Screaming finch

[atwitsend]

My finch is incredibly poorly behaved. Starting at 6am every day, he shrieks a shrill, piercing cry in response to the very slightest noise, and covering his cage does no good. He was a feather picking bully that I had to separate from the rest. Now that his siblings have died of old age and this old coot keeps hanging on, he's got no neighbor birds -- although that is not his problem because he was screaming even when he did -- and since I have a small house and nowhere to feasibly put his cage other than my office, where I work from every day, I have wear ear plugs all day just to be able to work in there and hear myself think. I called an avian vet but the receptionist wouldn't let me talk to the vet, just told me there's nothing that can be done. Any suggestions please?? HELP!!!

 

[JLcribber]

Finches need others of their own kind.

 

[atwitsend]

Thanks. That sounds simple enough, but as I said he's a bully and will eventually kill them.

 

[JosienBB]

My finch is incredibly poorly behaved. Starting at 6am every day, he shrieks a shrill, piercing cry in response to the very slightest noise, and covering his cage does no good. He was a feather picking bully that I had to separate from the rest. Now that his siblings have died of old age and this old coot keeps hanging on, he's got no neighbor birds -- although that is not his problem because he was screaming even when he did -- and since I have a small house and nowhere to feasibly put his cage other than my office, where I work from every day, I have wear ear plugs all day just to be able to work in there and hear myself think. I called an avian vet but the receptionist wouldn't let me talk to the vet, just told me there's nothing that can be done. Any suggestions please?? HELP!!!

What do you mean the receptionist won't let you talk to a vet? Make an appointment, and he'll have to talk to you. Of course he won't talk to you over the phone.

 

[Birdbabe]

Thanks. That sounds simple enough, but as I said he's a bully and will eventually kill them.

Keep them caged seperatly, but next to each other??
@mythic55

 

[atwitsend]

Thanks JosienBB ... what I mean is the bird (Smithers) has already been medically checked out by that vet. I can't pay another $100 or more office visit just for him to say sorry no nothing can be done about his behavior. That's why I asked for just a brief chat on the phone, just to get even one suggestion he might have ... as an existing patient I don't think that's unreasonable.

Thank you Birdbabe ... his siblings were in the cage next to him until recently when they both died of old age (they were all born in '06). But even then he did this all day shrieking ... I think it started in earnest when I had to put him in a cage alone because he was picking the others' feathers to the bald and bloody stage. He's his own worst enemy. I am wondering if there's a way to make him feel like he has a friend in there with him, maybe someone on this forum has had a positive experience with keeping their bird from being lonely w/out actually having another bird in the cage with them. I need a bird whisperer! Thought maybe a forum of experienced finch lovers would come close.

 

[Samurai]

My finches scream if I separate one from the other (I only did this briefly once to take Nova to the vets but ended up taking them together as it was heart breaking) or if they fly too far from each other. If you have other birds can you give him a neighbour or put the radio on for him maybe? He might not stop straight away, try giving him a few days to settle.

Has anything changed, maybe he can see something that's scaring him?

 

[atwitsend]

Thank you Samurai ... he's my only bird (and after him I don't plan on any more) but I will try maybe spa music?! My first instinct is he'll freak out at the sound like he does with any sound, but I'll try almost anything. As far as anything changing, just him being the only occupant seems to be the catalyst but I've had other finches that lived alone and were not like this. Based on the fact that he shrieks at the faintest sound, I conclude that he's hyper stimulated. I'd love to know if anyone has had a similar experience and found a way to calm them down. I asked the avian vet receptionist if she'd ever heard of maybe calming drops you can put in their water. She didn't think so.

 

[mythic55]

@awitsend
Ok, chiming in here.
side note: at wits end- funny name, ha!
Are you sure it is a male? or may it be female?

Anywho. I could spend droning hours talking about the scientific nature of it all, but lets get down to the good stuff:
1. I assume you are talking zebra finch.
2. Zebras cannot cope with solitude. Their social nature makes it rather impossible as the actual physical biological levels decrease and they become unstable. Emotional distress, disease, death.
3. The 'screaming' you speak of is caused by a biological need to breed- seeking a mate- calling out in distress.
4. Radio will do little to nothing, they need the complex song variation that has become indebted into their cranium when they were 16-25 days old.

So: There is no 'medication' that could possibly solve what you are asking (aside from adding 1 TBS of dried raspberry leaves to one lb of bird food). But that is very specific to hens... what you are experiencing is lack of socialization. I can tell you how to integrate a mate in which your finch will not be a 'bully'. It does involve some level of modification of diet, and of course... a mate.

Do you have a video or photo of the bird you speak of? and the enclosure?
QUESTION: where are the other finches? they live 8 years.

Images would be very helpful, thanks

 

[wyrinth]

If the finch is social, but you don't want to get other birds can you try playing videos of other finches?