flock call

[Tishrei]

On different threads, I've been reading about flock calls.

Okay, I've mentioned that Ducky is a changed bird and he's very quiet now -- he talks and chatters but basically he does not scream/squawk. I'm serious, this bird quit screaming.

Should I be worried? He doesn't yell in the morning nor in the evening. After reading all these posts, I am wondering if there's something wrong with him. Aren't macaws supposed to scream at least a little bit? I'm not sure it's illness since if it was, he would really be sick by now as it's been quite a while since he screamed. If he wants attention, he still does what I call the "bat hang" -- hang by his beak or by his legs and flap his wings.

If I take him to the vet, what would I say -- my bird doesn't scream?

[4HAND]

Do you ever crank the music up at your house?That always gets mine going.
Tena

[itchysquid]

Haha you're worried about what would be every bird companion's dream...*

Nah, I would be worried too, everything about Caesar worries me!

Seeing as I'm a fairly new bird owner, I dont have any pearls of wisdom to offer, but I'm sure all the lovely people on here will help you out!

*Note, I actually don't mind Caesar's squawking, I would yell out with him and have a ball if I didn't live with 4 other people in a high density inner city house.... :) Luckily i live with a band, and they can just about drown him out!

[Tishrei]

LOL ... don't get me wrong, I don't want him to turn back into a screaming maniac. I'm just concerned after reading all these threads and realize that Ducky is much too quiet for a normal macaw.

I'm now actually watching him very carefully for any signs of illness. I'm making sure his poop is normal, he's eating, etc. I'm thinking of taking him to the vet. Based on all that I am reading on this site, a macaw should be more vocal than Ducky is.

[birdsnreps]

lol, if only all of our birds had this problem!! LOL. have you tried vaccuuming in the same room as him?? mine also start screaming when im shredding paper. have you tried taking him to the shower with you?? mine also love to scream and sqwuak when we take them in there :) is he your only macaw?? usually they are much quieter when you only hve one, when you get to have more than one, they all like to scream and sqwuak at each other and they get so loud sometimes, lol.

[ROYJOY]

i hope that its just a case of a bird becomeing so comfortable with his human that he has no need to call. is he quiet when you have guests?

[Tishrei]

He's never been one to yell over a vacuum. When guests come over, he doesn't yell mostly because I have never forced him to be locked up -- he's usually on me or wandering around someplace. He also has never been one to yell over music. He is my only bird. Actually, he's the only bird I have ever had so I have nothing to compare him to except what I read. I'm learning a lot here but now I'm concerned.

Last week, I took him in for his trimming and he pitched a major fit and screamed.

It just seems so weird that he's so quiet. He didn't use to be but since it's been so gradual, I didn't realize how quiet he has become until I joined this group. I guess I am thinking he should be more vocal like other birds.

I just squawked at him to see if he would do it back. He just looked at me like I was nuts.

[ROYJOY]

I can see him looking at you like you're nuts.

[birdsnreps]

lol!! well, it just sounds to me like hes happy, he really has no reason to scream. he doesnt have to compete with other birds for attention or food, and he gets lots of out-of-cage time, and he doenst have any other bird to squawk with. mine only really scream when i come home, loudly. its cause i have been gone all day, they were lonely and they were happy to see me come home. as soon as i come in and say hi to them, or unlock their cage doors, they stop screaming and are quiet for the rest of the day :) i let mine wander around, supervised, but they have plenty of toys and food that they can eat, plus they get cuddle time with me and the hubby, so they are quiet.

[Tishrei]

I would like to point out another difference that I see with my bird versus what I'm reading on this site. This is not what I believe to be a health issue but just what I perceive to be weird or different behavior.

Most of Ducky's life with me has been that he is alone during the day while I work. Typically when I get home, he greets me with a "hi bird" when I walk in the house -- I unlock his cage and then go about my business. So he's alone for the whole working day. For the past couple of months, I have not been working so I get to see what he's like during the day (but that will change soon and he will again be alone during the day).

It seems that Ducky has adapted to my night time schedule. Since I am home, I watch him during the day and even though the cage is open, he pretty much stays on it or in it. It seems that when the sun goes down or the time when I would come home, he comes to life. Right now, it's 8:00 p.m. and this bird is going "preen mommy' crazy. He is going to town preening me and I can't get him to stop. He's being incredibly affectionate right now.

What I'm getting at is though I have read that birds will stay awake during daylight hours and their bodies will tell them it's time to sleep when the sun goes down, Ducky naps during the day or sits in his cage during the day -- even when I'm home -- and at night, this bird comes alive. Right now, he's making me nuts with that beak all over my face and neck -- that hot little birdy breath all over my face, neck and ears, using his feet to hang onto my hair like a roap so he can reach areas that are difficult to reach.

Maybe I screwed up his bio-rythym so that affected his flock call. Maybe he doesn't know when he's supposed to call the flock so he gave that up.

He eats just fine and his poop has not changed so now I am thinking I am just being too overly worried. It seems he wants to be left alone during the day. He'll let me pick him up but as soon as he gets a chance, he heads right back to his cage. At night, if I put him in his cage like right now, he'll simply climb down and head back over to me. Either I screwed up his system or he has owl DNA in him.

So I'm not going to worry about the lack of screaming -- I shall consider myself blessed. Sheesh, I was obsessing over his lack of screaming.