August 7, 2020
Sun conure – squawks all the time
Our sun conure squawks all the time is is driving us crazy. How do you stop them from this?
Question:
Answer:
Hi Patrice,
Sun Conures are beautiful, but are one of the loudest parrots that are kept as pet. A loud screech is their normal call, but when they do it all the time, it is hard to deal with. Parrots do not respond to discipline. But they do respond well to positive reinforcement, which is when you give them some type of reward for doing what you want them to do. It is best to ignore screaming – any attention is desired so they don’t care if you scream back, cover their cage, storm out of the room, etc. When the bird screams, quietly leave the room, or if you are in another room, stay away. As soon as the bird has been quiet for a minute, go to him and tell him “good, quiet” or some type of praise and offer a treat if there is something special he likes. If he screams again, quietly walk away, no eye contact, no drama. It can take a long time for him to get the point, and he will never be a quiet bird, but you can reduce the amount of screaming if you are patient and consistent. Anyone else in the household needs to cooperate because they can undo any progress you make by giving the bird the wrong reaction. You also need to make sure he is not reacting to something. If he can see outside, there could be a cat or wild bird or anything that is causing him to give an alarm call. If you have kids or a noisy household, he just thinks he is interacting with his human flock. If there is a TV or loud music going, he is again joining in or competing. This article here discusses training including dealing with screaming:
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
