Causes of Bird Shrieking
Loud vocalizations like shrieking in pet birds can be triggered by a variety of factors. Here are some of the main reasons why a bird may start shrieking:
Stress
Birds shriek when they feel anxious or stressed. Some common stressors include:
- Lack of sleep or rest
- Boredom from inadequate mental stimulation and toys
- Drastic changes in environment or routine
- Loneliness from lack of social interaction
- Health issues causing pain or discomfort
Stress hormones are often the culprit behind chronic shrieking. Finding ways to lower your bird’s stress levels is key to stopping this behavior.
Attention-Seeking
Parrots are highly social, intelligent creatures. They thrive on interaction and mental stimulation. If your parrot has learned that shrieking gets your attention, they are likely to repeat this behavior. It becomes a habit.
To discourage attention-seeking shrieks:
- Ignore the shrieking – don’t give them what they want
- Reward them with attention when they are quiet
- Keep their environment stimulating
Territorialism
Birds can be very protective of their territory. Things that may trigger defensive shrieking include:
- Seeing people or animals outside windows
- Hearing strange noises
- You invading their cage space
- Other pets in the house
Try blocking their view out windows or keeping pets separated to ease territorial behavior.
Hormones
Hormonal surges can cause significant behavior changes in birds. Loud vocalizations may increase during:
- Mating season – egg laying time
- Puberty
- Seasonal light cycle shifts
Consult an avian vet if you suspect hormones are the issue. Some birds may benefit from hormone suppressing treatments.
Disease
Sometimes excessive shrieking is a symptom of a health problem in birds. Be alert for any other signs of illness accompanying the vocal outbursts like:
- Loss of appetite
- Fluffed up feathers
- Weight loss
- Breathing difficulties
- Discharge from eyes/nose
- Diarrhea
- Lethargy
Schedule a check up with your avian vet to diagnose and treat any underlying medical issue. Illness often causes discomfort and pain which can prompt loud vocalizations.
Improper Environment
An unsuitable living environment can be very stressful for birds. Shrieking may occur alongside signs like:
- Feather plucking
- Self-mutilation
- Aggression
- Destructive chewing
Ensure their cage is adequately sized, clean, and stimulating. Make necessary upgrades to improve welfare.
Night Frights
Sudden shrieking at night is common when birds experience night frights. They are startled awake by noises or bad dreams. Night frights are more likely when birds are not getting their full sleep requirements.
Reactive Shrieking
Some birds learn to react loudly whenever they hear certain triggers. Common reactive shrieking stimuli include:
- Telephones ringing
- Alarms – smoke detectors, microwaves, timers
- Sirens
- Other pets barking/meowing
Desensitizing your bird to these noises can curb reactive vocalizations.
How to Stop Bird Shrieking
If your bird has developed a shrieking habit, use these methods to encourage more quiet, appropriate vocalizations:
Identify the Trigger
Observe your bird closely to determine what is provoking the shrieking. Keep a diary noting the timing, duration, triggers, and circumstances around the vocal outbursts. This detective work will provide insight on changes to make.
Remove the Trigger
Once you’ve uncovered the reasons behind the shrieking, eliminate those factors if possible. For example, moving their cage away from a window may reduce territorial shrieks. Introducing puzzle toys may relieve boredom.
Positive Reinforcement
Reward your bird with treats and praise when they are quiet. This positive reinforcement training will encourage appropriate vocalizations. Begin rewarding them for even short periods of quiet, then gradually expect longer durations before giving a treat.
Distract and Redirect
When your bird starts shrieking, immediately distract them with an engaging toy or activity. Redirect their focus to a more positive behavior like foraging for treats.
Ignore the Behavior
If your bird shrieks for attention, rigorously ignore them. Don’t so much as glance in their direction. Only give them attention when they are quiet. Ensure you aren’t inadvertently rewarding shrieks.
Lower Stress
Make lifestyle changes to create a calmer, more predictable environment. Add daily mental enrichement toys. Ensure they get 10-12 hours undisturbed sleep. Limit noisy household commotion. Spend quality time socializing.
Consult an Avian Vet
Schedule an appointment with an avian veterinarian for a checkup. Your vet can diagnose and treat any underlying medical issue prompting the vocal outbursts. They can also refer you to a board certified parrot behaviorist if needed.
Avoid Punishment
Do not scold, spray water, pound on the cage, or otherwise punish your bird for shrieking. This will only generate more stress and potentially increase the behavior. Yelling back also reinforces the screaming.
Change the Cage Location
Sometimes simply moving the bird’s cage to a different room away from noisy windows and commotion can drastically improve the behavior.
Use Calming Supplements
Try calming supplements like chamomile, passionflower, valerian root, and L-tryptophan under veterinary guidance. These can potentially take the edge off and reduce stress.
Hormone Regulation
If hormones are the culprit, your vet may recommend light manipulation or hormone shots to get them under control. This regulates screaming associated with mating instincts.
When to Seek Professional Help
Schedule an urgent appointment with an avian veterinarian if:
- Your bird is shrieking loudly and constantly
- Shrieking is accompanied by self-mutilation
- Your bird seems to be in significant distress
- The behavior is dangerously aggressive
- Your bird stops eating, begins losing weight, or acts lethargic
- You are unable to identify a trigger for the vocalizations
- The behavior is significantly impacting your and your bird’s quality of life
A parrot behaviorist can help you get to the root of recurrent screaming, implement training protocols, and improve your bird’s well-being. Chronic shrieking takes a major toll and professional intervention may be needed.
When to Consider Re-Homing
Re-homing a parrot should be a very last resort if you cannot meet their needs or improve problem behaviors. Exhaust all other options first like:
- Veterinary exams to diagnose/treat health issues
- Consulting parrot behaviorists
- Adjusting their environment and daily care
- Trying different training techniques
- Taking screaming deterrent measures
- Using calming supplements
- Joining parrot support and discussion groups to access more information
If nothing succeeds and the situation is severely deteriorating, it may be kindest to re-home the parrot with an experienced owner better suited to meet their needs. However, finding a good home can be extremely difficult. Re-homing is a final option since it’s very stressful for birds.
When to Take Immediate Action
Get emergency veterinary help right away if your parrot’s screaming is accompanied by:
- Seizures
- Unconsciousness
- Inability to perch or stand
- Complete appetite loss
- Difficulty breathing
- Head trauma
- Profuse bleeding
- Toxin ingestion
- Another medical emergency
Loud vocalizations can signify severe pain, distress, or illness warranting immediate medical intervention. Don’t delay.
Preventing Future Shrieking
Make these bird care improvements to help prevent excessive shrieking from developing:
- Give your bird at least 10-12 hours darkened, quiet sleep per night
- Provide a variety of rotating, stimulating toys
- Arrange play dates with other parrots if possible
- Offer enriching foraging opportunities daily
- Train using positive reinforcement
- Establish predictable daily schedules and routines
- Verbalize calmly and softly around your bird
- Avoid punishing screams with yelling or banging
- Take measures to reduce household noise and chaos
- Make their environment feel safe and secure
- Keep alert for signs of stress or illness
- Interact frequently and build trust
- Get annual checkups to stay ahead of health issues
- Seek help early if problem behaviors develop
Proper care, training, and enrichment are key to preventing problem behaviors like chronic screaming. Always reach out for help from avian experts if concerns arise.
Example Bird Vocalization Table
Here is an example table visualizing different bird vocalizations:
| Vocalization | Bird Meaning | When Bird May Use It |
|---|---|---|
| Shrieking | Alarm, protest, or excitement | Territorial intrusion, handling, or flock greeting |
| Squawking | Alarm or flock communication | Aware of predators, summoning flock, or defending territory |
| Chattering | Contentment | Preening, relaxing, or in response to enjoyable interactions |
| Mimicking Speech | Getting attention, showing off skills | When seeing owners or engaging in training |
| Whistling | Flock communication or self-soothing | While in groups or when alone and calm/happy |
| Chirping | General communication | A wide range of social purposes |
| Growling | Warning | When angry, threatened, or annoyed |
Conclusion
Pet birds shriek for a wide variety of reasons ranging from territorial warnings to hormone surges. Take time to identify the specific trigger behind the vocalizations. Then you can take customized measures to ease stress, enrich their environment, deter attention-seeking, separate from aggression triggers, address medical issues, enhance their sleep and diet, and meet their needs. Implement positive reinforcement training and behavior modification strategies. Some birds will require medications or professional interventions. Prevent shrieking by proactively meeting all your bird’s welfare needs. With patience and creativity, you can curb excessive vocalizations and help your bird thrive.
