Screaming at Dinner Time!

[CrazyforCockatiels]

We adopted Roosevelt last weekend and he and our hen (both cockatiels) are housed in separate cages in different parts of the house for the quarantine period. However, at dinner time, we put both cages in the kitchen, which is very large, so they can't even see each other and they're separated from feathers and such.

Anyway, at dinner time, we're all eating as a flock- My husband, son and I and Percy and Roosevelt. Right about this time, Roo starts screaming at the top of his lungs and crawling from one end of his cage to the other and from the top to the bottom. This is unlike his usually melodious whistling that greets my husband when he arrives home and serenades us at breakfast time.

Last night, we walked out of the dining room into the office down the hall and Roosevelt stopped screaming. We came back in and he commenced screaming. This is the only time he screams so we're puzzled. Also, we don't acknowledge the screaming as in trying to quiet or pacify him since we've heard this will only reinforce the screaming.

Why is he screaming and what should we do about it (if anything is to be done?)

Thanks much,
Laura

[ROYJOY]

put his cage back where it was before the screeming.

[stepht25]

I'm not sure I understand completely - can he see/hear you all at the dinner table - but he's not physically with you? If this is the case I would gather he's screaming because he doesn't want to be left out of the flock.

[CrazyforCockatiels]

This is the set up for the birds:

At night, we put Percy in the office and Roosevelt sleeps in a corner between the kitchen and dining room.

During the day, Roosevelt stays there and is also moved in front of windows either in the dining room or in the living room so he has a change of venue. Percy stays in the office or in the kitchen at the other end in front of three large windows where she enjoys watching the wild birds coming to our feeders.

These locales are where the most activity is taking place in our home so Percy and Roo seem happy as they're in the midst of it all until they go to sleep.

At dinner time, Percy is at the other end of the kitchen in front of the windows where she enjoys herself watching the birds and eating her dinner and Roosevelt is in the corner where he's located at night. This corner is between the kitchen and dining room but he's in the dining room with us. He is right next to us (so close that all I have to do is take a couple of steps and I'll be at his cage) and he can see us and hear us.

Hope this clarifies things. So, ROYJOY, he's actually in the space where he sleeps and spends most of his time during the day. If we put him in front of the windows in the dining room where he also spends time, he'll be right there with us, still. If we move him into the living room, he'll be excluded from the "flock" at dinner time. Is this a viable option? Won't it hurt his feelings?