Bobber Contact Calls; Jingo won't answer

[Mizzely]

So I have an interesting issue right now that has reached a fever pitch.

Jingo likes to fly all over, come hang out with me, etc. Bobber likes to stay in the dining room on the cages, atom, rope bridges, etc.

This causes Bobber to contact call to Jingo. But Jingo will not answer him. This leads Bobber to call out every 5 to 10 seconds for HOURS. I wish this was an exaggeration. The last week it has been a minimum of 5 hours a day STRAIGHT. It is not sufficient for me to respond to him; I think he wants Jingo to talk back.

I can stay in the dining room and that helps for about 5 minutes. Then he starts screeching again.

I have completely rearranged his cage thinking boredom. He won't forage, but eats his meals well. Chews wood, etc. But the near constant screaming is driving me batty.

If I corral Jingo into the dining room and leave without him, he contact calls for me instead, and then Bobber answers him but Jingo won't stop until I come back into the room or let him out into the living room.

So basically, after years of working on Jingo's screaming issues, I have a second screaming quaker :/ I'm slowly going insane.

I've tried so many things over the years.
How Small Changes Can Have Big Impacts – Parrot 1-2-3
How I Dealt With a Screaming Bird – Parrot 1-2-3

I need new ideas.

 

[Mizzely]

bump

 

[WallyLoopey]

Hmmm... bumping again for you.
My amazon contact calls me but its words so it’s not bad. I haven’t dealt with the screaming contact calls.



Jingo is being a meanie, not answering!

 

[WendyN]

When Joey contact calls, I whistle back to him or call back to him.

 

[Mizzely]

When Joey contact calls, I whistle back to him or call back to him.

I have tried to call back; he still screams, every 5 to 10 seconds

 

[WendyN]

I am sorry. That is very frustrating.

 

[JLcribber]

Make Bobber hang out with you two or chase Jingo back into the other room to say hi personally. He'll be back.

 

[Mizzely]

Make Bobber hang out with you two or chase Jingo back into the other room to say hi personally. He'll be back.

I've tried to make Bobber come out into other areas of the house, but he has ZERO interest. I suppose I could try to put him in a carrier to force it, but that is really the only way I could do it. Bobber won't step up onto my hand, arm, towel, perch, etc, so it's pretty much a "chase or towel" situation. I do make Jingo go back for a few minutes to touch base with Bobber but the moment he leaves, he resumes immediately. If we all hang out in the dining room, Bobber screams because Jingo is paying attention to me, not him. :/

 

[Begone]

I almost have the same problem here. (but I don't think it's a problem)

Eliy are bonded to me and where ever I am, she is too.
Akela was bonded to Eloy and will always chose another bird over me.
If I are leaving the room, Eliy flies after, and often Akela stays, and after a short while starts to flock call to get Eliy back.
And Eliy couldn't care less about that...
And if I go back to Akela, Eliy starts to flock call to me if she is not following me.

The only thing I have found is working is to all be in the same room, so if Akela is flock calling in another room, I just go back and get her.
And I'm also sure that this is Akela's plan so she can feel that she have her own personal driver.

If we all hang out in the dining room, Bobber screams because Jingo is paying attention to me, not him. :/

That can be fixed with not paying attention to Bobber when he screams. All kind of attention scream I ignore. (but never flock call)
And when he not screams give him some love or other positive reinforcement that is working for him.

The best way for me to deal with screams is to wear earplugs. If I barely hear them I can stay calm and don't react to them, and that is really helping.
And I recommend Howard Light, Laser lite. They reduce the sound most IMO.

 

[JLcribber]

I've tried to make Bobber come out into other areas of the house, but he has ZERO interest. I suppose I could try to put him in a carrier to force it, but that is really the only way I could do it. Bobber won't step up onto my hand, arm, towel, perch, etc, so it's pretty much a "chase or towel" situation. I do make Jingo go back for a few minutes to touch base with Bobber but the moment he leaves, he resumes immediately. If we all hang out in the dining room, Bobber screams because Jingo is paying attention to me, not him. :/

You have a problem.

I just block out the screaming and put headphones on.

 

[Mizzely]

That can be fixed with not paying attention to Bobber when he screams. All kind of attention scream I ignore. (but never flock call)
And when he not screams give him some love or other positive reinforcement that is working for him.

The best way for me to deal with screams is to wear earplugs. If I barely hear them I can stay calm and don't react to them, and that is really helping.
And I recommend Howard Light, Laser lite. They reduce the sound most IMO.

The biggest issue is that the only time Bobber is not screaming is when Jingo is screaming, so if I walk into the room to praise Bobber for being quiet, I give Jingo what he wants for screaming So I don't know HOW to effectively praise Bobber for being quiet without encouraging Jingo.

I also am wary about having ear plugs because I also have a 3 year old and I need to be able to still hear him

You have a problem.

I just block out the screaming and put headphones on.

This is what I would love to do, except for "having to hear the child so I am not a bad parent" thing

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

This may be a dumb idea but I wonder if you recorded Jingo's voice and played it for Bobber, when Jingo is out of the room, if it might help. It could make things worse though so not sure if it's worth trying. Would a YouTube video of birds keep Bobber entertained? Sorry, these are probably horrible ideas but I'm trying cause I wish I could help.

 

[Mizzely]

This may be a dumb idea but I wonder if you recorded Jingo's voice and played it for Bobber, when Jingo is out of the room, if it might help. It could make things worse though so not sure if it's worth trying. Would a YouTube video of birds keep Bobber entertained? Sorry, these are probably horrible ideas but I'm trying cause I wish I could help.

I need any and all ideas I actually had a friend suggest the recording too; two people can't both be wrong I will have to give it a try!

I am not sure about the videos of other birds. I can try that too!

 

[cnyguy]

The recording is worth a try. Or you could try to get Jingo to make some kind of sound that Bobber would think is a reply to his contact call (which would be challenging, but could work).

 

[Begone]

I need any and all ideas

OK.

+

Don't try it. This was only to share you up.

But I can confess that one day my patience ended when Eloy was screaming non stop for over 1 hr. (hormonal when he was 1-2 years old.)
I did take a party blower and blow it. And guess what? he was silent for almost 5 minutes. (no that didn't help at all..)
After that I was always wearing earplugs until his behavior change. So sorry you can't.

 

[Mizzely]

LOL I love the party blower idea!! lol

 

[Mizzely]

I have also thought about getting some of the electronic ear protection for gun ranges.

 

[webchirp]

I would tote him around in a carrier. It might be good for him to see Jingo putter around.

I know how you feel...one of the foster cheeks now sits and screams at the top of the cage...constantly. Boober leaving the cage has caused a ruckus as the others want to follow. But the second time out, they went everywhere and started fights with everyone. It was total chaos that time. So now, I've got to create a zone for those little poopers too! And I ordered disposable ear plugs...lots.

 

[Begone]

Don't try it. This was only to share you up.

No I'm not related to Hitchhiker.. (from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
But I wanted to CHEER you up.

And several people did like my post. Now I wonder why?

 

[Mizzely]

Well the last two days were a bit better. We put in a humidifier in the dining room for white noise (and the added bonus of higher humidity of course) which helps when I need them to be corralled in the here. We have two doorways to the dining room, and neither have a door, so I am using blackout curtains.

I've also been giving the birds Avicalm in baby food fed on a spoon in the morning which they love and it helps me retain some sanity

And I moved in a comfier chair into the dining room and rearranged things a bit so that we can spend more time in the dining room vs trying to get Bobber to come out. I can't move my office into here but I can take my laptop with me! Just need to take a pillow with me for Jingo dive bombs (though with the avicalm that seems to be helping too)

So it's not perfect, and last night I did have to blast some Spotify with head phones on, but I think I might survive.