Why does my cockatiel scream?

Listed below are common behavior problems reported in pet cockatiels. Simply click the question below for more information. If your questions cannot be found here, please visit or main cockatiel section or stop by our parrot forum and post your questions.

cockatiel Screaming

Cockatiels scream for many reasons. If the bird has been tamed and continually screams, most likely it will need to be reconditioned to stop. Before the screaming can be minimized, however, the owner should understand that the screaming cannot be completely eradicated as this is the way that a cockatiel communicates with other flock members. Most cockatiels will make their contact calls during the morning, noon, and before sunset. If the bird is screaming throughout the day, without rest, then it is important the owner change the cockatiel’s environment as this could be the cause. The screaming may also be occurring due to not enough interaction with its owner, so this is another area that should be evaluated for improvement.

For example, many cockatiels will scream to get their owners attention. In response to this constant screaming, the owner usually will rush over to the cage to praise the bird. In another instance, the cockatiel may continue to scream and the owner may not rush over to the cage but instead becomes irritated and shouts at the bird. A bird can’t differentiate between the types of attention it gets so it continues to scream. To the bird, this is all just attention as it can’t understand our language; it believes it is being rewarded.

To remedy this problem, the owner should not shout at the cockatiel (telling it to be quiet) but rather go over to the cage and begin to praise the bird, even making eye contact. Continually hearing your cockatiel scream can be irritating; however, the best thing to do is to completely ignore all calls made by the tamed cockatiel. Only when the bird is quiet should the owner head over to the cage and praise the bird. Cockatiels are very smart and will adjust their screaming habit once it has learned that screaming will not get an owner’s attention.

Another method that may help to stop your bird from screaming is to modify the cockatiel’s housing environment. Cockatiels are flock animals and continually communicate with other members. This is most probably why they tend to make more noise than other birds. If a cockatiel is placed in a noisy environment, this will trigger the parrot to make calls because they perceive they are within a flocking area. The birds will begin to join in the noise around them because it is a natural thing for it to do. Lowering the noise level or rearranging the cockatiel’s housing environment can go a long way to minimizing the screaming that is coming from your bird.

It is important to never punish a pet bird by spraying them with water, flicking their beak, or yelling at them to remain quite. As mentioned above, pet cockatiels do not understand this type of punishment; rather, using

these types of reprimands will only result in more negative conduct and will not stop the unwanted bird behavior. This can lead to more problems such as a phobic bird, fearful biting, or constant nervousness.

For more information, join our parrot forum or read our cockatiel article.

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