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[cmaygar]

Is it possible to house her for a few hours or more a day outside? My WBC loves to be on my screened-in pool enclosure and he loves to mimic the wild birds and ducks. Caiques are very intelligent and need a lot of mental stimulation. You also may try foraging toys with treats in them and foot toys. My WBC will play with toys for long periods of time. He also likes hanging toys with knots in them so he can take the knots out. Anything that can be dismantled, he loves.

If all else fails, it also could be possible that your breeder could take the baby back and exchange it for a different bird. This one may have been overly spoiled during the hand feeding process where it simply refuses to act independently. Some breeders hover over the babies and never leave them alone so the baby expects 24/7 attention and that's impossible for anyone to deliver.

I wish you the best of luck. Please let us know what happens.

[Eurycerus]

They are caged together and this scenario has worked well for the two of them. Because Iago is now used to snuggling and playing with another bird I think removing Zazu entirely isn't an option- I don't want him to be lonely. And if I have to rehome them, at least the companionship of their friend may offer some comfort despite home change.

It is my experience that finding a home for a pair of parrots is significantly harder. You may be leading to them being bounced around for the rest of their lives. I don't think that's fair. I suggest you start separating them now. Get a new cage. Iago will be fine. He has you and knows what life is like without a parrot buddy. Since you care about him do NOT just get rid of him and get a new parrot. Zazu needs work and obviously Iago isn't helping. You need to change up the environment and find what works. Maybe Zazu likes Iago but needs his space and you aren't providing that. When they are out they can burn energy by playing with each other. Please change this and try something new for their sake.

[Khaiqha]

Caiques are very energetic birds. Your birds might need something to help them burn off that energy.
This can range from foraging toys, to trick training, to lots of climbing, etc.

Are you birds free fed? If they are, try making them work for their food. Make them have to chew through an old tissue box to get their food, or put it in a bird safe wicker ball/cube. Before my IRN's flight feathers grew back in, I trained her to go up and down the stairs (I lived in a three story house). I put treats and different toys on parts of the stairs that were far away from each other so she had to climb everywhere. This could keep her busy for hours.

I know you don't want to hear it, but flying really can help cut down on a bird's noise levels because it gives them something to do. Since yours can't fly, give them lots and lots of climbing activity. You can buy nets, or build your own with string. I took a bunch of hangers with shirts I was planning on tossing and I spaced them apart along a wire shelf. My IRN would spend hours climbing around that stuff.

[Pomlover2586]

They currently have swings, nets and foot toys within their cage as well a son their play stand. We are in an apartment with no patio so going outside isn't an option. We do open the windows and let them see/talk to wild birds occasionally. Our apartment is not large enough to house a second cage- at least not long term, so housing them separately isn't an option. I have contacted Mickaboo to see if they have nay other suggestions. The breeder doesn't have any babies currently, and even if they did she's not replaceable. I don't want a new baby- I want MY baby...just minus the screaming.

[marie83]

We said going into this that if the new baby was a screamer we wouldn't keep her- but now Iago and Zazu are bonded.....so now what?

Seriously what did you expect? Would you do that with a child, give it away/sell it if it cried too much? Nobody should take on a parrot if they aren't planning to give it a forever home- unconditionally. Caiques are naturally loud and lively- your taking away both of its most natural behaviours, the breeders I spoke to both had babies available to sell but as soon as I said noise was an issue they both told me to steer clear as the chances of getting a screamer was more likely than getting a quiet bird.

People don't hate you, they just don't understand why you are so selfish that your own desires are coming first and foremost, not the birds needs. I'm not saying you are a bad owner but there is definitely a bunch of things you could improve, you say you dont want an aviary, so why are you even keeping birds in the first place knowing they are designed to fly?

It is like you ask for help, then knock back anything suggested. The same things keep getting suggested over and over again because they are the methods that have the best success rates. Might as well give them a go since everything else is failing after all you have nothing to lose.

[Grey_Moon]

Ok.

First---calm down---you and your husband need to make commitments and choices---not ultimatums. A caique is NOT a quiet bird and they've got that shrill whistle call. If you can't accept with and deal with that, please rehome them both.

Getting all wound up and frustrated and 'nothing is working! we've tried *everything*!' isn't helping.

There *IS* a cause for this, especially if you're ignoring it (not storming off in a huff, not ignoring it then losing it and covering her---that's still negative attention).
Personally, I think it was unwise/shortsighted of you to go in saying if the bird was a screamer that you would get rid of it. I.e. if it was imperfect in any way that you wouldn't stand for it. It was especially unwise for you to get a caique. A parrotlet would have been a better choice.
Would you get rid of a child who misbehaved or wasn't exactly what you wanted?
A parrot deserves the same respect and consideration. Also, like a child needs to be allowed to be a child, you need to let a bird be a bird.

With regards to your 'my home is not an aviary...' YOU GOT A BIRD. YOU ARE A FLOCK. YOUR FLOCK LIVES IN ITS AVIARY. Which is your home
I do not understand why if you couldn't handle noise and flight that you got a bird.
Thats like saying you didn't want barking or shedding or the need to walk but got a dog and keep it cooped up inside and silent. Birds need to fly.
They are physically, emotionally and mentally damaged by not being able to do so.

Michael may have been blunt, but he was right. Part of this is a direct result of your ignorance and violation of their essential needs and nature.

NOW---if you can decide to step up to the plate, there's a couple things I would look at to start with:

-Diet---is the diet full of sugar/carbs? Even 'good carbs' like fruit? Like with kids an excess of simple carbs and sugar leads to crankiness, blood sugar swings and hyperactivity. Adding more veggies and complex carbs and protein is a good start. Reduce fruit/sugar/simple carb intake.

-Exercise---part of this is excess energy and tension. Birds need to fly. It feels good. It makes them feel safe.

-Frustration----think about it. Something is obviously going unmet and/or you're confusing her by being inconsistent. She needs something. She needs to know she can communicate with you and reach you. You're only paying attention to her on your terms when she's quiet. What this basically translates into is as long as she's quiet there's the possibility that you *might* depending on your whim come and pay attention. It DOES NOT give her a way to get your attention. That isn't fair and fosters insecurity and frustration. She needs to know there's an appropriate way to get your attention, a call or noise that you will respond to. Reinforce other noises by coming to her/answering her IN ADDITION to ignoring her screeches. Say she's screaming to get out of the cage---ignore her (don't look at her, make a sound, think about how loud she is...pretend she's not even there) for however long it takes. When she finally offers another noise answer her immediately and go let her out. Otherwise you're just stonewalling her---and she keeps screaming because she's desperate to get a need taken care of/contact you.
To boot---she's been screaming and you've been answering!!

You can't expect her to be quiet, and you aren't going to reinforce the noise out of her just by ignoring her till she's quiet. YOU NEED to give her a repetoire to communicate, assert herself and express herself with.

Because she's been intermittently reinforced this may take a while. But if you're just going to be that flaky and give up on her please rehome them both to someone who can make that commitment even when things aren't as they planned.

[pennyandrocky]

rehome them both. they will be better off in a home with people who want to live in an aviary.
i have a cockatoo and you have not heard screaming til you hear a too.my house is a split level so the kitchen is downstairs where she won't fly so when i go down there she starts screaming. i can be anywhere upstairs and she never screams. why? because she can fly to me anywhere upstairs even if she doesn't want to she knows she can.

[GlassOnion]

This thread is so hostile and so angry, I don't even know what to say. When did this place become so full of hatred? :/

Pom lover, I am not saying that you have to wear the hearing protectors for your entire life, I'm asking you to try them out to see if the screaming behavior would die with with some time. It doesn't hurt to try.

Also- Caiques are VERY high energy birds..and I don't think that you should have the "my house is not an aviary, therefore they cannot fly" attitude.. Caiques require more space and more activities than most other species of companion parrots, and if you aren't willing to keep them flighted and don't even have the room for a second cage in the apartment..how are they exerting their pent up energy?

Did you check to see if Zazu is properly weaned? Have you tried offering warm, comfort feedings with a spoon?

Another thing, I don't think it would be a good idea to rehome both of them.. It's just not fair to the birds who have to be shuffled around due to this. If anything, finding a good home for Zazu MAY be a last, last solution, but Lago doesn't have to go. That's one more bird being placed in the rehome chain.

[terri]

Lets turn this another way WOW !!!!! I think this sounds like baby begging [Was this bird fully weaned when you got it ?]]I know your going to tell me yes [cause the breeder told you ] But how do you really know?.My sun conure did this [It was a repetative wail].I was told she was weaned she was not.This stopped after I started hand feeding her.Having more than one bird in the house is going to be louder.Both mine got pretty loud with their evening call when they were young.But its more quiet now that their older.Because its constant maybe she not eating enough of what shes supposed to ?

[GlassOnion]

Very, very possible that she wasn't weaned properly. As I said before, try offering comfort feedings. Mush some oatmeal, pellets, etc and feed with a bent spoon.