Loud Macaw!!

[OsiViper]

got my macaw about a week and a half ago, and thought i was lucky and got a quiet macaw (if one existed). just tonight she started screaming her head off and has been going at it off and on for the last 30 minutes!

Is this really normal??? i havent heard anything this loud! my gf's cockatoo is quiet as a mouse 99.5% of the time.

Is there a way to reduce this behavior so she screams less?

[thejoie]

You have to ask yourself why is she screaming?
Is she bored? She's still new so is she feeling insecure? Is she calling for you? Did something scare her? Did something change in the room that she's not sure about? Has she gotten out of cage time today? Does she have destroyable toys that you can redirect her attention to?

The honeymoon period is over... she's letting her true colors shine! She will start testing her boundaries more now and seeing how far she can push. She's a macaw. They are VERY different than cockatoos. They are very strong-willed!! You have to set the boundaries. Make sure to correct any behavior that you don't want. I have a mini macaw but with her I used the earthquake method, the time out in her cage with complete ignoring, and the put her down on the floor and turn around away from her to discourage behaviors I didn't like. If she nipped I'd put her down and turn away. Or worse yet, I'd put her back in her cage for a minute and ignore her. You're going to have to train your bird... and unfortunately they don't come with instructions so you're going to have to figure out what works for the two of you.

You have to be careful because you don't want to reaffirm this behavior. My suggestion is that if she stops for a moment- then give her attention. They maybe try providing more toys or stimulation. Does she have a favorite food that keeps her busy?

Also- since you have a cockatoo and a macaw, I'm just wondering if you have an air purifier or two. Cockatoos are very dusty (I'm sure you know... lol...) and the dust can be harmful to your macaws lungs. I was looking into adopting a cockatoo and someone told me about that....

Good luck with her! She looks beautiful from your avatar!!

[OsiViper]

Dont have the $$$ for a air filter yet. but i plan on getting one and a humidifier once i do.

[thejoie]

Originally Posted by OsiViper

Dont have the $$$ for a air filter yet. but i plan on getting one and a humidifier once i do.

That's a good step.

Did she finally stop screaming?
How's her behavior otherwise?

[OsiViper]

She is back to normal now.. was screaming for quite a while..

She was acting very odd last night.. i dont know if it was the storm or what... She was trying to bite ppl, including me, screaming her head off, etc.

This morning she seems to be back to her normal sweet self... - i dont know what it was last night....

[thejoie]

Maybe it was the storm. She's still new to the place and unsure of what's going on... so maybe it freaked her out!

[Lori~D]

She was in fact being a normal Macaw. They do that on occasion. Mine will do that if he even Smells a hot wing in the house. Other than that he is normally fairly quiet. LOL, welcome to Macaw land. Your lucky to have a happy healthy bird if they do that once or twice a day for anywhere from 15 - 45 minutes. I cannot help myself to ask but did you not know this would happen?

"You have to ask yourself why is she screaming?
Is she bored? She's still new so is she feeling insecure? Is she calling for you? Did something scare her? Did something change in the room that she's not sure about? Has she gotten out of cage time today? Does she have destroyable toys that you can redirect her attention to?"

Is it possible she is just plain HAPPY? She is in fact a Macaw,lol. Have you ever heard them in the wild?
Oh and BTW - this is no offense I hope, it just made me giggle and YES Macaws do get loud during storms in the wild too!! Biting is always a possibility when a Macaw is excited and stimulated and it doesnt mean they are wanting to hurt you - you just dont have feather armor! They bite when excited and you have to learn when to let them be. Usually alwas when they are flapping and screaming!!
One thing you can try (works for me) is to walk up and start taking to them in a whisper. Have a whole conversation. They will shut up to listen to you. Then after they calm down you can redirect by moving to a different perch or giving a toy. I dont like to use food treats as it will encourage them to scream for it.

[Loopey89]

My B&G slept in mine and my husbands bedroom for a long time. Every night when we'd turn off the light she/he would start screaming VERY loud. It was very piercing and even made the dogs outside go crazy. We eventually learned to leave the bathroom light on and that ended the problem. My patagonians do this too,but other than that-no screamers.

[mmr]

Some birds don't like storms. That could have set him off. It could have been anything. Mine will do it when a thunderstorm comes by, he needs water, doesn't like his food, wants attention, or is just happy and letting us know!

If the screaming gets bad for long periods, you can ignore it, I started to whisper to Teal (he is soooo nosey) and I learned when I started whispering he shut up so he could hear what I was saying. The funny result of that is 1. he stopped screaming, 2. he now whispers to me all the time!

[dookiesmom]

Our African Grey has learned to tell our B&G to sshhhh. Our B&G get's loud a little bit in the morning, and then for about 15 minutes or so in the evening until I can get her out of her cage. So now our african grey says "Sssshhhhh, quiet voice" very softly as this is what I saw all the time to the B&G!