BudgieBootcamp

So what I ended up doing was leaving the radio or TV on when I'm out — background noise helps. Within a few days there was a noticeable improvement. Definitely worth trying.

My parrotlet did this too! Turned out it was because of jealousy of a new person, pet, or even object in the home. Once I addressed that, everything went back to normal.

What worked for me was spending at minimum 2 hours of supervised out-of-cage time daily. Took about a week but my lineolated parakeet responded really well to it.

Following up on my earlier comment — I tried what you suggested and it actually worked! My umbrella cockatoo is doing so much better. Thank you!

Oh my bird did this for about about a month and I tried everything. Honestly, time was the biggest factor. They just grew out of it.

Oh man, this brings back memories. When we were dealing with this with Pistachio, I thought we'd never get through it. Now it's just a funny memory. It gets better, I promise.

Already stressing about Canada Day plans. Last year I left booking a bird sitter way too late and had to cancel my trip. If you're traveling for Easter, book NOW. Any recommendations for bird sitters or boarding in the Richmond Hill area?

Been thinking about adopting a rescue instead of buying from a breeder. Any experiences with rescue birds in Ontario? What should I expect in terms of behavioral challenges? Which rescue organizations do you recommend?

Great question! So in my experience with Quaker parrot, this usually comes down to a few things. First, spending at minimum 2 hours of supervised out-of-cage time daily. Second, make sure they're getting enough sleep — 12 hours of uninterrupted dark sleep is crucial. And third, pay attention to hormonal season — spring is brutal because that was a huge factor for my Sunny. Hope that helps!

I struggled with this too until I started getting a kitchen scale and weighing them weekly to track health. Now it's like a completely different bird.

My vet in Scarborough suggested putting the food bowl higher up — birds feel safer eating at height and I noticed a change within the first week. Highly recommend.

I've been giving my green cheek conure filtered water but ran out of filters and gave tap water for a day. Now I'm spiraling. Toronto water is rated pretty good for humans, but what about birds? Do chlorine levels matter? What about in older buildings with lead pipes?

Just wanted to come back and say the advice in this thread WORKED. My lineolated parakeet finally stopped screaming when I leave the room after I tried putting a bird lamp on a 12/12 timer to simulate natural daylight cycles.

Do you have other pets in the home? My Amazon parrot started acting differently when we got a cat.

Have you noticed any other changes? When my pionus did this they were also grinding their beak more than usual.

Which avian vet do you go to? I'm looking for a good one near Hamilton.

Following up on my earlier comment — I tried what you suggested and it actually worked! My Hahn's macaw is doing so much better. Thank you!

Working from home with an umbrella cockatoo is an EXPERIENCE. Oliver has now learned to say 'Can you hear me?' and 'You're on mute' in my voice. My coworkers think it's hilarious. My boss... less so. Anyone else's bird pick up work-from-home phrases?

Welcome to the forum! Great to have another bird lover from the GTA. Your Quaker parrot sounds adorable — what's their personality like?

I respectfully disagree. I think it depends heavily on the individual bird. My Gizmo is the total opposite.