There's nothing like

[Wasabisaurus]

try to feed the birds while bigmouth Wasabi screams. So I leave the room. He shuts up. I return and within a minute, he starts, so I leave again. This time I came upstairs to kvetch about it. Having a nagging headache is not helping.

I don't know what it is with him and fixing supper. I am trying not to pay too much overall attention to him anymore when he makes good sounds, (I know that makes me sound negligent,) but he's come to expect me to go running over there to play every time. I don't now. I will talk to him when he does make nice sounds or words, but I do not make such a huge fuss. I don't know if that's right or wrong. I've always heard praise him to the heavens when he makes a good sound. While that is nice in theory, it is backfiring on me. It's been suggested that I have spoiled him and maybe so. Maybe now he is rebelling against it. This is a fine line to walk.
When I walk away, I try to make him think I have left the house by opening and shutting the garage door and saying bye boys, c ya later. As per John's practise.

I need to read more about the reasons for screaming. I have read a lot, but I am sure there are things out there that I don't know. Maybe someone has new theories. I am just thinking and typing...I do believe there is no cure-all answer for some of these difficult behaviors. There are no one size fits all answers. I know of one behavorist who has a pretty cut and dry answer. She is not on this board. I certainly do not agree with her and I really don't appreciate the implication, stated or unstated, that I do not know what I am even doing, having a challenging parrot. It's not like I created the initial problem; he came to us this way.

 

[Tangle Elf]

The most recent issue of bird talk magazine had a good article on screaming and the different reasons. Have you seen it?

 

[KatherinesBirds]

Aaargh! Terri, understand. I tried so hard to understand Wiggly and he did just about he same thing that Wasabi is doing. I miss him but he is in a better place now. I now have a Red Bellied parrot about one year old. She started making a lot of fuss right away and I only made noises back at her when the noises were "acceptable" meaning soft or saying words. Took me 2 weeks. I had her right in my face so to speak in the upstairs living, dining, kitchen area where she could see me all the time and kept a close eye on me waiting for my reaction to whatever. Charming little control freak. I moved her to the bird room to keep company with a Blue Crown, two Painted conures and two lovebirds. I turned on the radio set to classical music (not that the station really matters). She is right by the window with my collection of Geraniums and a big view of the mountains. I have a Marsona Sound Machine. This thing can be set to make noises of a thundering waterfall, a gurgling stream, crickets, waves crashing on a beach, or distant thunder, rain and lots of other things. My birds are fascinated with it to the point that Chuckles, my Blue Crown, now does the cricket sounds and gurgling steam all by herself. Better than screaming! I keep a CD player handy and have a collection of Nature Sounds. These provide a wonderful variety of things other than screaming for them to focus on. I can turn it way up and enjoy it more than annoying bird noises.
For reasons unknown she is now a 99.9% silent birdie. Knock on wood. This little girl just needed something interesting to look at and interact with. The other birds are also very quiet too now. For my African Grey I bought a Beta fish and put it right up by his cage to look at. Later I got him a Cutthroat Finch and he really liked him and watched that finch all day long. He lived 8 years with Rufous, my grey who was very attached to the tiny bird. I wonder if moving Wasabi's cage to another room and rearranging things might just shake him up enough for him to give up the annoying noise?
I had a pair of Rosie Cockatoos that were very noisy and would not breed. I used to take them for a ride in their carrier in the car with me about three times a week. Wow, they really quieted down and when I saw that they were visiting the box a lot I stopped the car rides and turned the cage around to face a window. Who knows what actually goes inside of their heads. I have not isolated my new Red Bellied in the birdroom all the time. Several times a week I roll her big cage all the way out to the big panoramic patio window so she can watch the wildlife outside. She plays and makes sounds but does not scream or go crazy anymore. Hope this continues since my home is also MY SANCTUARY as it should be.
Good Luck to you Terri! I hope you find something that helps.

 

[Wasabisaurus]

Jen, thank you pointing out the article in Bird talk.
The cage is kinda big to be moving. We've tried reinforcing the good sounds and ignoring the undesirable sounds. He still screams. I took the suggestion to play some nice bird sounds, like Birdsong Radio, Live Dawn Chorus Bird Song Station, Birdsong DAB Station, Increase productivity and relax!. While W does like it, he still hollers. The tiels like it, though, and they talk back to it, which is OK.

In the second shot, Wasabi faces the patio doors, so he can somewhat see out.

It's to the point where I can't really sit downstairs in the family room with the birds in the evening. Wasabi yells. I don't know why. I either cover him for the night and remain in the family room
'til bedtime (only somewhat effective) or I go upstairs. I am basically at his mercy and that's wrong.
He eventually shuts up if I leave the room and make like I leave the house, as John suggested, but the silence does not last. I don't know. I wish I had a magic wand to fix this. W is OK with indirect attention sometimes, but If I try to bake or do something that requires most of my attention in the kitchen, he has a fit. He can see me in the kitchen unless I block his sight, which I have spoken of doing. I don't know.

 

[Tigra]

I really feel for you Terri I am having exactly the same problem with Codie... The only difference is she Screams when I leave the Room...If im in the room with her then she is silent!! I have been told to ignore her completely when she starts, which I have been doing for weeks now, but it hasnt made the slightest bit of difference My ears are ringing I really dont know what the answer is

 

[Wasabisaurus]

The behaviorists will say to praise her whe she finishes screaming, praise her for being quiet, and re-enter the room.
This does not work as a method to curb Wasabi's screaming. He either does not get it or does not care. He'll repeat the behavior over and over.

 

[JLcribber]

Have you read these articles Terri? They are geared towards cockatoos but they still have great general information.

Sam Foster. Vocalizations 1

Sam Foster. Vocalizations 2

Sam Foster. Vocalizations 3​

 

[Wasabisaurus]

Thanks John! I can't even imagine being able to withstand a 'too screaming at full tilt. I've heard clips online and WOW!