Problems with loud whistling

[kirbykookoo]

Hi! I am new to the site and this is my first posting. I have my grey Kirby, which is 7 years old and we have had him 6.5 years. He lives with me, my husband and two boys (19 and 21). Kirby gets a lot of attention and has a great diet along with a variety of toys. He also just went in this summer to see the vet and had the 5 year blood work done, with healthy results.

 

Over the last month or so he whistles the standard whistle when you are trying to get someone's attention. This happens whenever any of us are in another part of the house. I offer to bring him in another room (he is clipped) but he will just sit and whistle over and over and over.

 

I can tune him out but it is causing issues with my husband, where he has even raised his voice. I have tried talking quiet when he starts or whistling another song quietly. I think he wants us all in the same room, even though that has never been standard in the house.

 

I would love any suggestions and will gladly try them. The one I have thought of is putting his blanket over his cage for a minute or two.

 

Kristen and Kirby

[Dave007]

Usually, people come here to ask about how to stop a grey from screeching / squawking. Concerning greys, in the parrot world there's no better whistler than the african grey. Throughout the years I,ve told many people to not practice whistling with their greys because as the bird gets older, whistling will become much more frequent. They'll whistle to songs, sounds, other birds chirping, sounds in the house such as a kettle boiling etc. It doesn't matter whether people are there or not. Putting a blanket on a whistling bird does nothing because the grey is doing absolutely nothing wrong. He's just using his ability to make certain sounds. Other species of parrots continually make other sounds that are related to them.

Sometimes it takes longer for a grey to start the whistling. With others it's a short amount of time.

Honestly, there's nothing you can do to make a grey stop whistling. Whistling is a natural sound they make. Stopping a grey from whistling is like stopping a person from talking.

[kirbykookoo]

Dave - Thanks for your response and I completely agree that birds whistle like we talk. Kirby does the Andy Griffith song, Gilligans Island and many more, my issue is I do not know what he wants with this one it is extremely loud and repetitious. I am fine with all of his sounds but I am looking to see if there is a way to tone down the volume. This is the only ear piercing sound he makes and I do not want to encourage his behavior, and that is what I am looking for advise for.

Kristen

[Dave007]

Dave - Thanks for your response and I completely agree that birds whistle like we talk. Kirby does the Andy Griffith song, Gilligans Island and many more, my issue is I do not know what he wants with this one it is extremely loud and repetitious. I am fine with all of his sounds but I am looking to see if there is a way to tone down the volume. This is the only ear piercing sound he makes and I do not want to encourage his behavior, and that is what I am looking for advise for.

Kristen

 

Look at it this way---Is there a way to make his sound of Andy Griffith song or Gilligans Island louder because it's a pleasent sound? No. If you raised the volume of those great shows, would he whistle louder? No.The only thing you can do is seek out whats making him whistle loudly and stop it. There has to be something setting him off. No one can say what specifically that thing is. If you found it, you could stop whatever it is. I realize that it seems like an impossible job but raising or lowering the volume of certain sounds is next to impossible except for one thing--your bird may decide to lower the volume but that's up to him and you wouldn't know what's making him do that. So honestly, the only thing you can do is look for the source.

 

PS---you may be paying to much attention to him when he does that. Usually, a bird who's ignored when doing unpleasnt things will ease up. Paying too much attention tells the bird just what to do in order to get your attention.

Edited January 12, 2013 by Dave007

[Luvparrots]

My zon normally shrieks or makes loud sounds once a day. It is just him clearing his pipes I guess. If he get on my nerves about it, I just start singing or humming. It gets his attention and he stops. Another thing to do is when you leave Kirby in another room, turn on the radio or stereo and see if that helps. I believe our parrots just want to be part of the family and in the middle of things kind of like small children who always want to be with the parent. Good luck.

Edited January 13, 2013 by luvparrots

[DanielaWelborn]

I am wondering if there has been some change in your household? You have had him for over 6 years. I am thinking somtehing must have changed to set him off.

[Guest Jocelyn]

Romeo does his primal scream about once a day for a minute or two, its incredibly loud but its kinda cute because we know he is really happy.

[kirbykookoo]

We have had some changes, but it has been since the horrible whistle. I was in school ft and working pt. I am now working ft, but doing my classes online so I am home a lot more. With our schedules Kirby is alone about 2 hours a day during the week and we always leave music or cartoons on for him. Dave had made a comment that I truly respect with birds whistle like we all talk, this is definitely for attention and not just a whistle but "Hey come here now" which I did when this started. I always offer him to come with me if I leave the room and he tells me no. Our home has an open floor plan so if I am in the kitchen and he stays on his cage, he can still see me and we will talk, whistle or sing. His cage door is open whenever we are home and he is 100% loved and spoiled and the center of my life. It is causing my husband to go upstairs and shut the door as it gives him a headache. I am just looking for ideas to help with his new habit as I want my whole family to continue to love him as much as I do.

 

If this was for just a few minutes it would not be an issue but can last for over an hour.

[danmcq]

this is definitely for attention and not just a whistle but "Hey come here now" which I did when this started. I always offer him to come with me if I leave the room and he tells me no. Our home has an open floor plan so if I am in the kitchen and he stays on his cage, he can still see me and we will talk, whistle or sing. His cage door is open whenever we are home and he is 100% loved and spoiled and the center of my life. It is causing my husband to go upstairs and shut the door as it gives him a headache. I am just looking for ideas to help with his new habit as I want my whole family to continue to love him as much as I do.If this was for just a few minutes it would not be an issue but can last for over an hour.

 

Dave does put things in perspective and gave great answers. As he said, they are sound machines pretty much and use them to communicate.

 

I can only offer my perspective based on how you described your interactions with kirby over the years. It sounds very similar to how my wife and I have interacted with ours, from the time we met him at 5 weeks old at the breeders until now 6 years later. That is constant conversations, some whistles on my part (wife can't whistle) like andy griffith and returning dayo's contact calls. This is whether he is in his cage or out flying around or perched somewhere. When we leave a room out of his sight he will whistle, talk or make sounds he has picked up over the years. This seems to be similar to how you have interacted with kirby.

 

This type of natural social behavior of contact calling and vocal interactions with the flock really cannot be stopped. It can though be lessened to some extent using a replace methodology that works to some extent. When we leave a room whether he can still see us or not, we tell him where we are going and what we are going to so. I work at home full time doing software engineering support and use a bedroom converted to an office. I am in and out through the day. My wife is disabled now for the last year and so she is home all day long. So the dynamics changed here and dayo would contact call loudly for long periods of time and I actually had to sound proof my office as best I could so customers would not hear those contact call whistles and sound effects. It took a few months for him to get used to it, but I always would tell him "I have to go work on the computer and talk on the phone". He still whistles sometimes, but ,most the time since he knows where I'm at and what I am doing he will just wait because he knows I won't be back in the general living area for at lest an hour.

 

Now, when my wife leaves his view, the same but more intense contact calls take place, she is his love muffin and he is always exasperated over where she is at all times when not present. She has worked really hard as well on telling him exactly where she is going and what she is doing. he can either join her or stay where he is. As I said he is flighted and can go anywhere in the house he wishes and most the time will fly to her shoulder and ride along. Many times he elects to just stay on his T- stand or hang out on other favorite perch/play areas. He now most the time will just say where she is and what she is doing once out of sight like "Mommies in the bedroom folding clothes". This has replaced the contact calls for the most part, except if she is gone past whatever time period he has in his mind it should take. Then he will start a few loud contact calls and she will respond with "I hear you, just a minute". Then he will quiet down for a little more knowing she is still in range and acknowledged his call. I must say, this has taken a year to get to this point and the loud contact calls still happen, but to a much lesser degree.

 

I hope this helps give you some ideas of what to try.

Edited January 13, 2013 by danmcq

[carlsjr]

Move him into the family room and see what happens

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

I usually don't have an issue with my birds whistling or contact calls. I am half deaf, so it doesn't bother me. BUT.... when kids are home from college, Sophie or Kiki are very loud.... I say SHHHH! They know what this means. They become much quieter. I whisper... " good job", give Sophie a quick kiss on her beak showing her my approval.Its just another way of a bird connecting the meaning to the word. Nancy

[kirbykookoo]

Danmcq - Your birds behavior sounds identical to Kirby. I always tell him about our day and

if I am going to work or even the grocery store. I think I will just start explaining if I am going to do laundry and maybe start a nice whistle to go back and forth while I am gone. I will take in all of the advice offered and thank you all.

[jensgotfaith]

I can relate. Recently we had issues with a faulty fire/smoke alarm just outside our kitchen. It went off a few totally random times- we weren't even cooking. And Kenzie picked it right up. You're right- it's totally ear piercing. I love all of the other sounds she makes- smooches, whispers, "What doing, hmmm?", "Hello", the "Yoohoo" whistle, pretty girl whistle, and tongue clucks. This one, it is definitely trying. I'm working with her, but I, like you, don't want to be inadvertantly doing something that actually encourages her or reinforces why she's doing it. She is very attached to me and typically won't do it if she can see me. But if I've been home and walking past her, even though I talk to her all the time like she's one of my kids (which she is) she'll sound out EXACTLY like our faulty smoke alarm to get my attention. If I don't respond she'll keep it up. Most times I'll ask her "Where's my kisses?" and she'll make kissing smooch sounds.

 

On a side note, my family bought a year membership into Star Eco Station, which is a non-profit rescue organization that provides education and public tours to learn about the animals. Most of the animals are available for adoption provided you can prove to them that you have knowledge about the species, the habitat set up at home, and the time and means to provide for the animal. They have everything from reptiles to birds to fish to insects. So, while I was excited to see the reptiles and kind of compare my tortoises to theirs, I was stoked about the birds. I never realized how ear drum shattering even a Goffin Cockatoo can be. Much less a room that is full of the whole gammet of cockatoos and amazons. Then we went into the Macaw/Amazon room. Wow. When the cockatoos got going, it was insane. So, that being said, Kenzie's fire alarm is tolerable compared to what I heard today. I'm still going to keep trying to figure her out, work with her, and train her. I love her too much not too. Besides, she makes me laugh when she gets going.

[pikachu]

I try to use positive reinforcement. Whenever she is whistling or singing something pretty, I tell her how pretty it is.

When she gets obnoxious, I ask her to sing something pretty. She usually switches.

Sometimes, we try to distract her by singing something different and it helps.

 

Sometimes she is just plain obnoxious.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Ummm actually, you CAN relate! As I can't hear well, Sophie does.

She knows I cant hear well, it doesnt make a difference in my expectations of her. It doesn't change the fact that I expect her and other birds and dogs to get along. I have certain expectations of her, she has expectations of me and the family. Nancy