Things You'll Need
- lots of parrot toys
Instructions
Realize what is normal. Cockatoos are not quiet birds -in fact they love being loud. Although baby cockatoos tend to be somewhat less vocal then adults, expecting your cockatoo to be quiet all of the time is just simply unrealistic on your part. Healthy cockatoos vocalize a few times a day and they do this loudly. They are quite vocal in the wild and they are vocal in captivity. However, being vocal a few times a day is quite different than excessive and constant screaming for attention. Attention screaming is not normal and definitely needs to be addressed.
Take your cockatoo for a check-up with an avian vet. Before you begin to train your parrot not to scream excessively for attention, you should take him for a check up with an avian vet. Your avian vet will check to make sure that he is in good health and that there are no medical issues that you need to be aware of. In most instances, they can confirm that he is displaying a behavior issue and not a health one.
Keep a written log of his screaming. Your next step is to keep a log of your cockatoo's vocalization patterns for about a week. Write down when he is quiet and when he is loud. If there is something in particular that seems to trigger his excessive screaming fits then write it down. The key is to write down and then analyze this log so that you have a better idea of his "triggers".
Spend quality time with him. Cockatoos need quality time with their beloved humans. They crave it and they want it. Therefore, spend a certain amount of time every day playing with him, talking to him and showing him that you do indeed care. One great bonding activity is preening his head feathers. Most Cockatoos love this! Engage him in mind-stimulating activities. This includes giving him plenty of foraging toys and even trick or click training him. By doing this, you will encourage independence and stimulation which is extremely important to his health and well being. In addition, such activities will keep him busy and stimulated. A good selection of toys for cockatoos are puzzle parrot toys. Most cockatoos absolutely love figuring things out and love puzzle parrot toys. Just make sure that any toy that you give him is bird safe and doesn't contain ragged edges or anything that could actually harm him.
Praise your parrot when he is quiet. Whenever your cockatoo is quiet, you must take time to praise him. This includes giving him a favorite treat (pine nut, sunflower seed, verbal praise, scratches/pets and even out of the cage time) Either way, when your cockatoo is quiet, tell him what a good guy he is and how much you appreciate him being quiet. This positive enforcement will go a long way into encouraging him to not engage in excessive screaming. Note: whatever you do, don't do things like throw cans at his cage, tell him to "shut-up" or other negative things. This will only increase the behavioral issues and cause him to not trust you.
Ignore him when he is loud. This one is hard but it is very important. Whenever your cockatoo screams excessively ignore him. Don't look at him and don't even react to the screaming. You may find that you need to put on noise cancelling headphones or leave the room. Whatever you have to do - do it! For instance, if he starts screaming when you are watching television in the same room. Simply turn off the television and walk out and only return when he is quiet. Make sure that you don't return when he starts back. Be patient. The screaming may actually get worst before it gets better which is called an "extinction burst" and he may actually scream even more hoping that you will cave in and give him what he wants because of his excessive screaming. However, if you can just hang on there and don't get stressed out about the increase in screaming- your parrot will soon learn that screaming is not an efficient way of getting your attention!
Contact an avian behavioral consultant for additional help. If you find that none of these tips work, you can contact an avian behavioral consultant to assist you. Many of them can even come to the house and evaluate your parrot's behavior and offer more suggestions. However, in most instances, these ideas will work great and your Cockatoo will stop screaming excessively for attention. Good luck!