Screaming and Screeching

[Wheeliegirl]

A couple of observations/questions:

1) I'm on vacation this week, and have noticed that Peachie starts screaming/screeching/calling at exactly the same time every morning - 8:22 AM. I'm not sure if this goes on when I'm away at work or not. I'm afraid that she is disturbing my neighbors. Could she be hearing something from a nearby apartment that is bothering her or causing her to do this? It does not matter if her cage is covered or not - but I usually do not cover her cage because we go to bed pretty early. I also have several night lights placed throughout the apartment so it's not pitch black at night.

2) She loves to be in the kitchen with me, but it's not always practical to have her there. I can't even ENTER the kitchen now without her carrying on and calling out to me. I am in for an instant migrane if I try unloading the dishwasher or cook something without her there with me. How can I discourage this behavior? I can't remove her from the livingroom because of my disability it is not practical for me to carry her cage to another room. She also goes nuts if I search for a pair of earings or if we clip our nails. Most of the time I can ignore this, but there are times when I just want to scream back at her, but of course I know that won't do anyone any good. :eek:

[BarbieH]

Hi Holly;

You might actually be on the right track with screaming back at her. I don't mean that literally, of course; but if you call out to her, talk to her, and/or whistle, she might calm down.

There are times when it just isn't safe to have them in the kitchen, and they will throw fits :eek: if they think they should be there with us. It's true toddler behavior on their part! Sam does the same thing to me, especially if he can still see me from where he is.

You also could try giving Peachie her birdie bread or some other treat, to keep her distracted while you are in the kitchen.

Regarding your first question, I have noticed that my birds are vocal for a spell in the morning and again in the afternoon. There doesn't seem to be much of a cause, except that they are awake and happy. If your neighbors are home they might hear it, but you will only know for sure if somebody tells you about it.

Hope that helps. :)

[Auntie Ron]

Hi there,

I am a stay-at-home Auntie, so i get to be around all my little ones all day long.

It's funny because just yesterday i was doing the breakfast dishes and thinking to myself, when i suddenly realized how wonderful the sounds of screeching me-mees were all around me. The lovies outside were sounding off, the lovie inside was having a field day, the parakeets were chattering, and the chickens were sqwaking outside. I felt as though there was a heaven on earth, it was all so mesmerizing and enchanting to me. I was almost ready to come in and post how the sounds of birds is such a joyous thing, even thinking to myself how much the non-bird people are missing out on this experience.

I am sorry your little one struck a nerve in your head, perhaps it was just your ears were a bit too sensitive that day. I remember years back when i tried to introduce a Patagonian conure to my home, it took all of about two weeks before my glass head ruptured and i had no alternative but to find him a home. He was a sweet kind bird, but his level of expression was just too much for me. I am very lucky that lovies have never had that effect on me.

It should never be discouraged for a bird to vocalize, it is their nature; if you listen carefully you begin to recognize the differences in their calls sometimes, realizing what it is they are trying to say.

Sending you peaceful and quieter times. Biggest Huggs, Auntie Ron

[Mandolin]

My boyfriend is a biologist and in the past i have asked him why Kameko always sings at night when i put her to bed. He told me that when birds who normally live socially tend to sing to find their flocks when the go to bed. This was a while a go but i am pretty sure it is the same in the morning. Thats why brids chirp in the morning. I know that doesn't help really but at least it tells you why she does it. It is natural. I am lucky because Kameko waits until she hears me in the morning or i uncover her to start her morning sing. :whistle:
And i agree with Auntie Ron that the sounds of birds singing is a very tranquil. Although i only have one bird, once she gets going i love just to listen to her.

[Buy A Paper Doll]

Hey Holly,

I understand what you're going through; in my house the chirpfest begins at 6:22am.

I have a very open floorplan in my house so if I don't put the birds in their cage, they will come into the kitchen whether I want them there or not! Then they chirp chirp chirp at me and (like Barb said) throw fits. I talk back to them and they settle down.

[Z28Taxman]

Ditto will call out to me if I leave the room also. If I don't answer him he gets louder and more insistant until he's screaming. I solve that by calling back to him. It's just his way of saying hey, I can't see you, are you ok? He doesn't stop making noise but it changes from loud calls to quieter cheep cheeps. We have nice conversations that way with different cheeps and squeeks.

The morning squawks are calling out to his flock (you) to make sure you made it through the night. And at night it's checkin before sleep time.


Antie Ron, I love Ditto's sounds too. In fact when he's being quiet, I'll cheep at him to get him going just to hear him. And if that doesn't work I'll walk over to him and start cheeping and dancing like a bird, that always works. :cool:

[Mummieeva]

They must be on same time track mine are. Mine sing when they hear other birds..even on TV. I always call back or whistle to them. At night when it is bed time I say " Night time birdies go to bed". it works sometimes.lol.



Steph

[Buy A Paper Doll]

"I always call back or whistle to them."

Have you ever caught yourself calling back to outside birds? When you're in a public place? Um, yeah. I've given up on any chance that people might one day consider me normal.

[Z28Taxman]

"I always call back or whistle to them."

Have you ever caught yourself calling back to outside birds? When you're in a public place? Um, yeah. I've given up on any chance that people might one day consider me normal.

I'm admitting nothing!:whistle:

[butterfly1061]

Yep, I always call back too. Even from the otherside of the house. They actually talk more than I do. Of course the girls at work would tell you different :rolleyes:

[Mummieeva]

"I always call back or whistle to them."

Have you ever caught yourself calling back to outside birds? When you're in a public place? Um, yeah. I've given up on any chance that people might one day consider me normal.



Yup and also caught myself whistling loud at my human kids..lol. They know I am crazy though.:happy:


Steph

[Mandolin]

Mine sing when they hear other birds..even on TV.
Steph
That made me laugh because Kameko does the same thing. Have any of your birds heard the mentos commercial where the birds sing the song? That is Kameko's favorite commercial. I downloaded it onto my computer and played it for her. I have never seen her so excited. She would run around and sing and try to find the other birdies in the speakers. I suggest downloading it... it is great for a laugh. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
Also when the video of the lovebird Pika saying "pretty Pika", Kameko was thrilled to also have a talking lovie. Too bad Kameko is camera shy or you could have seen the "pretty bird" calls too :whistle: . I am still trying to get it on tape.

[Wheeliegirl]

I can certainly understand her wanting to be in the kitchen with me, because that is her favorite room in the house, but for safety reasons it isn't always good to have her there. However, the noise she makes in the AM isn't singing....It's a loud "ka ka ka ka ka ka ka ka ka ka". It is extremely loud, like an alarm call. I suppose maybe she starts out quieter, and then when she doesn't hear me stir she gets louder until she hears me rustle around in the bedroom. Smart birdie!

I too find myself calling to the birds outside. I have a bird feeder outside the window of my cubicle at work. I wish I could hear the little birdies out there, but the glass is too thick to hear it.

We have a nightly ritual, where I give her some Nutriberries or millet, then when she's eaten her fill I put her cozy in and then she jumps right in her cage. At that time she starts "talking" to me and playing the peek-a-boo game until I say good night and turn around. This has got to be my favorite part of the day with her because she's so interactive with me, and behaves in such a cute way.

I will start calling back to her when I hear her in the mornings. I know it's her way of saying I need to get my lazy butt in gear anyway!

[Mummieeva]

Holly does she do this after you make a sound in the kitchen(the morning Ka's)? Or maybe it is heater. My birds do an alarm call with the heater sometimes.



Steph

[mjm8321]

Sounds like a "come get me...how dare you be in there without me" kind of call. :lol Someone is spoiled and knows it.
Try giving her some morning time out with you, but not in the kitchen. No matter how much noise she makes. You're the boss...until you relinquish that title and let her have it. Kisses, snuggling, playing when you first get up, then into the cage for a bit of breakfast and maybe a treat. Lovies adore getting you wound up and want your reaction...good or bad.

[Mandolin]

I get the same "ka, ka, ka" noise when i attempt to have a shower without Kameko :lol . I know it all too well and it is very hard to resist giving in.

[Wheeliegirl]

Oh my gosh! She alarms whenever she sees me just go NEAR the kitchen! If she is covered she sounds off if I open a drawer in the kitchen, or hears the flatware make noise. She screams if I: clip my nails, open my medicine bottles or look for jewlery!

I'm laughing now because I had to stop typing to cover my printer. She was chewing the buttons off! She is carrying on and screaming at me with all her might! Sqeal! Sqeak! Click click! Wawawawawawawa! buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. She's pulling out all the stops right now. You'd think she was a toddler and I just took away her favorite toy!

Well, this is a brand new printer, and she broke my last one by crawling inside of it and chewing it up! My fault, I know. But this new printer I purchased has hard buttons that I was sure she wouldn't be able to chew up! I was wrong! :lol :lol :lol :eek: Oh no! Now she's figured out how to open the front of it!!!!! Well, I can see now that it's time to round her up and put her to bed!

Yep, she's pretty spoiled. When I come home at night the first thing I do when I come home is greet and pet the kitty, then put my back pack away, look through the mail and then go get her out of her cage. We pretty much spend the rest of the evening in the kitchen while I cook dinner, eat dinner and then clean up. After clean up I give her a snack and it's already time to get ready for bed. In the mornings I usually have her with me in the bedroom while I get ready for work. Another thing she has started to do recently is, if I turn my back for even a few seconds she climbs up my mirror and then hollers at an octive I never knew existed! Mind you, this is at about 6 in the morning! I have to rush back to her to get her to stop! She is a cunning little devil, and knows how to get attention!

She's angry about being back in her cage and is taking it out on a stalk of broccoli. I'm glad that isn't my finger!

[BarbieH]

She's angry about being back in her cage and is taking it out on a stalk of broccoli.

:lol That's exactly how I first got Gracie to eat her veggies. Funniest thing is watching her attack a small tomato. :lol That's when we call her "Attilla the Hen."

[mjm8321]

She sounds like a very happy, healthy, normal and yes SPOILED lovie. :lol

[bubble]

when i first got my 2 lovies, their screaming annoyed me sometimes. after a month or so i got used to it and begin to love it. when they are quiet, i feel uncomfortable and always check on them :lol . after a few months living with them i am beginning to understand some of their screaming, i know when they want me to go it, when they need something from me and when they are angry or annoyed. they are very smart, they make you learn their language instead of the other way round :rofl:
i do talk or whistle to the birds on the street and my friends think i am crazy :rofl:

[Angelwing]

The only time I dislike my two screaming is early in the morning, and when I'm trying to concentrate (or when one or both are sitting on my shoulder and scream in my ear). But otherwise, I, too have learned to enjoy most of the sounds they emit. If I'm lucky, I can put on a soothing soundtrack and they'll chirp more softly. Just don't put on loud bird/nature tracks, because most likely, your bird will call out to the 'birds' on the track. At least, mine do. Also, spray millet really shuts them up. :)

[Martha]

Hi Holly;

You might actually be on the right track with screaming back at her. I don't mean that literally, of course; but if you call out to her, talk to her, and/or whistle, she might calm down.

There are times when it just isn't safe to have them in the kitchen, and they will throw fits :eek: if they think they should be there with us. It's true toddler behavior on their part! Sam does the same thing to me, especially if he can still see me from where he is.

You also could try giving Peachie her birdie bread or some other treat, to keep her distracted while you are in the kitchen.

Regarding your first question, I have noticed that my birds are vocal for a spell in the morning and again in the afternoon. There doesn't seem to be much of a cause, except that they are awake and happy. If your neighbors are home they might hear it, but you will only know for sure if somebody tells you about it.

Hope that helps. :)
I read in a magazine that if you walk away from your bird and it screeches, that you should call out to them so that they know you are there and that you haven't deserted them.