We have a relatively young, new cockatiel and after asking my parents to babysit overnight (put the bird in a new home for the day) I noticed that the bird has been screeching a lot more. The noise is very similar to a flocking call in sound, but it’s far louder and far more frequent than a normal flocking call. We’ve tried to ignore the loud screeches, and only engage when she’s being quiet, but it’s been three weeks now and this behavior hasn’t really improved.
We make sure that she is fed twice a day (ample amounts of a high quality food blend containing grains, seeds, pellets, and dried fruits/veggies) water is changed out daily, the cage is an appropriate size and has more than enough perches and toys for the bird to keep busy, and we take the bird out whenever we’re home for a minimum of 1-2 hours a day, but more often in the 2+ hour range.
Answer:
Hi,
One thing I want to clarify is about the food. You mentioned feeding her twice a day. Does she have food in the cage in between? A cockatiel is a forager, like all parrots, so for their physical and mental well being, it is important that they have food in their cage at all times. While there is a recent trend of feeding meals, there should still be some type of food available. As a young bird, this is very important because she is still learning about what she can eat, and she is growing and needs more food. If her nutritional needs are met, she will not overeat. However, regardless of how high the quality is, loose seeds provide very little nutritional value. They are no longer fresh enough, and any added nutrients are lost when the bird removes the hull. And generally, birds ignore the pellets in those type mixes. The main diet should be pellets, and/or a foraging food like we make. We used fresh, human grade seeds with the hulls removed and combine them with other whole ingredients, all coated by a nutritionally balanced binder so the bird gets complete nutrition in every bite, just like a pellet. You should also offer fresh greens, veggies & some fruit. If she is hungry or insecure about having food, this can result in a desperate contact calling.
Cockatiels are very social, so if she is not in the main family room, but can hear you, it’s natural for her to call. She wants to be part of everything. If she is doing these calls while in the same room with people, again this is natural, but she needs to learn that these calls will not get the reaction she wants. Ignoring her is the right thing to do, but you also need to reward her once she stops. You might want to get her a play stand she can be out on when everyone is in the room. Load it with treats and fun toys so that she wants to be there. Being on the sidelines isn’t fun for a bird.
In one of our recent webinars, the behaviorist covers screaming and offers solutions:
