You can expect a certain level of noise if you decide to bring in a bird to your home as a pet. Some birds, like parrots, are more aggressive than others in this regard and like to resort to noisy screaming for several reasons. You must know how to manage your screaming bird instead of yelling back at it as that is sure to backfire!

How to Deal with Your Screaming Bird?

You need to differentiate between healthy vocalization and problematic screaming. Screaming happens to be a part of the normal bird vocalization. 

Chirping, tweeting, and other similar noises are quite normal, and in particular contexts, so too is screaming. However, screaming is an issue when it surmises that your bird is suffering somehow or is overreacting to a particular stimulus. While it can be quite challenging to assess what it might be, most birds will not scream without any solid reason.

The most important thing you should do if your bird does not stop screaming is to ensure that you fulfill its requirements. Give it a proper and healthy diet, comfortable surroundings, and a spacious cage. Also, get another bird if you can if you feel your bird is getting lonely and seeks company. Keep in mind that bringing a bird into your family and home takes a lot of responsibility.

Furthermore, do not convey any wrong message to your bird. All you manage to do is reinforce negative behavior if you yell at your bird when it is screaming. In contrast, you can use positive reinforcement to encourage healthy vocalizations. 

You should also play with your bird from time to time, not allow it to get dull and bored, and make sure that you fulfill all of its health requirements. You should also know that a sick bird might tend to scream, so do not neglect likely disease symptoms in birds.  

Never Yell at Your Bird!

When your pet bird misbehaves and screams, you certainly do not want to reinforce it inadvertently, as this can exacerbate the behavior problem. From the perspective of the bird, receiving any attention while screaming might be a reward. Bear in mind that under no circumstances (and as mentioned above) should you yell at your bird as this can prove very counterproductive. Some birds might desire you to yell back at them as they simply adore drama and expression of raw emotion, and the yelling itself becomes a prize!

Apart from yelling back, hitting the cage or the bird, leaving it secluded, withholding food, or spraying it with water, will only increase the bird’s stress. It may also worsen its screaming, or it will resort to some other behavior that is completely unacceptable like feather picking.

What to do When Your Bird Screams for Attention?

If your bird tends to scream for attention, you can prevent this rather unpleasant behavior by making sure they are bust most of the time.

To that end, you can buy several toys designed to make your pet bird exercise its mind and give it something productive to do. You can also use videos of bird sounds or any other audible and visual material to hook your bird’s attention.

Substitute Screaming Behavior of Your Pet Bird

Another effective strategy is to stop or reduce your pet bird’s screaming behavior is to substitute or replace it with another acceptable behavior. The majority of the pet owners, rather than yelling back loudly at their furiously screaming pet, say a particular word repeatedly and teach their pet to say the same word instead of screaming out. Furthermore, they exercise positive reinforcement by rewarding their pet bird when it avoids behaviors that are not acceptable and doing things that are. 

There is no denying that ignoring your bird’s screaming is extremely difficult, particularly if your pet has developed a nasty habit of it with time. Begin by rewarding excellent behavior, boosting enrichment opportunities, covering your bird’s cage if it is screaming too loudly. 

Make it a habit to ignore it’s screaming by not responding at all or saying anything back to them while they are screaming. 

With persistence and utmost patience, you will eventually manage to break this ugly habit and help your bird have a quieter and content life.