Told off by my parrot

[Aggie]

Hey guys,

Just want some ideas on different ways to approach this. I'v had an eclectus for 4 months and he's 7 months old now. He seams to be very vocal when hes not happy about something which I believe to be either that I was gone too long or hes hungry.

I feel like I'm actually being told off. Its not screaming but this annoyed coo and grumbles. They are a little too loud to be cute though. It leaves me feeling like im being told off. He will even follow me atound house to tell me how he's feeling. He usually stops once he's either gotten it out of his system, gets food or ive distracted him with a toy, shower or new activity. I can have hubby with him all day and as soon as he knows I'm home he starts even though he was fine 1 sec before I walked in. That's why I feel it's directed at me being away from him.

He's left with plenty of food and treats when we are out also. So it's not there is nothing to eat. He just seams to have a big appetite when hes not alone. His toys are rotated also.

I have watched him when he thinks I'm not around and he is so busy playing and chewing on things. Then when I walk in hes starts. He is taken out in harness most days and spends time in an outside cage also.

Any ideas of how to stop this? I don't want to feed into this and create a pernament behaviour.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

I don't really have any advice on how to stop this, but I think you're right about him telling you off. It does sound like he's expressing his displeasure at your absence. I'm sure it's frustrating, but he loves you and he sounds so cute!

One of my tiels tells me off when he's unhappy with something, like when I'm gone for too long, and most of my birds don't eat too much when I'm not home. One of them actually worries me, because sometimes she will hardly eat anything.

 

[Cynthia & Percy]

mine will eat better with my presence @JLcribber

 

[cassiesdad]

Milton tells me off quite often...with great fervor. I really don't think there's much you can do to stop his "complaining"....

 

[JLcribber]

He usually stops once he's either gotten it out of his system, gets food or ive distracted him with a toy, shower or new activity.

He has you trained perfectly. You have been "rewarding" his behaviour by giving in to him. And if you don't always give in (right away anyway) you have actually made the problem much worse (Look up "intermittent reinforcement).

Read this and see how much of yourself you recognize (quite a bit).
Screaming 101

I can have hubby with him all day and as soon as he knows I'm home he starts even though he was fine 1 sec before I walked in. That's why I feel it's directed at me being away from him.

Of course. Hubby is not trained like you are. And he doesn't reinforce the behaviour.

Any ideas of how to stop this? I don't want to feed into this and create a pernament behaviour.

4 months of this is pretty "permanent" Nothing is permanent. You need to change the antecedent (what you're doing) before the behaviour will change.

 

[Aggie]

I don't really have any advice on how to stop this, but I think you're right about him telling you off. It does sound like he's expressing his displeasure at your absence. I'm sure it's frustrating, but he loves you and he sounds so cute!

One of my tiels tells me off when he's unhappy with something, like when I'm gone for too long, and most of my birds don't eat too much when I'm not home. One of them actually worries me, because sometimes she will hardly eat anything.

You are right! He does love me. Anytime I talk to him he always answers back. My hubby though he will pick and choose depending on his mood.

I finished last nightshift today. Came home hubby had already fed him i cage so I topped up with fresh yummies. We had a shower and I went to sleep 3 hrs He has sung and played and not touched a morsel of food. Of course he is ravishing hungry now. At least not much vocals as it was only 3hrs not my usual 6.

I'm worried what happens if im away for longer than a day

 

[Aggie]

He has you trained perfectly. You have been "rewarding" his behaviour by giving in to him. And if you don't always give in (right away anyway) you have actually made the problem much worse (Look up "intermittent reinforcement).

Read this and see how much of yourself you recognize (quite a bit).
Screaming 101

Of course. Hubby is not trained like you are. And he doesn't reinforce the behaviour.

4 months of this is pretty "permanent" Nothing is permanent. You need to change the antecedent (what you're doing) before the behaviour will change.

I was hoping you would reply!! Yes I agree I have been rewarding the behaviour. Need to figure out how to get food into him when im away and stop the complaining.

Will definitely read up so be prepared for questions!!

This has really been an issue for only 2 weeks. I had 9 days off prior so thinking someone really enjoyed having me home more. He has always been a sook with me from day one. Guess he gets the attention while hubby mostly ignores him.

Thank you

 

[Aggie]

Just a quick update.

Issue resolved. Started putting him back in cage when he was too vocal and then straight out again when quiet. Repeated it if necessary. Very fast learner so no more of that.

However hubby tried same thing and well he can't put him away straight off as they play the chase me around the house game. Echo is also very focused on the cage locks of recent and has figured out how to let himself out yesterday to join us for our dinner.

I just can't stop laughing.

 

[cassiesdad]

Milton has a "thing" about locks. He's escaped out of many locking setups, and we've gone to combination locks. He watches us unlock the lock every day...and he's now turning the lock around and spinning the dial back and forth with his claw...

 

[JLcribber]

Milton has a "thing" about locks. He's escaped out of many locking setups, and we've gone to combination locks. He watches us unlock the lock every day...and he's now turning the lock around and spinning the dial back and forth with his claw...

It's just a matter of time Bob. If you can't beat it. Break it.

 

[metalstitcher]

BoBo cusses me out in birdie speak all the time even going so far as to yell chirp over me when talking to someone in the room. We have an agreement now I'll play with him before I go to bed and work and he doesn't yell at me anymore. For him hating me and being scared of everyone he loves to play with his AS toys with me. I'll take what I can get.

 

[rocky'smom]

I get told off in spades by a little gray tiel, late afternoon. he get really T'ed off about the time the sun is on his cage.

 

[cassiesdad]

It's just a matter of time Bob. If you can't beat it. Break it.
View attachment 247776

Actually, Milton has bested a combination lock before. Kathy left the lock hanging on Milty's cage, and he grabbed it. He then carried back into his cage, pounded it on the floor a few times, dropped it in his water dish, and then threw it out of the cage to the floor.
The result was a small piece on the inside bent, resulting in rendering the lock inoperative. The lock was touted as "Being Guaranteed For Life!" I didn't have the heart to tell them that a Cockatoo killed one of their locks...

 

[metalstitcher]

I would love to see the look on their faces if you sent them the photos and told them what happened to the lock lol

 

[faislaq]

@JLcribber Those are not your locks, are they??

 

[JLcribber]

@JLcribber Those are not your locks, are they??

Of course they are.

 

[Shinobi]

Henry is always glad to see me when I come home. Now Angel is starting to give a whistle when I get home. Why? because it's playtime. The only time that the birds have a grumble is when I leave in the morning to go work. Of course I not real happy about leaving at 04:30 am either.