U2 Screaming Driving Me Insane

[adellelauren]

I can't take the screaming much longer. I've tried so many different things. Besides that Sunshine is a great bird but it's getting ridiculous and overwhelming.

 

[Birdman666]

YOU ARE A MEMBER OF AN EXCLUSIVE CLUB... NOT!!!

He needs to be taught that he can't be with you all the time, and needs to play nice.

He needs to be taught to play with toys at this point. Put the toys on your lap, and play with them with him... Then, when he gets interested, put the toy back in his cage, and put him in it...

Home made foraging toys are best. Get a box, throw some wood, some nutriberries, and some other goodies in it. Let him sit on your lap and watch you do it. Roll up newspapers, or things he can shred. Then put him back in his cage, and follow the standard screaming protocol if he screams.

Standard screaming protocol (AND IT REALLY DOES NOT MATTER WHAT SPECIES YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT) is to cover the cage on 3 sides. If he continues to scream, then cover the front as well, until he quiets down. ONCE HE QUIETS DOWN, uncover the front of the cage. PRAISE HIM FOR BEING QUIET... Then, if he remains quiet, uncover the entire cage again. Praise and reward him again, for being quiet... (Most folks forget to praise the positive, and forget to reinforce quiet. Then the bird ends up being covered more and more.)

REINFORCE THE GOOD BEHAVIOR. NOT THE SCREAMING. HE CANNOT GET HIS WAY BY SCREAMING, OR IT WILL GET WORSE!!! HE CANNOT GET A "DRAMA REWARD" WITH YOU RUNNING OVER TO HIM WHEN HE SCREAMS.

THE MORE HE SCREAMS, THE MORE HE GETS IGNORED. THE LESS HE SCREAMS, THE MORE HE GETS PRAISED AND INTERACTED WITH.

Once he learns this, you probably won't have to cover him. Just get the cover out, ask the bird "Do I have to cover you?" and drop it on the floor next to the cage, and leave it there.

Your bird will get the message... Eventually!

 

[adellelauren]

YOU ARE A MEMBER OF AN EXCLUSIVE CLUB... NOT!!!

He needs to be taught that he can't be with you all the time, and needs to play nice.

He needs to be taught to play with toys at this point. Put the toys on your lap, and play with them with him... Then, when he gets interested, put the toy back in his cage, and put him in it...

Home made foraging toys are best. Get a box, throw some wood, some nutriberries, and some other goodies in it. Let him sit on your lap and watch you do it. Roll up newspapers, or things he can shred. Then put him back in his cage, and follow the standard screaming protocol if he screams.

Standard screaming protocol (AND IT REALLY DOES NOT MATTER WHAT SPECIES YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT) is to cover the cage on 3 sides. If he continues to scream, then cover the front as well, until he quiets down. ONCE HE QUIETS DOWN, uncover the front of the cage. PRAISE HIM FOR BEING QUIET... Then, if he remains quiet, uncover the entire cage again. Praise and reward him again, for being quiet... (Most folks forget to praise the positive, and forget to reinforce quiet. Then the bird ends up being covered more and more.)

REINFORCE THE GOOD BEHAVIOR. NOT THE SCREAMING. HE CANNOT GET HIS WAY BY SCREAMING, OR IT WILL GET WORSE!!! HE CANNOT GET A "DRAMA REWARD" WITH YOU RUNNING OVER TO HIM WHEN HE SCREAMS.

THE MORE HE SCREAMS, THE MORE HE GETS IGNORED. THE LESS HE SCREAMS, THE MORE HE GETS PRAISED AND INTERACTED WITH.

Once he learns this, you probably won't have to cover him. Just get the cover out, ask the bird "Do I have to cover you?" and drop it on the floor next to the cage, and leave it there.

Your bird will get the message... Eventually!

Thank you. I just put a phone book on his cage and right now he's going to town. He was so spoiled from the previous owners.

 

[Birdman666]

Gotta love those phone books! Keeps them busy for hours at a time - FOR FREE!

 

[Pinkbirdy]

Absolutely ,Everything Birdman said. I think it might be hormonal time for Toos also. My Ls2 laid an egg and my Goffin is screaming !!! [ my Rb2 is to young].

 

[Birdman666]

THIS I've done a bunch of, unfortunately...

You can talk til you turn purple. You need to structure the interaction with a too when they are younger. Don't hold them too much, teach them to self entertain, and don't reinforce the screaming... or when they turn 5 you will have a monster on your hands...

And what do they do? Hold the bird too much. Set it down, it screams, so they pick it back up...

Then they blame the species for doing what you were warned they were gonna do...

Then they rehome the bird, and we have to try to fix the problem, while dealing with stress and separation anxiety, and the plucking that often follows...

NOPE! NEVER HAPPENS...

 

[MikeyTN]

Covering him up part would depend on the bird! Java would had it yanked into his cage and shredded it in pieces. Here's what I did to stop the screaming. I put him into the bird room. He starts to scream I shut the door and walk away. He wants to see me and have me interact with him. So he doesn't like to not be able to see me with the dior shut. When he's quiet I open the door back up so he can see me. It is how I kept my sanity with a screaming U2. Of course like what I've said before to keep him busy, that will help. But sometimes they will ignore everything and concentrate on you exclusively. And start to scream when he don't get his way. He was spoiled in his previous home as well.

 

[MonicaMc]

I like these two posts/pages.

Use your words: Conditioning Sam to a new environment | Learning Parrots

Living With Parrots Cage Free: Does Ignoring Really Work?



Exercise, bathing and foraging can go a long ways into keeping a parrot happy and content.