Screaming Conure behavior is beginning to get out of hand, need help!

[X3Kimmie]

Hi everyone,

I have a 4 year old Green cheek conure named Bowser. He is the only parrot I have since I let go of the second Conure I bought a couple years ago to a very nice woman. Bowser is my first Conure and he is extremely attached to me. Basically wants my attention 24/7. This is an issue as I work a full-time job. I am unsure of how to correct his behavior so that when I am home, what I am doing with him is only going to encourage good behavior. My grandmother is usually home all the time so she gives him attention. I'd like to know what I can do so I can tell her to do the same.

Basically the issue starts with screaming as soon as I am out of sight. He's been screaming since the day I got him. But, usually Bowser would stop screaming after a bit when I leave the room or when I cover him at night. It's progressively gotten worse.

He does the following:

• He screams nonstop when I am out of sight. If I don't return immediately, he switches to whistling which is a call for my grandmother. (I can't whistle lol).
• He eats and chews at the bottom of the bedding to deal with the stress if I am not around. This is not good.
• Even when I'm in the room (this is a new development), he slightly screams at me. Makes a low pitch kind of scream. Not good because I do need to be focused on schoolwork/reading. It's distracting.
• He refuses to go to sleep now when I cover him at night. He used to automatically know that being covered means bedtime, now he will still persistently scream. This has caused me having to move the cage out of my room every night so I am not woken up too early.
• Bites at me when I reach for him sometimes. Bites if I'm reaching for him from below (I have a little play center on the top of the fridge.)

I take him out of the cage almost about every other day, he can fly but he usually doesn't unless startled. He cuddles with me, he talks, and dances. I just want to encourage good behavior, and not just take him out or give him attention because he screams. I'm not sure where to start.

Thank you for any advice!!!

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Hi X3Kimmie and Bowser I dont have a Green Cheek Conure and I cant advise you on what to do to reduce the screaming except to tell you what I do with my two parrots... if my parrots call to me I answer them from the next room. I dont always run in and talk to them giving them attention which probably would reinforce screaming/calling behaviour but although I dont go to them each time they call and I just vocally answer their call from the next room with a word or a song I do interact with them for 10 to 15 mins several times during the day apart from a longer spell in the morning for bith (as I am here with them all day) and again in the afternoon for one and the evening for the other. I know you are studying and time is limited but I would sugest you get up maybe a half hour earlier in the morning and take him out of his cage and give him some quality time with you or even 10 minutes could mean a lot to him and the same when you come home in the afternoon or evening...last thing at night I stop by each of my parrots cages and sing a lullaby and give them a treat each before I cover them for the night...you are your conures flock and family he needs cuddles from you every day, he needs your time...if time is a problem steal 10 minutes here and there and make that 10 minutes all about him with no distractions. Can he help you with your homework and perhaps play with a toy on your desk as you are studying...i think you need to give him a little of your time each day out of cage to begin with, and secondly; if the screaming continnues you can then begin to deal with that. Im not an expert and perhaps others will have better advice for you but I think the one on one time each day could help ease Bowsers frustration and a few contact calls from you when you are in the next room and out of sight could go a long way to helping to solve the screaming problem you are having ...hope this helps

 

[X3Kimmie]

Thank you! I'm going to try vocalizing from the other room when he scream and see if that helps at all. I did just take him out for a good 20 minutes to cuddle. He's still trying to maintain complete attention from me, and this is the part where I need to figure out how to curb the screaming so I can step out of my room to do errands or use the bathroom.

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Okay you have given him 20 mins now put him back on his stand or in his cage with a treat and leave the room ...when he calls answer him say hello Bowser or what ya doing Bowser or something else...but dont return to the room immediately leave him a while...20 mins to a half hour later return to the room and speak to him ...you could also try leaving some music on in the room when you leave so he has sounds to listen to near his cage...or a tv he can watch .

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

If he keeps screaming dont answer every scream just give him one responseor maybe two at most then wait and see if he stops screaming and then after he stops scraming you speak to him again but make sure its after there is a lull in his screaming and that you are not answering his scream this time...also when entering the room dont enter to his screams wait until there is a lull in his screaming. And if you are inside the room and he is screaming just ignore him and reward him with your time and attention when he is not screaming...it may take a while but he is smart and he will soon learn that screaming is not getting him attention and attention is what he id looking for but you must give him attention when he is quiet so pick a moment when there is a lull or break in his screaming sessions to reward him with your attention and a treat...have you tried teaching him some tricks...its a great way to bond with your parrot and both you and Bowser will enjoy it

 

[X3Kimmie]

good advice thank you...I will try extra hard on only rewarding him when he stops screaming. I'm gonna try repeating certain phrases to see if he remembers that when I say it it means I will come back to the room. I hope eventually I can get him to stop screaming completely. I have a bag of sunflower seeds I can use as treats, Bowser loves them. That or fruit like strawberries whenever I do have them on hand. I have not taught him any tricks, besides dancing. He dances when I dance or snap my fingers. I'll look into tricks!

 

[Aquila]

For one, it seems he might be starting some hormonal behavior, but I'm not exactly sure when GCC hit maturity.

The other thing is you say you take him out only every other day? How long are you having him out for? He probably has a fair amount of pent up energy! This could also be why he's not really sleeping well at night either.

Training, foraging toys, and other things to keep him occupied should make a world of a difference.

 

[SilverLining]

Just wanted to say that leaving the radio on has helped pipe my conures down immensely.