[KimBear]

Members, because this is the "Ask the Experts" board, please give me a chance to respond before posting.



While it may seem there's no reason or pattern to your cockatoo's screaming, there most likely is. It may be difficult to figure it out because there may be more than one reason, and because we aren't always able to interpret the screaming, we can't determine what it is that's setting the bird off. Could be happy excitement, could be angry frustration. To our non-cockatoo ears, it all may sound alike.

Normally, when a parrot screams after people come home, it's a "hey-where-have-you-been-come-over-here-and-see-me" response. There are a couple of ways you can manipulate this so it isn't as much of a problem. One strategy is to predict when it's likely to happen then try to prevent the problem in the first place. You could greet your parents at the door with bird in hand, for example. She's not likely to scream if your folks are talking to her and petting her.

Another idea would be for your parents to establish a coming-home greeting ritual that involves them coming over to the bird to say "hi", waiting for her to settle down, then letting her out for a bit.

The whole screaming issue can be pretty complicated and trying to recommend something without knowing more about your situation isn't easy to do. There are some tactics (ignoring the bird, for example) that would be perfectly valid in some situations, but in others could be the worst thing to do.

Getting one-on-one professional advice is a good idea because you will get information that's personalized rather than general. That's not to say there's no trial-and-error when you have a consultation. Somtimes it can't be helped because you're trying to figure out another creature that can't always tell you what they want or need.

One thing that there's no guessing about: Screaming problems are one of the main reasons people end up getting rid of their cockatoos or putting them in a back room or basement. It's best to get a handle on it now before it reaches a boiling point, and it will likely take some more investigating.