I hand raised my male cockatiel from 2 weeks on. He is so spoiled and attached to me that he screams when I leave the room. His voice is so shrill no one wants to be near him. How do I train him to make sweet noises?
Hi,
It takes a lot longer to unspoil a bird than to spoil him! You have to ignore him when he screams and reward him for being quiet or making pleasant sounds. If you go to him when he is screaming to fuss at him, then you have rewarded the behavior. Any attention is good for him. You and your family have to commit to this. Each time someone gives in and goes to him or yells back at him, you undo any progress you have made. He is contact calling, so any response is what he is looking for. He won’t change overnight – this can take weeks or months. And there is no guarantee he will stop. But in most cases if you are consistent and only reward good or desired behavior, he will learn and will stop screaming or scream less.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
