Alexanderine parakeet screaming

Kittynevill

Registered
so I have a rescue Alexandrine Parakeet. I've had her for about a year now. Unsure of sex, she has a massive cage, lots of toys and time out and about too. When home she tends to scream for a solid ten minutes at a time sometimes this is twice an hour sometimes its every other hour. When not in I know she doesnt scream as I have a camera set up with audio. She does her normal squawk, she mimcs phrases and even whispers but I cant understand what she needs when she screams. I need some advice from people who know these types of parrots not parrots in general. Should I not have taken her on, does she need a friend or am I doing something wrong. Please advise
 
:welcome:So she only screams when you are home is that what you mean? Does she do it when out of the cage?
Could be she is asking for your attention, how do you react when she scream, sometimes it is best to answer with a whistle or the same few gentle words, could be she needs reassurance.
I am sure our other members will be along with advice. @Roz - anyone please?
Can we have a photo of her please also what is her name.:thumbsup:
 
:welcome:So she only screams when you are home is that what you mean? Does she do it when out of the cage?
Could be she is asking for your attention, how do you react when she scream, sometimes it is best to answer with a whistle or the same few gentle words, could be she needs reassurance.
I am sure our other members will be along with advice. @Roz - anyone please?
Can we have a photo of her please also what is her name.:thumbsup:


She does a very odd scream when I'm not there. She can be sitting on my head and does it. To be honest I have tried giving her a little spritz of water which shes not found off as well as doing the opposite which consists of sitting by her cage and talking to her.
Her name is Pepper, no clue of age.
 

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Please don't use a spray of water as a punishment, dear girl is only asking you for something just wants to communicate with you.
Is she your first parrot, and may I ask what she is fed on. Is she your only bird.
Pepper is a beauty that's for sure.
 
Please don't use a spray of water as a punishment, dear girl is only asking you for something just wants to communicate with you.
Is she your first parrot, and may I ask what she is fed on. Is she your only bird.
Pepper is a beauty that's for sure.


I dont spray her anymore, when I saw how much she didnt like it I stopped using it. She is my first parrot, but I do have 2 budgies. She was on Pets At home parrot food but she selectively fed so now Shes fed on kaytee parrot food as her main source. I did get her Harrington I think thats the name, very natural high end pellets but she refused them. She has some fresh fruit and veg but shes very fussy and will just launch it out of the food bowl if not interested. I couldn't find any food designed specifically for them.
 
If she is calling when you are out of sight then she is contact calling. this is normal and she will be trying to hear a reply from you, Dose she talk at all? the trick is to try to not encourage the calls you do not like but react to the calls that you do. I do recommend a mainly fresh food diet and a 35% seed and dry feed i would also recommend a sprinkle of calcium powder over the dry feed three times a week
 
If she is calling when you are out of sight then she is contact calling. this is normal and she will be trying to hear a reply from you, Dose she talk at all? the trick is to try to not encourage the calls you do not like but react to the calls that you do. I do recommend a mainly fresh food diet and a 35% seed and dry feed i would also recommend a sprinkle of calcium powder over the dry feed three times a week

I try to ignore the screams and reply back when she talks. She can say: come here, what you doing, whistle, clicks, courtney (my name) and a few other bits. In terms of fresh food could you give me an idea of how one days diet would look please?
 
:welcome: Courtney and Pepper! Yes, as others have already advised be careful not to reinforce the unwanted sounds and instead reinforce the preferred sounds...
I try to ignore the screams and reply back when she talks. She can say: come here, what you doing, whistle, clicks, courtney (my name) and a few other bits.
... which you are already doing!

You could try to identify the reason(s) by looking at what happens immediately before the screaming (what sets the stage for it/cues it?) and then what happens immediately after the screaming (what does she get from it/reinforces it?). Since she only does it when you are at home, have a look at what you are doing before and after. Sometimes it is hard to identify.

If you know when she is likely to scream, try cue-ing some other sound - looks like you have a lot of great sounds to choose from! - before she is likely to start screaming and HEAVILY reinforce those words/whistles. A bird will choose to do the behaviour that gets the most reinforcement. So, for example, if you know she will start screaming as soon as you come home in the evening, cue another sound as you walk into the house and then HIGHLY reinforce her replies. Is attention reinforcing for her? If so give a LOADS of attention.

She has been screaming for maybe a year+? So it is going to take time to learn another behaviour instead. She may have learned to scream in a past home to get what she wanted? Maybe attention? Bad attention from the human is better than no attention.
 
:welcome: Courtney and Pepper! Yes, as others have already advised be careful not to reinforce the unwanted sounds and instead reinforce the preferred sounds...

... which you are already doing!

You could try to identify the reason(s) by looking at what happens immediately before the screaming (what sets the stage for it/cues it?) and then what happens immediately after the screaming (what does she get from it/reinforces it?). Since she only does it when you are at home, have a look at what you are doing before and after. Sometimes it is hard to identify.

If you know when she is likely to scream, try cue-ing some other sound - looks like you have a lot of great sounds to choose from! - before she is likely to start screaming and HEAVILY reinforce those words/whistles. A bird will choose to do the behaviour that gets the most reinforcement. So, for example, if you know she will start screaming as soon as you come home in the evening, cue another sound as you walk into the house and then HIGHLY reinforce her replies. Is attention reinforcing for her? If so give a LOADS of attention.

She has been screaming for maybe a year+? So it is going to take time to learn another behaviour instead. She may have learned to scream in a past home to get what she wanted? Maybe attention? Bad attention from the human is better than no attention.

Definitely going to struggle finding a trigger but I will try your advice, and the scream she had before i got her so I believe she picked it up from her previous home (wherever that was). She doesnt like any physical attention but seems to quiet down when sat next to her so I was wondering if it could be a lonely thing.
 
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