Your Advice: Shrieking Timneh?

[Mingus]

Based on your experience what is the best way to handle Kofi's natural, enthusiastic shrieking (which seems to be designed to get my attention when I'm nearby but not interacting face-to-face, or when I'm clearly paying attention to my other parrot):

1. ignore it and let he shriek until he gets bored (a point which I've so far never seen him reach)

2. cut him off before he starts by giving him the attention he wants (risk teaching him to expect constant face time and yell when he does not get it)

3. ignore him for a minute or so, then talk to him in a soft voice between shrieks (he might or might not understand that I prefer talking to shrieking)

4. learn to live with it, he's a grey, greys' shriek naturally (hope my neighbors don't plot to have me rubbed out by a hit-man)

5. some other response that I have not mentioned, but that you can suggest?

[judygram]

You are just going to have to ignore it for if you give any indication that you are paying any attention to it then it serves its purpose. Imagine you have a 2 year old child and it wants your constant attention and screams for it, do you give in and give it to shut him up, no you don't. You will have to put up with it for a while but it is the only way, sorry.

[Jane08]

Really common problem you have and your bird is young, he will grow out of it with your help.

 

As Judy says ignore it, but as soon as you hear him make an acceptable noise turn all your attention on him and praise him big time. Like you say also when he is quiet between screams then also praise him in the quiet times. He will soon learn the times he gets attention are when he makes an acceptable noise or is quiet.

 

You can also take note of the times and why he screams and try and pre empt it. So if you know he screams when you give attention to the other birds then given him something to keep him busy while you are giving attention to the others. Something that will make him forget to scarem, a treat or a toy.

 

It will take a few months, so stick at it and be consistent, don't show any frustration or aggitation, he will pick up on this and scream even more.

[Mingus]

thanks. So far the ignore the negative, praise the positive seems to be helping. I would add that he is starting to talk like a little madman; something to say about everything.

[SchroedersJen]

Busy timnehs are quiet timnehs. When I am going to spend some quality 1 on 1 time with our other bird, I hand Schroeder something challenging to do (Like a foraging foot toy)first. He is quiet when he is concentrating on something.

[oppie]

I would just ignore it. He'll learn it doesn't work, and will stop.

[antonisuk]

My TAG is 20 years old and he is quite the screamer. Ignoring him did not work from the start. He is not screaming to get our attention, he actually likes it especialy during the summer where i put his cage in the balcony where he hears other birds. So the only solution that works is to cover his cage for 5 mins.

[zandische]

Mingus, just wanted to add that Jane has the right of it. Ignore the screaming, but immediately reward acceptable sounds with lots of praise and attention. I have done this with my bird and her screaming has almost completely disappeared. Once I figured out what needed to happen, it took about 2 weeks to make the screaming go away. 3 months of screaming solved in 2 weeks!

[lovethatgrey]

I agree with Jane's advice.

[marcellos_mom]

I have noticed that my TAG screeches when I walk out of the room, or when we all leave the house, we can hear him screeching outside. Almost serves as a seperation issue. If I'm folding clothes and not in the same room as he is, and he starts screeching, I talk to him from where I am in the house. This seems to help, as he doesn't feel that I'm "so far away". Are there any other suggestions on this?

[Luvparrots]

When I leave the room I always tell Ana Grey I'll be back and she is quiet. If she does call out, I just ask her what she wants and she is quiet. I think she just wants to know where I am.

[Bertbert]

Hey, I just saw this thread now.

Gizmo screams when I leave the room too. I tried ignoring it, but when I'm only a foot away, it really hurts. I tried telling him "no" but that made it worse.... now I have started saying "bye" everytime I leave.

His yelling is slowly being replaced with "bye". Whenever he says Bye instead of screetching I come back into the room and praise him. I put him back into his cage and say bye to him again. This time in a very calm relaxing voice. When he's very agitated, he yells BYE!!! very loudly at me, but it is still wayyyy better than yelling

[judygram]

Thats great Brittany, why don't you try saying bye in a quiet voice, very softly and maybe instead of yelling bye Gizmo will say it softly like he hears it, give it a try and see what happens.