"Fun" New Trick! Any Advice Appreciated!

[ScurvyGoat]

Reggie's discovered the joys of shoving his beak into my ear and screaming at top volume. :thud:

I've tried moving him when he does it, but everytime he gets back up there he does it. I have hearing loss in both ears, so I'm sure this new trick isn't helping anything. He's just so fast... Do you guys have any tips to help me stop this? My ear's still ringing from his last peep.

Thank you so much in advance!

[LovelySydney]

haha oh my gosh! I mean its not funny, but I wonder what he is trying to do??? Maybe he thinks it is a telephone?? ; ) I would just distract him from coming anywhere near your ear. That means not letting him sit on your shoulder or climb up to your shoulder. I know we all enjoy our birds sitting on us, but if he's screaming in your ear than that is NO GOOD, especially since you already have some hearing loss!! What I started to do with my lovebird Gus was start saying "Sh sh sh sh" very softly to him when he would scream (he was a screamer). For whatever reason he would become intrigued by that and stop screaming. Of course this took a few days for him to learn this but he took to it eventually. Also, I would reward him being quiet with millet. He learned that when he ISNT screaming, he got treats! Good for me and good for him!

[ScurvyGoat]

I'm pretty sure if I shushed him he'd lunge at my lips again. He's the biggest little brat ever, but I love him so much. I've never had a bird that I've been able to hold before. I'll deffinately try the millet thing! He'd live off that stuff if I let him! He doesn't really like other treats, or much petting. I got an oddball. <3

[linda040899]

Shoulders are considered dominant places because you don't have good control of your bird when they are where you can't see them well or get to them easily. I have some birds that are allowed on my shoulder and I have others that will never sit there, regardless! Sometimes, "Best defense no be there!"

Shoulder off limit might be the ultimate answer.

[Pips mom]

A pair of ear muffs maybe??

[momo]

I had an issue with Elmo when she was on my shoulder, she would try to bite my neck constantly. Because she was flighted, I would shake her off (never try to get them to step up on a shoulder, as Linda said control is limited)

After a week of being shaken off and not allowed, she is all good with sitting on my shoulder now. :)

[Blossomfrost]

ohhh, my lovie used to do this to me, so I can understand your pain. with your hearing loss, it must be way worse than with me. OUCH.

unfortunately, though, I am horrible at advice =(
For Aria, I had to coax her into other ways of amusing herself, like playing with toys more so that she wasn't screaming into my ears all of the time. This meant no shoulders for a couple weeks and more of me constantly trying to get her to play with her foot toys. (we have a table top full of them that we keep around)
I think after a while, she finally got the idea that there are better ways to amuse yourself than screaming in Mommy's ear.

I hope you can cure this new "trick" as soon as possible! =)

[Mango]

I don't have much advice for how to stop the screeching, but...

Not as much of a solution as something to add, a cheap pair of earplugs you can stick inside your ears might be a good thing. I'm not joking!

Good luck!

[bbslovie]

Hi, I'd opt for the earplugs too!

Barb :)

[thebubbleking]

And i thought mine did it to my because of the echo it makes!
Seriously tho mine have outgrown that but when it was happening i would shoo them off my shoulder and not let them reland till about 15 minutes later, worked for me, and next time it happens remember me and that i have 2 sun conures who love to do that and as i am just getting them to give kisses they think its fun to scream top volume as they get thier treat reward.

[dani]

hahaha... that's funny but adorable! Evie sticks her beak in my ear and makes a disgusting sound that goes something like "Wek wek wek.." hard to describe, but quite disturbing.