Goffins and night time screaming?

[sunnysmom]

Just wondering if anyone else's goffin screams in the middle of the night? Elvis does it if not every night, every other night. The time varies. Last night it was at 1:30 a.m. Sometimes it's 4:00 a.m. etc. It doesn't seem to be a night fright. He doesn't thrash around like when my tiel occasionally had them. I've tried covering him completely, partially, etc. I bought him a white noise machine. Nothing seems to make a difference. And he pretty much screams until I go downstairs and talk to him. I don't want to reinforce the behavior, but my fiancé gets up at 5:00 a.m. for work. So I really can't have Elvis screaming for long lengths of time in the middle of the night. I'm looking at cages right now and hope to have a second cage by next week and see if having him sleep upstairs will make a difference. Does anyone else's goffin do this? Or cockatoo in general?

 

[jmfleish]

Wow! I've known younger G2s to do this...especially really young ones but I've never heard of an adult with this issue. Has he always done this or is it something new? Does he have a night light near his cage, you could try that. A new sleeping cage near you might help but then you have to sleep with his dust. I got nothing...all of my guys are quiet at night except for Clancy CAG will occasionally play with toys in the middle of the night.

 

[MommyBird]

My Goffin has done this very rarely. The first time was when the heat went off in the middle of the night in a place we were renting.
So I always worry.
A few times I couldn't find a reason, and sometimes I see evidence outside the bear was around.
He'll only yell a few times, not prolonged.

 

[nu2birds]

I wonder if they can have bad dreams........

 

[JLcribber]

Do you have any white noise in the sleep area? If not that would make a difference.

 

[Sylvester]

Yes Goffins are notorious for that behavior. Get a night light.

 

[sunnysmom]

Do you have any white noise in the sleep area? If not that would make a difference.

He has a white noise machine.......

 

[sunnysmom]

Yes Goffins are notorious for that behavior. Get a night light.

I knew tiels were. I didn't know goffins were too. I've tried light/no light and it doesn't seem to matter, unfortunately.

 

[sunnysmom]

Wow! I've known younger G2s to do this...especially really young ones but I've never heard of an adult with this issue. Has he always done this or is it something new? Does he have a night light near his cage, you could try that. A new sleeping cage near you might help but then you have to sleep with his dust. I got nothing...all of my guys are quiet at night except for Clancy CAG will occasionally play with toys in the middle of the night.

It's funny you say that because in many ways Elvis seems "young". I actually had a friend of mine get into a semi-argument with me because he was insisting that based on how Elvis looked he was under 2. However, Elvis has an import band. I even had my vet look at it (and the people from the rescue agree). So, Elvis is over 25. My tiel Sunny was definitely an "old" soul. I remember for some reason an episode of Friends where Phoebe tells Joey that his soul is "new". That's Elvis. LOL. He has done the screaming off and on since we first got him. He screamed a lot at night when we first got him. Then, it slacked off to sporadically. Now, it's back to frequently. Sigh. Although my plan was to move him into the spare room/office down the hall, I may have to move him into the adjoining room to the main bedroom. Our house is old and I think the one room was built as a nursery as it has a door that leads into the master bedroom. Baby Elvis. Sigh.

 

[macawpower58]

Sweden yells every night when first put to sleep. She quiets in about 10-15 minutes at the longest.

She has had a few times when she starting yelling more and longer. I think my going in to her, kept that behavior going longer.

Once I learned to close her door and just good-night, it extinguished itself. It took a week or so though.

They train us without us even knowing!

 

[sunnysmom]

Sweden yells every night when first put to sleep. She quiets in about 10-15 minutes at the longest.

She has had a few times when she starting yelling more and longer. I think my going in to her, kept that behavior going longer.

Once I learned to close her door and just good-night, it extinguished itself. It took a week or so though.

They train us without us even knowing!

And I am afraid I'm reinforcing the behavior. Elvis goes to bed just fine -at about 9:30. But then he wakes up much later and screams. I have tried ignoring it but he doesn't give up and then I feel guilty that he's keeping Howie up. I'll try this weekend not to go down to him. The little bugger will probably scream all night. He can be a stubborn little thing.

 

[macawpower58]

I do call back 'Good night' or 'Bedtime little We', but I do not go in to her.

Sweden will often start mumbling to herself 'bedtime little We' once I've said it.

Seems to distract her.

 

[sunnysmom]

I do call back 'Good night' or 'Bedtime little We', but I do not go in to her.

Sweden will often start mumbling to herself 'bedtime little We' once I've said it.

Seems to distract her.

I have tried just saying "Good night". He yells back "Good night Elvis" and then goes back to screaming. LOL. Sweden sounds like a cutie.

 

[Tanya]

It's funny you say that because in many ways Elvis seems "young". I actually had a friend of mine get into a semi-argument with me because he was insisting that based on how Elvis looked he was under 2. However, Elvis has an import band. I even had my vet look at it (and the people from the rescue agree). So, Elvis is over 25. My tiel Sunny was definitely an "old" soul. I remember for some reason an episode of Friends where Phoebe tell Joey that his soul is "new". That's Elvis. LOL. He has done the screaming off and on since we first got him. He screamed a lot at night when we first got him. Then, it slacked off to sporadically. Now, it's back to frequently. Sigh. Although my plan was to move him into the spare room/office down the hall, I may have to move him into the adjoining room to the main bedroom. Our house is old and I think the one room was built as a nursery as it has a door that leads into the master bedroom. Baby Elvis. Sigh.

In humans major trauma can lock a person in at a certain developmental phase. It's possible he was caught when he was between one and two years old and the emotional/physical trauma scarred him, making it difficult for him to "grow up" and behave like an adult. This could be compounded by the loss of adult role models. It is also possible that he was caught at night and is having PTSD-like nightmares.

Perhaps a recording of your voice soothing him could be set on a timer to play every so often after midnight? Since he seems to respond well to that, you could try using it.

 

[sunnysmom]

In humans major trauma can lock a person in at a certain developmental phase. It's possible he was caught when he was between one and two years old and the emotional/physical trauma scarred him, making it difficult for him to "grow up" and behave like an adult. This could be compounded by the loss of adult role models. It is also possible that he was caught at night and is having PTSD-like nightmares.

Perhaps a recording of your voice soothing him could be set on a timer to play every so often after midnight? Since he seems to respond well to that, you could try using it.

That's very interesting. I hadn't thought of that. That's possible. My fiancé has to have surgery soon. So now is not the time to bring in a foster bird but I'm thinking about asking the rescue that the next time after the surgery that another goffin comes in to see if I can foster him/her. Maybe Elvis does need a goffin roll model. And I like your recording idea. I'll have to try to figure out how I can do that.

 

[JLcribber]

And he pretty much screams until I go downstairs and talk to him. I don't want to reinforce the behavior,

Well I hate to say it but you already did. And he has trained you as Becky said.

Sweden yells every night when first put to sleep. She quiets in about 10-15 minutes at the longest.

She has had a few times when she starting yelling more and longer. I think my going in to her, kept that behavior going longer.

Once I learned to close her door and just good-night, it extinguished itself. It took a week or so though.

They train us without us even knowing!

Do not acknowledge him after lights out. If he's not dying (and we know he isn't) there is no one around after dark. It will get worse before it "extinguishes". See that's the thing with cockatoos. A little problem always grows into a rather big problem because they push everything to the limit (ours) before giving it up. It's all a mind game. You've got to keep taking smart pills to stay ahead of these guys.

 

[Lady Jane]

Your animal communicator said he was with many other birds. He could be calling for them. Have you considered another Goffins?

 

[sunnysmom]

Your animal communicator said he was with many other birds. He could be calling for them. Have you considered another Goffins?

I have. He has shown no interest in other birds at his foster mom's but they were moluccans, conures etc. I am thinking about fostering a goffin to see what happens. I am not sure what Howie will think of the idea though

 

[Lady Jane]

That's worth trying if you can find one.

 

[cassiesdad]

Well I hate to say it but you already did. And he has trained you as Becky said.


Do not acknowledge him after lights out. If he's not dying (and we know he isn't) there is no one around after dark. It will get worse before it "extinguishes". See that's the thing with cockatoos. A little problem always grows into a rather big problem because they push everything to the limit (ours) before giving it up. It's all a mind game. You've got to keep taking smart pills to stay ahead of these guys.

Milton hears us sometimes after we go to bed. He'll then try to get a response out of us by saying "hi...hi...hi...hi" in that cute little 'too voice he has.

We know not to respond to it...and after about 6 or 7 "HIs" he gets the message and quiets down...