Have you ever noticed that any TV shows with the rain forest as the background you hear parrots screaming? And then some of us go crazy when their pet bird does it in their home. It is the parrot’s natural behavior. Parrots use screaming as a method of communication over large distances.

This screaming is something that some of us have difficulties living with. A parrot with a screaming problem may be irritating to those who live in a house. But if you live in an apartment or close quarters with another house you undoubtedly may end being evicted or forced to rehome your parrot.

So, many of us have and will try very hard to stop their parrots screaming. Some parrots might scream every morning and evening until they have been fed. Others might yell when you are out of the room and they will only settle down when you reenter the room. Some birds may scream constantly while an undiserable person or object is in the room and only quiet down when that person or object is gone. In these situations, the parrots screaming is rewarded — by bird treats, you coming back to them, by the removal of the hated person or object. As with almost all learned behavior, the consequences of the actions are what either encourages us to continue repeating the behavior or convinces us to stop. The trick to stopping a screaming parrot problem: parrots will choose to do what is most rewarding to them. If your bird finds it more rewarding to scream than to remain silent or talk they will continue to scream. It is the owners job to reward good behavior and ignore the bad. It sounds simple, but it does take some effort.

The first step is to start paying attention to what you’re doing when the parrot is screaming. Do you re-enter the room when they are screaming? Do you approach and give them a bird treat to make them be quiet? Do you approach and cover them in their bird cage? Do you feed them? Do your remove them from their cage? Do you play with them?……….If you answered yes to any of the previous questions you are rewarding the screaming behavior.

Step two, is to stop rewarding screaming by ignoring the bad behavior. If you always enter when he’s screaming, stop. No more treats, food, playing or any attention while your parrot is screaming.

Step three is to pick a sound you like. It can be talking, whistling, basically anything you like that the parrot can do and be rewarded for. When they make that particular sound, you reward it. When you hear it give your bird a treat and celebrate. You are making that noise far more rewarding than screaming, after you constantly reward the good sound, they will quit their screaming.