Timneh Grey Won't Stop Beeping

[adamtron]

Help! My Timneh Grey wont stop beeping. I have tried everything and he just beeps non stop. He has plently of food, water and lots of toys. Lately I noticed he stopped playing with his toys and just started beeping. The beeping echoes through the entire apartment complex and is embarassing. I can hear him saying "naughty bird, be nice!" and other things I typically say to him when he's been bad. I have tried what the books say about ignoring the bad behavior but that didn't work. I put ear plugs in for 4 hours and when I took them out he was still beeping. The only thing that will make him stop is if he is eating, if I hold him or if I cover his cage with a black sheet. He is driving my roommate and me crazy. I took a video and posted it at the link below so you can see and hear what he is doing. If anyone can help, I'd appreciate it. Thank you!


http://adammillerweb.net/misc/griffinbeeping.wmv

[sugarbeth]

How much out of cage time does he get? He looks like he could use more stuff to do and more mental stimulation/interaction. But really, birds chirp and are loud. That doesn't make them bad.

[adamtron]

Hi Sugarbeth. He gets a couple hours a day out of the cage. I hold him, pet him, kiss him, etc. and let him climb on top of his cage. He has a lot of different types of toys in his cage. Anyone that comes over always comments on the variety of toys that he has, but he seems to have lost interest in playing with them. The reason I consider the beeping "bad" behavior is that he is picking the most high pitch irritating sound he can make and repeating it over and over every few seconds for hours on end. He did not do this so much before, so I need to find a way to teach him NOT to do this. Normal chattering, singing, chirping is OK, but high pitched beeping and screaming is not. He is going to upset the neighbors and the landlord.

[Parrotpeople]

Poppy (my tag) does it as well, so did a previous tag we had. Sometimes it can be nerve racking, but not often.

We thought the previous tag was imitating a smoke alarm from her previous owners, but then when Poppy does it it's more like our cell phone "beep".

[Xray Susie]

Do you rotate new toys in? You said he doesn't play with his toys anymore. My CAG loved the acrylic toys - he just beat them up!

Maybe some new ones? Or new foods? Scrambled eggs? Cheerios? New fruits/veggies to try?

[chapala]

Several months back my Grey decided a car alarm was his very favorite sound. I never reacted to it, but do respond with other vocalizations. He made the alarm sound a lot for about two months, but now it's faded away so that it's not bothersome at all anymore.

I would suggest you try some simple trick training with your bird - something to occupy his mind, plus he gets to work for positive rewards. Little pieces of almonds are a pretty good motivator! Barbara Heidenreich and Bird-click Yahoo forum are two good sources for information. It does sound like the repetive noise making might be a sign of boredom, and more interaction might help, not just sitting with you, but learning something new. Worth a try!

[Lisa B]

That an anxious grey. they usually dont run back and forth like that.The running you see, is he doesnt want to be in there. Thats usually something a tiel would do.

the beeping is normal. you have him in the kitchen, so he probably knows, when that microwave beeps, someone comes in.
I would suggest, foraging ideas, more light needed, more in a room where family gathers, and new or rotating toys. just because there is alot of them, does not mean they are the right ones or ones he likes. they stop playing with them after a while. Woods need to be of a softer material otherwise they are useless for a grey. they cant be thick either. Alot of greys like acrylic toys...something that makes noise when hit....


oh any we must have had a few police cars go past our house..
sydney's new noise is a siren...........That can be heard houses away.

[sugarbeth]

If he only gets 2 hours out of his cage a day, then he's definitely hurting for interaction and stimulation. Definitely move his cage (and I would get him a bigger cage if he's in it that much) out where the people are like others have suggested and give him lots of new toys. Have you read the bird enrichment online book?
http://www.phoenixlanding.org/PEAB_V2.pdf

[chapala]

I just listened to the video, and I really didn't hear anything that isn't normal for a Grey. I consider my Grey to be very vocal, and some of his sounds are loud or repetitive (he also talks!), but I just accept him for what he is and enjoy him very much.

If that amount of beeping is driving you and your roommate crazy, you may want to think about finding a good home for him.

[Tom Lawless]

I can understand your concern about upsetting neighbors and the landlord. That wouldn't be good. Have you tried playing the t.v. or radio for him? My guys always have other sounds going on in the room. In the morning they watch ESPN or cartoons. Afternoons I usually put on the radio with kind of upbeat music (I don't think classical music does much for them). I even have a bird sitter DVD I play for them sometimes. It claims it helps reduce bird anxiety (I have a plucker so anxiety is an issue of concern). They do enjoy it but it tends to make them louder. There are also ideas on foraging, even a dvd about it, that might be worth looking into to divert his attention. I am lucky, I work where I live so my guys are rarely in their cages. Still, there are times they can be quite loud. Greys can make a variety of shrill whistles and beeps naturally. I think it is why they are so fond of imitating our microwaves, cell phones, and fire alarms. Is there a way to increase out of cage time, not necessarily with you, but just time for him to climb in and out of his cage or playstand? It could help.

One other thing, years ago I had cockatiels who were relatively quiet birds except for the Spring time. It was nothing like you are experiencing but in Spring time they were generally much louder than usual. Maybe it's a Spring thing and may return back to what you were used to before. I hope so.

Good luck. I hope you will be able to find a way to work all of this out.