Parakeets are famous pet birds because they’re relatively easy to care for and come in various colors. People have been keeping them as pets since the early 1900s. If you have one as a pet yourself, you’ll know that they can be quite noisy. In reality, the loud screeching call is where their name comes from “parakeet” is thought to derive from the French word “perroquet,” meaning parrot – due to their similarity in sound – combined with the diminutive suffix “-et.” Some owners may wonder why their birds scream like this and if it’s normal behavior or not. Here we look at five reasons your parakeet might be screaming its head off and what you can do about it. Possible reasons for parakeet screaming include:
1) Your bird is hungry or thirsty
Typically, a parakeet might scream because it’s trying to get your attention so that you’ll give it something to eat or drink. Birds have very fast metabolisms, and they need food and water regularly to stay healthy. A lack of these can cause severe distress in your bird, which will be expressed vocally through loud cries. If this is happening, make sure that you provide fresh food and water daily (frozen water bottles are also great during hotter weather), and try to pick up some fruit like apple slices to keep your bird’s hunger at bay.
2) Your bird is scared or uncomfortable
Parakeets aren’t the most majestic of birds and can often be quite nervous in their cages by themselves. If they are left alone for an extended period without companionship, this distress may manifest vocally in a parakeet scream. Try to spend some time with your pet every day so that it knows you care about it and so that it doesn’t get scared when you go away. If you leave your radio or television on while you’re out, try to choose something more soothing than news reports or talk radio – instrumental classical music is usually ideal for this purpose, as many species respond well to certain harmonic frequencies and tones.
3) Your bird is excited
Parakeets may also scream if they’re excited about something new. For instance, if you’ve recently changed the position of your cage or introduced some new toys, your pet may simply be voicing its happiness at this change. As revealed at https://www.birdbox.nl/ this kind of squawking is perfectly normal and shouldn’t be discouraged. After all, the best way for your parakeet to tell you that it’s happy is by shouting about it.
4) Your bird wants more attention
Some birds just like their voices (or beaks!). Try spending some time talking to your bird before it starts screaming. If you turn up and put food in the cage without saying “hello” first, the bird may feel that it’s being ignored and has to make itself heard by screaming. Keep your parakeet company for a while before you do anything else, and it should calm right down.
5) Your bird is distressed
Birds are naturally social animals who live in flocks with one another outside of captivity. If they get lonely or are left on their own for too long, they can get very upset indeed – which may express itself vocally through loud cries of distress. Spending some time with your pet before you leave the house will help prevent this from happening. However, if it’s still crying when you go, try giving it something to preen (such a wooden toy) or put in its beak (some wooden blocks) to keep it occupied while you’re out. Further, research indicates that parakeets are native to Australia, and they live in large flocks in the wild (up to several hundred parakeets together). They make loud calls when they spot predators or other dangers, communicating with one another.
Parrots can be vocal, squawking at the top of their lungs for various reasons. They might be attempting to inform you that they’re bored, lonely, or hungry, or maybe there’s a stranger in the room. Parrots are very smart animals with distinct personalities – each bird has its likes and dislikes and favorite activities and people. It’s important to learn your specific parrot’s unique cues to understand what she may be communicating when she makes those odd noises.
