Noise complaint from animal control.

[BradGC]

Today we had the animal control visit us about our noisy Alex.
We've had him here for 2 years and he generally is ok but lately over summer we left his cover off over summer because it's too hot - but then he starts skwawking at sunrise. This obviously annoyed some of our neighbours and they called the council.
The animal control we very polite about telling us to cover him until later in the morning but the fact remains that obviously one of our neighbours are annoyed.

What can we do to keep his volume down? I give him new toys frequently, whole almonds or walnuts to keep him busy (but can't give him too many)

I need something to keep him quiet.

Thanks for any suggestions

 

[strudel]

Is he outdoors? My girl does that yelling in the morning in her main house outside, but if I have her inside, she doesn't make any noise at all. Is there anywhere he could come inside overnight, if he's not already?

 

[UMARKHANMARDAN]

Place his cage indoors.

 

[Betrisher]

Yep. I agree with Umar, as always. The only thing you can do is put him indoors. He'll shriek in the mornings and evenings, no matter what you do and as time goes on, he might become even more insistent than he is now. My pair is - um - blood curdlingly loud. Not all day, mind, but for periods during the day, usually in the early morning (oh great -we have shift-workers on either side) and the mid- to late-afternoon. I have noticed that Barney and Madge usually start up just as the wild flocks of Lorikeets, Corellas and Galahs are flying over. It might be a coincidence, but yeah. Lots of bellowing going on there.

I was just thinking the other day, it might be worth trying to grow a really thick, brushy shrub near the birds' cage. Something like a Grevillea rosmarinifolia or a Westringia or even a Japanese Box. Or, placing a movable 'wall' made from Villaboard so that I could hang a thick curtain on it to dampen the sound.

What do you cover his cage with? Maybe a bit of carpet off-cut could be hung on the offending side of his cage? I've got a nice heavy bit of canvas, taken from an outdoor roller blind - it seems to contain the Beaks' sound pretty well - until I uncover them, that is. Then it's on for young and old, bless their little green hearts.

So, yeah, in summary, it needs to be either moving his cage indoors until later in the mornings; covering him with something sound-proof or placing some kind of baffle between birdie and the neighbours (eg. shrubs or some kind of wall/lattice). I hope you find a good solution! There's nothing more nerve-wracking than bad feeling between neighbours, is there?

 

[BradGC]

Thanks for the ideas. He's currently under a verandah in a courtyard. I like the idea with a bushy shrub next to it. The thing is, his shriek can carry to about 3 houses down... So i don't really think a lattice will shield it. I might try some shrubs surrounding the cage

 

[mtdoramike]

I'm actually surprised that you got a noise complaint made against you in Australia, which I thought would be way more lenient than in the states due to all the wild birds you have there.

But I guess crusty old neighbors can be found any where. I always find it easier to deal with neighbors after they have met my birds and will take every opportunity to get my birds around my neighbors as much as possible. They went from being crusty and to "oh how sweet your birds are" and also bringing them treats like radishes, squash and a variety of other things that they grow in their yard.

But in the end, it comes down to disturbing the peace and tranquility of other people, which will not be tolerated basically any where. Hopefully you will not have a decision to make in the near future, so good luck with what ever you choose to do.

 

[mtdoramike]

And NO, shrubs or lattice will not do the trick. Bring the bird indoors. But I suspect the noise is why you have him outside

 

[strudel]

I'm actually surprised that you got a noise complaint made against you in Australia,

A lot depends on the circumstances. If he's in a courtyard, there could be some reverberation off the verandah/manmade materials, and it depends where the other people are in relation to you. I got my chickens from people who had to give them up because their backyard and next-door's bedrooms were right next to each other. I'm lucky that I've got a big backyard and so have my neighbours over the back. The chooks were right outside the bedroom where they used to live, here they are something like 10 metres away from the next house. I've also been very lucky with my neighbours on the other side, but the wife has died and the husband has just moved into a retirement home. Hopefully, if new people move in, I won't suddenly be bombarded with complaints about my menagerie.

 

[H2O]

7 bilion people on the planet that don't know how to mind their own bussines half of them not pet friendly no matter what kind of pet it is somebody will complain now I keep it simple I don't have any pets and didn't hear anything have a nice day

 

[Pinkbirdy]

Maybe you could try that being the time of his morning bath [soak him down good ]. Mine get very distracted when their enjoying getting misted [then of course theirs lots of preening ] . Maybe by the time this is all done [their urge to yell will be over]

 

[UMARKHANMARDAN]

Trish one of my Female Alex use to talk when its 3 pm she talks on talks on.Alex are good mimics.Trish i really enjoy my birds when they talk with each other.some times on weekends i hide near to the cages & listen to them.Alex & Grays even copy the voices of the peacocks.My neighbors even enjoy specially when the grays talk because they can even copy the tone.

 

[Betrisher]

My Beaks say 'Hello'. That's it. We've tried and tried to get them to say 'Love you', but to no avail. We talk to them all the time, but so far they only have the one word. They copy Dominic's Galah call and also the calls of the Lorikeets that fly overhead, but they don't really speak.

It is kinda funny, listening to them say 'Hello?' 'Hello!' 'Hellooooo' in turn, but I wish they'd repeat a few more things.

 

[lisascannell]

Maybe bring the baby bird to live inside

 

[strudel]

My Beaks say 'Hello'. That's it.

Mine too. And only when she's interested in what you've got or what you're doing and she wants your attention. BUT I have heard her saying other things, she just doesn't seem to "get" having a conversation, where I say something, and then she answers me.

 

[DustytheDusky]

I live in a small apartment where my neighbor shares a wall with me! Last year when my neighbors moved in the first thing I did was go over and introduce myself and dusty. I told him how he could be loud and to not hesitate to let me know if they found his noise to be a nuisance. I also told them that I would do my best to keep him quiet during reasonable hours. they tahnks me for letting them know about Dusty.

I've never had a noise complaint from them and i think part of it is the introduction i had with them. I wanted them to know that I was aware that he could be a nuisance and that I cared about what they thought.

Its been a year now and they are always telling me "how Cute" Dusty's noises are. They have opened my eyes to Dusty's day to day behavior. Dusty is bonded with me to the point that if I am home, he wants to be out and he wants to be where I am. He screams to tell me this. However during the day, my neighbors inform me that they don't ever hear him, other than a few chirps here and there. Dusty knows exactly when I arrive home as he can hear the downstairs door open. My neighbors inform me that they can hear his very excited "Mommy's home!" chirps.

I am grateful I have such understanding and Bird loving neighbors <3

 

[mtdoramike]

I live in a small apartment where my neighbor shares a wall with me! Last year when my neighbors moved in the first thing I did was go over and introduce myself and dusty. I told him how he could be loud and to not hesitate to let me know if they found his noise to be a nuisance. I also told them that I would do my best to keep him quiet during reasonable hours. they tahnks me for letting them know about Dusty.

I've never had a noise complaint from them and i think part of it is the introduction i had with them. I wanted them to know that I was aware that he could be a nuisance and that I cared about what they thought.

Its been a year now and they are always telling me "how Cute" Dusty's noises are. They have opened my eyes to Dusty's day to day behavior. Dusty is bonded with me to the point that if I am home, he wants to be out and he wants to be where I am. He screams to tell me this. However during the day, my neighbors inform me that they don't ever hear him, other than a few chirps here and there. Dusty knows exactly when I arrive home as he can hear the downstairs door open. My neighbors inform me that they can hear his very excited "Mommy's home!" chirps.

I am grateful I have such understanding and Bird loving neighbors <3

Now this is what I call being a very considerate neighbor and pet owner. If everyone did this, there would be a lot less complaints.:21:

 

[BradGC]

7 bilion people on the planet that don't know how to mind their own bussines half of them not pet friendly no matter what kind of pet it is somebody will complain now I keep it simple I don't have any pets and didn't hear anything have a nice day

You don't have any pets?
Looks like you're on the wrong forum haha

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

Today we had the animal control visit us about our noisy Alex.
We've had him here for 2 years and he generally is ok but lately over summer we left his cover off over summer because it's too hot - but then he starts skwawking at sunrise. This obviously annoyed some of our neighbours and they called the council.
The animal control we very polite about telling us to cover him until later in the morning but the fact remains that obviously one of our neighbours are annoyed.

What can we do to keep his volume down? I give him new toys frequently, whole almonds or walnuts to keep him busy (but can't give him too many)

I need something to keep him quiet.

Thanks for any suggestions

So it sounds like being uncovered is directly connected to the morning sqwaking. So perhaps the simple fix is to return to covering the cage. Can you try a lightweight cover that may darken it somewhat but not make it too hot? Or maybe some thin panels that you can diagonally lean up against the sides of the cage like a "lean-to" to create a little "shack" around it for darkness but still allow air to flow.

It may be that the neighbor is only bothered if s/he is woken up, but doesn't mind otherwise.

 

[UMARKHANMARDAN]

Hi Trish its actually when there is a single bird he may pick more words as compared to many birds to gather.Another thing Grays are good talkers than Alex.Even IRN are good talkers than Alex.Third thing it also depends on individual bird how he picks& repeats more and more words. Even some Grays will some time only repeat five words.
Frankly speaking i like well tamed healthy birds. Birds with striking plumage is,t it Trish.