Very loud caiques

[smartiecoco]

Not sure if anybody experiences this, but my caique babies are SUPER loud... I would say sun conure level of noise. Typically when they're happy and I'm around they do their own thing and isn't noisy but the problem is every time I open the garage door they know I'm leaving or coming home and starts screaming their heads off, really a blood curling screech may be a better description...

I try to ignore it as much as I can but I cannot avoid opening closing doors...
And they seem to be competing to see who is louder!!! Lol.....
Anybody else have similar problems with their caiques?

 

[dskidd]

I must admit I haven't had that problem with Eliza and Henry; perhaps I've just been lucky. They'll sometimes make a racket, but I wouldn't call it screaming by any means. I actually rather enjoy it.

If I'm leaving, when they hear me set the alarm they'll make a sort of pathetic-sounding "please don't leave us" cheep. They'll squawk when I get home; again, it's nothing like screaming.

Hopefully, someone else will chime in with a similar experience to yours and have some good advice on how to overcome it.

Cheers!

 

[Irishj9]

Agree with Eliza. The aviary gang make a racket when I arrive home in the car. But no blood curdling screeches lol

Just a very excited "papa's here". They know I bring treats. And I have 3 babies in my bedroom. They whistle and shout for a few seconds, but nothing blood curdling either.

we need pix, and a soundtrack lol

 

[smartiecoco]

Ohhhh I'll try to catch them in action and find a way to post it. They are ADHD on steroid and crack lol

 

[ShaunaR]

Pixie has been displaying a kind of separation anxiety since her molt this year. She has a definite type of distress call that is very hard to describe but it's similar to the type of cry she had as a young fledgling. When we leave the living room lately she will make this sound as a means to get us to return. Because she has become stuck in several toys in the past she knows we will come to check her when we hear it. This has effectively trained her to continue unfortunately. We just accept it as another phase and until then we try not to be too obvious in checking for safety.
Hope this helps,
Shauna

 

[smartiecoco]

Pixie has been displaying a kind of separation anxiety since her molt this year. She has a definite type of distress call that is very hard to describe but it's similar to the type of cry she had as a young fledgling. When we leave the living room lately she will make this sound as a means to get us to return. Because she has become stuck in several toys in the past she knows we will come to check her when we hear it. This has effectively trained her to continue unfortunately. We just accept it as another phase and until then we try not to be too obvious in checking for safety.
Hope this helps,
Shauna

I think this is exactly it.... Even though I have two of them, they still get separation anxiety!

One trick I found to be helpful is to keep changing their environment, ie rearranging cage set up, rotating toys and sometimes even putting them in their carrier with a few toys and leave them outside in the sunshine for a while (it's not a punishment...they love it). It totally distracts them and keeps them engaged and most of the times they forget what they were screaming about because they're too busy destroying a new toy.

Unfortunately.....their attention span is that of a gold fish.... after a day or two of new cage set up they get bored...so the cycle of screaming continues....

I should really video tape them......sun conures have nothing on these two in terms of screaming.

 

[galvanizedlilly]

I am also having the same problem, i got my conure at a pet store. they pretty much gave him away with a donation to the local humane society with his cage. He is a very smart bird and i fear that since this is his third home he is displaying some pretty serious separation anxiety, we work shift work so it makes it hard to keep him quiet while my spouse is sleeping. I have gotten out of bed after working a 12 hour night shift to keep him quiet after 4 hours of sleep. This screaming behaviour is taking a toll on my nerves and its getting harder to defend the bird as to why i am not re-homing him. I am desparately seeking some help. I would normally put him on my shoulder and do my house work to keep him quiet but depending on what i am doing Rico has taken to biting my neck or lips when usually he offers kisses. He has taken chunks out of my husbands lip faking a kiss after being affectionate as well. Todays lesson is that he will be covered up in his cage if he screams until he is quiet and then i take him out and put him on his perch and walk away. i have been doing this repetitively in hopes that he will figure out that his screaming is the cause of him being put away. I only hope by doing this i am not making things worst. He usually calls and screams to the point that if he was a toddler he would have passed out. Its very hurried and obsessive. I need it to stop so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

 

[smartiecoco]

What I found helpful was to walk away and cover them for a little bit and surprisingly another way to quiet them is a change of environment for example, take th out in their carrier cage outside the patio door and let them watch the scenery which for whatever reason distracts them and keeps them entertained enough to not cry for attention.

 

[caiquehead]

Not sure if anybody experiences this, but my caique babies are SUPER loud... I would say sun conure level of noise. Typically when they're happy and I'm around they do their own thing and isn't noisy but the problem is every time I open the garage door they know I'm leaving or coming home and starts screaming their heads off, really a blood curling screech may be a better description...

I try to ignore it as much as I can but I cannot avoid opening closing doors...
And they seem to be competing to see who is louder!!! Lol.....
Anybody else have similar problems with their caiques?

You say you "try to ignore it as much as you can"! Well, perhaps "as much as you can" is not enough - lol. Fact is, you have to completely ignore it, pretend you can't hear it. Just one visit to check if they're okay, and they've got you hooked!
Caiques are super smart at training us mere mortals...they have us all figured out! Frankly, if they don't stop, just learn to live with it. Not the words you want to hear, of course, but eventually, they will decide it's a waste of their energy, if there is no response from you. Don't even say things like "I'll be right back", say nothing at all when you leave and do nothing when you leave. Just go.
It will work, but you must have discipline and an iron-will, because your caiques are just challenging you. That's why I adore them so much!