Excessive Screaming after a move

jaciesaur

New member
Jan 27, 2018
14
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Saskatchewan, Canada
Parrots
Mozzarella "Mozzie" - Alexandrine
Hey everyone!

My Alexandrine, Mozzie, is around 3.7 years old. Normally she'll screech in the morning and evening, but stays fairly quiet or just does chatting vocalizations in the day. She recently went through the beginning stages of puberty, but seemed to be settling back into her routines.

Recently, though, my husband and I moved across the country with her. Since we have settled into our new place, she's been screaming almost constantly, whether we're in the room, or in the house at all. I've tried covering her up, but she'll just start up again once the blanket is removed.
I've tried ignoring the screaming and only responding to her other vocalizations, and that doesn't seem to do anything.

I know parrots need to adapt to new environments just like humans do, but this is getting to the point where I'm getting headaches DAILY because of he very loud, very piercing, continuous screaming.
Any tips or ideas of how long I can anticipate this going on? Thanks.
 
How recent was the move?

When we moved, our little guy started screaming a bit as well. It was only after we showed him around the house, practiced recall from room to room, that he finally learned how to navigate the house himself and felt confident that he could find us if he wanted us. After that, the screaming stopped until we got new furniture and sold our old furniture - he thought we were moving again and got insecure. It was around that time that he started asking for baby formula again - I gave in 2x and that was it. All in all, it took him a couple of weeks to settle down and the recall navigation put an end to that screaming.
 
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We left our old house around a month ago now. We stayed with family for a week, and then settles into my new place a few days before the end of last month. So we've been settled for 15 days now.

The thing about Mozzie is that she is cagebound from previous trauma, and doesn't like to come out very often, so showing her around the house is a big event, and she often takes off and goes right back to her cage.
I do it! But it's not always easy haha
 
I'm no expert, but all I can tell you is my own experience. My Beaks were silent as the grave until they hit puberty. Gradually, they began flock-calling in the mornings and evenings until it became their daily ritual. Nothing stops it: not covering, not distraction, not moving the cage or inhibiting what they can see (they live out-of-doors on a deck attached to the house). I (and, presumably, my neighbours) have learned to live with the Beaks' bellowing. In fact, the elderly lady on the downhill side quite likes their sound. :)

A few years ago, Barney escaped and was missing for just on a month. During that time, Madge went silent again and never made a peep. On the day he returned, she was so joyful (and so *loud*) that it made me cry! Since then, the Beakies' daily calls have gone back to normal.

*Except* when something weird happens, like when carpenters haul large pieces of timber past their cage or hubby moves a small fridge out on his dolly-trolley or the bl**dy interloper-cat from up the street comes and eats our cats' dinners. THEN the Beakies let fly with full throat! So, I can only suppose that your Mozzie is screaming from discomfiture and stress.

Why don't you try target training her? If she dislikes coming out of her cage, do it inside the cage by poking your stick in and reward her when she touches it. Eventually, you might be able to put your hand in through the open door and target her that way. *Eventually*, you might be able to target her out of her cage and give her some experience at being, say, on top of her cage for extended periods. If you give Mozzie something interesting, 'thinky' and rewarding to look forward to, it might just be what she needs to help her relax.

Good luck with it. I know precisely how head-splitting a full-throated Alexandrine scream is, but do spare a thought for me.

(a) I have *two* of the little darlings

and

(b) I have Rosetta, who puts the Beaks in the shade when it comes to operatics!
 
I'm no expert, but all I can tell you is my own experience. My Beaks were silent as the grave until they hit puberty. Gradually, they began flock-calling in the mornings and evenings until it became their daily ritual. Nothing stops it: not covering, not distraction, not moving the cage or inhibiting what they can see (they live out-of-doors on a deck attached to the house). I (and, presumably, my neighbours) have learned to live with the Beaks' bellowing. In fact, the elderly lady on the downhill side quite likes their sound. :)

A few years ago, Barney escaped and was missing for just on a month. During that time, Madge went silent again and never made a peep. On the day he returned, she was so joyful (and so *loud*) that it made me cry! Since then, the Beakies' daily calls have gone back to normal.

*Except* when something weird happens, like when carpenters haul large pieces of timber past their cage or hubby moves a small fridge out on his dolly-trolley or the bl**dy interloper-cat from up the street comes and eats our cats' dinners. THEN the Beakies let fly with full throat! So, I can only suppose that your Mozzie is screaming from discomfiture and stress.

Why don't you try target training her? If she dislikes coming out of her cage, do it inside the cage by poking your stick in and reward her when she touches it. Eventually, you might be able to put your hand in through the open door and target her that way. *Eventually*, you might be able to target her out of her cage and give her some experience at being, say, on top of her cage for extended periods. If you give Mozzie something interesting, 'thinky' and rewarding to look forward to, it might just be what she needs to help her relax.

Good luck with it. I know precisely how head-splitting a full-throated Alexandrine scream is, but do spare a thought for me.

(a) I have *two* of the little darlings

and

(b) I have Rosetta, who puts the Beaks in the shade when it comes to operatics!

Trish...I just LOVE your narrative!! LOL :07::18:


Jim
 
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Thanks for the advice!
Mozzie and I have been working for a while already on coming out of her cage to sit on top! She considers it a part of her cage, so it's okay lol! Lately, since puberty set in, she's been really snappy and prefers to just chomp the stick instead of step up, which usually I take as her saying No Thanks!

She can be easily taunted out with fresh fruit, though. She adores it haha. We had her on top of her cage for a bit just the other day, but otherwise she has been excessively stubborn since we moved. Well... Since puberty, but especially since we moved lol!
 

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