Behaviour Issue

I'm having issues with Miss Tequila. Since I've had her, she has a call she makes. It sounds like the tone of a fire alarm, but she makes the noise once and it's loud. I don't know if it's normal eclectus noise, or she picked it up. She makes it when she knows I'm home and wants my attention. Or she could just do it randomly. She is now doing it all the time!!! It started this week. I can be standing in the same room, and she will make the noise every two minutes. My husband is at home at the moment and Tequila is in her massive cage on the deck. She has been making the noise non stop for the last few hours, every minute.

When I was home yesterday and she made the noise, I would put her in her cage straight away and cover her. When she stopped, I would uncover her. Then she'd do it all over again!

I need help/suggestions! I feel she's doing it because she wants to sit on my shoulder. But then sometimes she will do it on my shoulder.

Help me please!!!

First let me ask, how old is Tequila?

Tequila is about 7 or 8. I'm her third owner. I've had her for 5 years. Absolutely beautiful temperament, loves her cuddles etc.

Okay, just wanted to make sure she wasn't a younger ekkie going through that stage they sometimes do right after weaning.

So this behavior started just this week. Has anything changed? Or have you had less time to interact with her, lately? Not only in this past week, but maybe over the past month or so? Sometimes they act out this way when there is a significant change in their lives. Whether it's a change in attention received, or something else entirely that disrupts their lives in some way.

Also, parrots are often unintentionally trained to engage in this behavior. You'll want to examine closely all of your interactions with Miss Tequila to ascertain whether anything that you are doing could be an inadvertent reinforcement of this behavior.

All that said, however, the key to working through this behavior will be consistency. Use a key word (quietly voiced) to let her know that she's being too loud, and then walk away at the next sound made. Try to stay out of sight until she stops. As soon as you get a moment's quiet, try to head over to her cage and reward. If she kicks off the screaming again before you can reach her, make a show of stopping, using the key word you've chosen, and then turning away and leaving the room. And again, once she quiets to an acceptable level, or makes a more pleasing vocalization like a whistle or a spoken word, try to get over to her to reward the correct behavior. The reward is just as important as the withholding of attention.

You'll have to do this every time. No variation. Both must be done with complete consistency. Eventually she should start to make the connection. Once she associates her screaming with driving you away, and relative quiet with increased interaction and treats, she'll cut back on the vocalizations. It won't stop completely, of course. She's still a bird, and that's part of what they do. But she'll dial it back significantly.

It could take a few days. Or it could even take a month or so. Depends on how stubborn your girl is. And how consistently you apply this method.

Here is a link to an excellent article written by animal behaviorist Barbara Heidenreich: Barbara's Force Free Animal Training Talk: Stop your Parrot from Screaming for Attention

And here is a link to a thread devoted entirely to the topic of excessive screaming behaviors. http://www.parrotforums.com/training/48649-screaming-behavior-mods.html

Please keep us updated on your progress.

jess.reco said:

...When I was home yesterday and she made the noise, I would put her in her cage straight away and cover her. When she stopped, I would uncover her. Then she'd do it all over again!

I need help/suggestions! I feel she's doing it because she wants to sit on my shoulder. But then sometimes she will do it on my shoulder.

Help me please!!!

Click to expand...

You're doing something similar to what I've suggested, but you won't see results in just one day. Consistency, consistency, consistency.

Also, if she still does it while on your shoulder, she might be a little bored. You can try mixing in some training and such. Target training or puzzles serve to keep them mentally stimulated.

If she's flighted, you can also give her some flight drills to drain off any excess energy that might also be triggering the screaming.

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My female foster eckie used to make what I called her "air horn" noise... and she'd do it for attention, usually when she wanted to be picked up, or was vetoing the idea of being set down.

It got your attention.

YES!!! She sounds like a high pitched air horn!!!! Drives me insane sometimes.

There has been a change yes. She had bumble foot, and at the same time the vet x-rayed her. They found she has metabolic bone disease. When she was a baby she was not on a good diet. So that’s why she isn’t as active as other birds. She doesn’t show she’s in pain and we had no idea. She will be on pain killers for the rest of her life and I need to exercise her more. I did talk to them about quality of life and didn’t want to keep her alive if she’s in pain. The vet assured me she’s just a little uncomfortable and the pain killers will help that, but she won’t live as long  Because of that I have spent a lot more time with her, so I think she’s gotten used to it. So when I don’t pay her attention she does her air horn noise.

Thank you Anansi for your help!!

I think I’ll have to stick to consistently covering her though and rewarding her for not making noise. If she isn’t covered and I walk away she will make her noise for hours!! I’ll just have to keep being consistent.

You mentioned target training, do you mean clicker training? I’ve been meaning to start that with her.

You're welcome!

Target training can be done in conjunction with clicker training, but they are not the same thing. Target training is teaching your bird to go where you direct her, usually with the aid of a pointer stick.

Clicker training is using the sound of a clicker as a bridge between a desired behavior and the reward given shortly thereafter. The bridge is needed because they need immediate reinforcement after performing the desired behavior. So by forging an association in the bird's mind between the click and a treat, they come to understand that the sound means they've done well.

Btw, I don't personally use the covering part of the method, though many use it to good effect.

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To add to Stephens (anansi) point, instead of a clicker you can simply use a verbal command. This is perfect because many times when you need to bridge a behavior (provide immediate recognition, with promise of treat to come) you may not have the clicker with you. I use a high pitched drawn out "GOOOOD". When properly charged, it works just as well.

Can someone post a video of the air horn sound? Ruby does this very loud sound to get my attention and I've never responded to it but it's LOUD.

How do I post a video? I'll record her when I get home.

Anansi said:

You're welcome!

Target training can be done in conjunction with clicker training, but they are not the same thing. Target training is teaching your bird to go where you direct her, usually with the aid of a pointer stick.

Clicker training is using the sound of a clicker as a bridge between a desired behavior and the reward given shortly thereafter. The bridge is needed because they need immediate reinforcement after performing the desired behavior. So by forging an association in the bird's mind between the click and a treat, they come to understand that the sound means they've done well.

Btw, I don't personally use the covering part of the method, though many use it to good effect.

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Click to expand...

I'll try putting her into a room where she can't see me instead and do it that way.

I've never tried target training. I'll give that a go too.

jess.reco said:

How do I post a video? I'll record her when I get home.

Click to expand...

Record a video and then you can upload to to YouTube via the YouTube app on your phone. Simply cut and paste the link into a post

chris-md said:

To add to Stephens (anansi) point, instead of a clicker you can simply use a verbal command. This is perfect because many times when you need to bridge a behavior (provide immediate recognition, with promise of treat to come) you may not have the clicker with you. I use a high pitched drawn out "GOOOOD". When properly charged, it works just as well.

Click to expand...

Yeah I'd rather just use words!

Brittany741 said:

jess.reco said:

How do I post a video? I'll record her when I get home.

Click to expand...

Record a video and then you can upload to to YouTube via the YouTube app on your phone. Simply cut and paste the link into a post

Click to expand...

Alright if I have a chance I'll do it tonight! I'm sure she'll do it when I get home lol

You've gotten some great advice here. Does she like to play? or forage? when uglow needs my attention and I'm working, I'll set up some foraging stations for him around his tree. Gets him focused on something else for a little while.

We call mine the the "Bull horn brothers" Loudest birds in my flock .Mine do it when their feeling insecure.We take them out and make a big deal about them.

It sounds like sounding like a bull horn is normal! I thought it was just my eccy. I tried recording her last night, but murphys law she only made the noise once when I wasn't trying to record her. I'll try again tonight.

She doesn't like playing, and it takes alot of encouragement to forage Any suggestions?

Ah yes, the famous Ekkie "Air Horn!"

My Angel does this at least once or twice daily, not sure after all these years the meaning of the blast.

Scott said:

Ah yes, the famous Ekkie "Air Horn!"

My Angel does this at least once or twice daily, not sure after all these years the meaning of the blast.

Click to expand...

Rough translation? "Yo! I'm over HERE!"

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