Excessive Noise (vocalization) PT2

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Excessive Noise (vocalization) PT2
Topic Started: Nov 20 2008, 02:37 AM (330 Views)
theexbrit	Nov 20 2008, 02:37 AM Post #1
Co Admin Posts: 3,533 Group: Co Admin Member #74 Joined: March 20, 2007 How many Parrotlets do you have 3 What types Pacifics What colours Green, pied Other Birds ? 2 Conures - Crimson Bellied & Green Cheeked I live in So. California My name is Andy	Problems Intrinsic to Excess Noise Two issues usually complicate cases of excessive screaming, and the first is the time factor. The longer parrots practice a behavior, the better they get at that behavior. Hesitant to seek professional advice, many owners seek free, ineffectual “quick fix” techniques (such as squirting the bird with water or covering the cage) until family members or neighbors finally lose patience and present an ultimatum. Owners then become frantic to change the behavior NOW. It is essential that everyone understand that it takes time to create problem behaviors and resolution takes time as well. Additionally, the longer the behavior has continued (i.e., been rewarded), the longer it will take to change it. The second problem with cases of excessive noise is that retraining a screaming parrot requires the cooperation and consistency of all the humans in the area—which can be difficult to achieve. If one person continues to reinforce the screaming, the behavior will not change despite the best efforts of everyone else. Curbing the Noise Resolving problem behaviors requires a step-by-step approach. First, people in the area need to collect information as to the timing and possible etiologies of screaming episodes. Diaries are excellent for this, and everyone in the environment is asked to participate. With each screaming incident, important information to record includes: • Time of day • Day of the week • Phase of the moon • What is happening at the time • The recorder’s mood • The bird’s apparent mood • The apparent moods of any other humans present • People’s reactions to the noise • Anything else that might be relevant Owners are instructed to collect data for 10 to 14 days, and are warned not to review the information prior to that time. Humans are fond of patterns and unknowingly will produce a false pattern if they are not careful. At the end of the data collection period, the participants should analyze and compare their notes, looking for patterns in the excessive noise. If patterns exist, steps can be taken to change what leads up to the behavior, therefore changing the behavior itself.2 To successfully decrease excessive screaming, owners must be consistent and patient. If a bird screams while caretakers are in the room, they can turn their backs and briefly withdraw their attention. This maneuver is the other, more effective “time out” technique. The second the bird quiets, they should turn back and reward it with praise and/or food treats. If the screaming is renewed, caretakers should turn their backs and leave the room, leaving the bird alone. They should not return until the bird has quieted, even for a couple of seconds. If they are not in the same room when a screaming episode begins, they are to do nothing until the bird quiets briefly and/or makes an acceptable sound (such as talking or whistling). Owners should then instantly re-enter the room and reward the bird. It is vital to understand that extinguishing excessive screaming will not produce a quiet bird. Extinguishment will return the racket to a more normal level—not eliminate it. Cage location also can influence levels of psittacine vocalizations. If a cage is placed directly in front of a window with no hiding place, noise levels can increase exponentially. Biologists define this as “vigilance behavior” and it is part of a parrot’s genetic make-up.3 Owners should provide a hiding place in the cage or move the cage to back it partially against a wall. Hiding places often help alleviate screaming situations. Earsplitting Amusement for Visitors Parrots often scream excessively when guests arrive, which likely is a territorial issue (“Get out of my house!”), combined with the urge to participate in a social event. Owners can alter this pattern by following these steps: Give the bird no food treats for several hours before the company’s arrival. Then encourage the parrot to participate in a rambunctious flapping session, followed by a drenching shower. Once accomplished, the happily tired bird is moved to a cage in a separate room. The bird is then given very special food treats that take a while to consume (i.e., treats hidden in puzzle toys, nuts in the shell, corn on the cob), as well as a fabulous new toy that has been reserved for this purpose. The bird has now been removed from the space and is happily absorbed elsewhere before company arrives. Consequently, no excessive screaming occurs. As always, prevention is the key. If owners want their guests to meet the bird, they can bring it in on the hand for introductions, then return it to the isolated cage with additional treats. Teaching a Contradictory Behavior Owners can also teach their birds a “contradictory behavior” to help to neutralize excessive noise. Using the basics of trick training, most parrots can learn to make a simple sound on command. Parrots who are taught to whistle or sing a response when owners initiate it cannot scream at the same time. This is an effective technique, as it gives the birds an alternative to screaming that reaps more rewards. When Noise Needs a Response There are two exceptions to the rule of ignoring unwanted sounds. When the human “flock” reunites, parrots tend to celebrate this occasion with raucous noise. This appears to be a natural response, and owners should not ignore the bird in this situation. Instead, they should greet their birds and spend a couple of minutes interacting with them. Owners should then ignore any noise that happens after a parrot is suitably greeted.4 The second exception is the “contact call.”5 In the wild, a parrot’s flock represents the safety and protection of numbers; once separated from the flock, a bird is more likely to become a predator’s meal. Consequently, a prime function of that powerful voice is to enable parrots to communicate with each other when other flock members are not visible. In this circumstance, they use a contact call, and its function is to identify the location of other flock members. Companion parrots also do this to see if they are alone. Contact calls vary widely with domestic-bred parrots, so caretakers need to pay attention and identify the sound their parrots use in this manner. If contact calls are not answered, they will escalate to a scream—which usually gets a response. In this way, humans teach a parrot that the only contact call that gains a response is one that involves excessive noise. Therefore, people need to answer a contact call from anywhere in the house. African greys (Psittacus erithacus erithacus) in the companion home frequently learn to replicate the ringing of phones and the beeping of microwaves. Greys have doubtless learned that these sounds always get a response, so they mimic them when seeking contact with their humans. In other words, a ringing telephone and beeping microwave are human contact calls.6 A Lack of Independence One could say that redundant screamers are birds who are unable to amuse themselves in acceptable ways; if so, this problem can be perceived as a failure of independence.7 Consequently, caretakers must find multiple acceptable activities for their parrots, such as chewing and shredding wood, beating up on wonderful toys, and eating (and throwing) lots of interesting and delectable foods. Conclusion Parrots are, by nature, noisy animals, and they can be nothing less. However, many parrots learn they get attention by screaming excessively, and this sets them up for failure as companion animals. The process of rehabilitating screamers is not to “unlearn” the behavior. Parrots will never be quiet animals. But through patience and consistency, they can easily learn to replace obsessive noise with other behaviors that are more acceptable to their human companions.



kevinp	Nov 20 2008, 07:39 PM Post #2
Administrator Posts: 6,016 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: October 7, 2006 How many Parrotlets do you have I have one Parrotlet What types Celestials What colours One green Other Birds ? Budgeries four off I live in a mess of my own making !!! My name is I'll give you a clue	Andy they are very good articles, maybe you should take this course http://www.behaviorworks.org/ its $50.00 and well worth it.



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