using those words rather than the screech to make contact. Also, have a look around the board for the threads about contact calls, there are a few useful bits in them, and there is also a piece in the FAQs about these calls. Let us know how you get on. Lidia  |
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Preston
Super Talker
NEED HELP? WE WILL ANSWER AS FAST AS WE CAN (Note: Preston passed away in 2012. We hold his memories dearly, he was a great person and super moderator.)
Sisika and Pete
Joined: January 2005
Posts: 5,912
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Post by Preston on Oct 1, 2005 8:00:11 GMT -7
You may have compounded your problem by getting rid of the other bird. Now your Grey may be contact calling it also.
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Post by Jane on Oct 1, 2005 9:24:26 GMT -7
Greys will mimic anything they fancy, including the more raucous or irritating noises they hear. They do sometimes stop imitating things if they don't hear them for a while. I once looked after a neighbour's cat and Mitzi very quickly started to miaow but she stopped soon after the cat had gone home.
You could try making some other more pleasant noise every time Lucy does the conure screeching, to try to distract her from this particular sound.
Jane
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Post by Deneen on Oct 3, 2005 11:25:37 GMT -7
Rose Bud has two conures as a brother and sister she use to mimic.... Now she says, stop screaming, stop screaming, be quiet.... I said, that when they all got on a role doing the same screaming, screaching noise usually when I first woke up, walked in the house or was to quite and they did not know where I was at... ;D
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graybird
Just Hatched
Joined: September 2005
Posts: 8
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Post by graybird on Oct 3, 2005 22:04:15 GMT -7
My Oliver just love to finde I call I hate and do it over and over agen. Just something the greys do that they think is very funny.
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Post by tweetiepie on Oct 14, 2005 7:10:40 GMT -7
My Grey copies my Amazon's ear-piercing screeches. When Mylo starts, i whistle one of his favourite tunes. It stops his screeches in its tracks.
Thing is, Mylo has copied the screech so well, when i am out of the room i dont know which one it is screaming!
Dont ya just luv 'em
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Post by clumsygreychicken on Oct 16, 2005 14:24:20 GMT -7
Unforunately, once they learn something, it's there forever. We can't stop my bird from screeching, so try to ignore her (ie, not reward her for making noise). If she is too loud, we try to distract her with something...singing, whispering to her. My mother's favorite is going up to the bird, and pretending to talk to the bird in an extremely animated way, but without any sound. My bird is so curious as to why we're not making sound, she gets quiet trying to figure out what's going on. Another technique (that people may or may not agree with) is that my bird and I also play very roughly. If she's really loud, I'll take her out and give her lots and lots and lots of attention in a manner that she *doesn't* want it. (ie, tickling, knuckle rubbing her head, kisses everywhere, very tight hugs) and when she asks to go home, then I put her home. Then she's like "Whew!" and is quiet. If nothing works, we cover the cage.
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Post by lidiam on Oct 17, 2005 14:29:18 GMT -7
Playing "roughly" really doesn't sound good, and sounds no different than "punishment" to me. Her reaction to it suggests she is frightened. Long term, this isn't going to do your relationship any good.
You have to realise that the more noise there is, the more noise a grey will make. You probably already know that they tend not to talk to you if there is no noise in the background, or no conversation, or if you're looking directly at them!
Your mother's technique sounds much better and much healthier although noticing her and speaking to her during the course of her noise-making would probably have the same effect in the long run.
Lidia
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Post by Africanewbie on Oct 17, 2005 20:04:30 GMT -7
Rough play may instigate bad behavior such as biting and feather plucking.
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