Constant Sqwaking Cockatiel HELP!

[FurNfeather]

Hi There, I am new to Avian Avenue.

I have a 10 month old Cockatiel who I hand raised from 8 weeks. Since I have had him he sqwaks constantly ALL DAY. I have tried every kind of toy imaginable and he wont play with any of them - hanging toys, swings, textured toys, mirrors, ladders, ropes, i have made my own out of kitchen rolls and newspaper, i have hidden food in them, and he never touches any of them. He always has fresh food and water, is in the shade, gets a variety of fruits and vegetables (which he never touches either) and has an hour out of the cage every day, where he just sits there and fluffs his feathers.

I am at a loss on what to do, he just sits there and sqwaks all day, and I am unsure why. The vet says he is healthy and he cant possibly be bored, he has been wormed. Usually he sqwaks one sqwak constantly over and over, but sometimes it becomes urgent and he just tweets and tweets over and over, really loud.

What can I do? Please help me, I think I have done everything I can.

 

[Lady Jane]

What are you feeding him and how much of it is he eating? Most likely he is hungry. Can you try soft moist foods from a spoon?

 

[CeciliaZ]

He may be extremely bonded to you...when you put him in his cage and he calls for you...use a "contact" call he is familiar with...whistle back...call his name. he needs to learn to be alone at times. When he is out of his cage..."share" the food...pretend you are eating some of his healthy human food - some veggies or rice or pasta...show him some toys - maybe some small foot toys and play with them with him. Don't always come running to his cage when he squawks...but use your "contact" call.

Good luck and hopefully someone else will come along with some more advice.

 

[LemonGrass]

I agree with Dianne, the first thing I think about is whether the little guy is hungry. If you can give us some information about his diet that would be helpful. It sounds like you are moving too fast with his abilities as well; some birds need to be taught how to forage and taught that vegetables and fruits are edible. What is his staple food?

Has he bonded with anyone? Is he quiet with you in proximity? Cockatiels are notoriously clingy birds and get anxious when they cannot see/hear their human. If not out of hunger, constant shrill screams are likely contact calls -- he is calling out to the person he has bonded with.

Could you perhaps share a photo of his cage with us? There could be something there making him uncomfortable as well (eg sand perches). It could also be because he is anxious... sometimes birds take a while to adapt and could be anxious if you are switching toys constantly thinking he is bored. We would be better able to help you if we had more information.

 

[Princessbella]

Bella is a tiel I raised from 7 weeks old and now she is 9 months old. When she does these constant shrieking, she wants something. Either she is hungry or she is afraid of something, or she is looking for me. Does he have a specific food like millet that is a comfort food or a specific toy that gives him comfort? Is he screaming while you are in the room? If that is happening, maybe the cage is too near a window and he is afraid of something he sees near a window?

 

[birdle]

My tiel screams all day everyday unless she's on me. There are other members here whos cockatiels scream sometimes for seemingly no reason. Does he scream when he's on you?

 

[Robyn]

Sometimes you have to show the bird how to play with the toy. They don't always know how so infact they can be bored even if their cage is covered with toys. It's very important you teach your bird how to self entertain. Also cockatiels aren't natural toy foragers so your going to have to let your bird see you put the food in the toy before they will now to look for it.

 

[msplantladi]

We as bird owners need to learn what the screams mean...yes I know easier said then done but as others have said the screams usually mean they want something...I would start w/ diet, watch what the bird really eats and not just tosses out. Take a close look at cage & set up, sometimes the cage doesn't feel like a safe heaven to them. I have a militarymacaw who likes a corner of her cage covered at all times...that one took me a while but she was very happy when I figured it out. Yes sometimes they just scream for the attention but I truly believe if all their needs are met they scream less. My big birds scream when they are tired of being locked up in the cage for to long, I work during the day and when I get home we spend at least the hr is spend out of the cage interacting & exercising.
Good luck, let us know how things are going

 

[Mizzely]

If he won't play with the toys then how can you say he isn't bored?

Have you tried to show him how to play with the toys? It is a learned behavior for many birds. Also, if the cage is smaller or too filled with toys he might be overwhelmed. My quaker and Hahns both play(ed) with toys better when there was LESS toys in the cage.

To me it sounds like it could be any number of things: loneliness, hunger, boredom. Tackle each possibility separately to determine what it is.

 

[msplantladi]

FurNfeather.......we all know how annoying a screaming bird can be...hopefully by now you have figured out what the lil guy is trying to tell you. Any updates?

 

[Lady Jane]

How is your cockatiel and have you tried any of our suggestions?

 

[JLcribber]

Correct me if I'm wrong. You cuddled and nurtured this baby bird "a lot" in the beginning and now that she is grown you're not providing that same level of interaction/cuddling/nurturing?

I have no doubt that the screaming has been reinforced by you knowingly or unknowingly. The reward can be as simple as making eye contact with her when she screams. If you only reward it once in a while, that is intermittent reinforcement. It will cause an even bigger problem, faster.

Give this a read to refresh your tactics.

Screaming 101