African Grey 13 wks making a "crickety" sound

[bluelgummies]

Hello!
Cecil, my 13 week old CAG started making this almost crickety croak/chirp.
He started it day before yesterday, but stopped making it when I fed him, and/or when I played with him.
Today, from waking up, he's been making the sound almost non-stop.
He kept it on even during and after eating (though I feel he ate significantly less this morning than usual). I offered some of his favourite treats (monkey nuts + sunflower seeds), he wasn't too keen on eating them though he had a few after sweet talking & encouragement.
He kept it on with cuddles and scratches and wasn't very keen on playing.
He stopped making the sound when I whistled and sang to him, but he went right back to it.
I've booked a time with the vet, but in the mean time I'm slightly worried and wonder if anyone might have an idea what's making him chirp this way?
My room gets quite cold, so I've attempted to keep the warmth around his cage constant before his avian heat lamp arrives. His feet are warm and his excretions seem normal. I'll include a video of the chirping once I get the file transferred from my phone.

[Navre]

I'd really be interested in seeing/hearing the video. I remember my baby grey making half croakin, half growling sounds under her breath. I think it was the beginning of her attempting to speak.

Greys find a sound they like and make it over and over. The good news is that they're easily bored and he will probably move on to something else.

[Wolf]

I too would be interested in hearing this sound that he is making, but then I am also worried that he is not feeling well. The actions that you describe worry me as they don't sound to me to be the actions of a healthy bird. Also you need to keep him warm this would be about 95 degrees F. Wrap a towel around a heating pad and place this in a box or aquarium or pet carrier, something with relatively solid sides and place him on it. The towel is so that the heat from the heating pad doesn't burn him so make sure it is thick enough that it is not uncomfortable to your touch when you put your hand on it with light to moderate pressure.
The temperature in the room that he is in should not be allowed to drop below 65 degrees F., any colder is too cold for him.

[Pajarita]

He sounds sick, hungry or both. What are monkey nuts? Peanuts? In any case, you have a very young baby there and it should not be eating sunflower seeds or peanuts, it should be getting handfed at least once a day (I would do it twice a day because he sounds hungry to me) and two different kinds of warm, soft foods served fresh twice a day. And, please do NOT use a heat lamp, use a heating pad instead. Parrots nest in dark cavities and the babies are supposed to be kept in darkness and very low light or their eyes do not develop correctly so putting a bright lamp near them is the worst thing you can do. Besides, the lamp would, by necessity, be to the side instead of under where any source of heat is the most effective (heat rises, it doesn't 'go' sideways).

[bluelgummies]

Hello!
Thank you ever so much for your helpful replies!
I took your advice and handfed him a warm soft meal and he's stopped making that cricket sound all together! He's grinding his beak now, bless him, and he ate quite a fair amount thank goodness (:
I've not been feeding him seeds or nuts as food, only a couple mixed in with his soft food (which I've let him eat by himself, but bless him, perhaps he's reverting back/not fully weaned :/ ) as he'd been on a mixed seed & pellet diet and wouldn't at first touch anything else when I got him.
I'm still taking him to the vet nevertheless...can never be too careful!

Ah the avian heat lamp which I've purchased is non-light emitting (ceramic infrared) and can be clipped to the cage, it heats the air around it. I had an oil-filled electric space heater prior to owning my baby, which used to work wonders but it burst and fizzed oil everywhere...so I'm a bit hesitant on buying those kinds of space heaters as heaven knows what could happen to a birdie if one went faulty. I'm a bit new to these heating systems and whatnot, as with our previous birdies we lived in Africa...not many cold days to be had there! UK's got chilly weather on atm...where could I find these heating pads you were mentioning?

[Pajarita]

Ahhh, poor baby was hungry! I am so glad you are now handfeeding him because they don't only need the food, they also need the comfort of been fed... just like a human baby. Please note that infrared is a light and it does damage eyes and that's why there are government rules that state that people who work in environment that use it NEED to wear protective goggles. If you are set on using it, please make sure you cover the cage on the side where you are placing it with something opaque and thick so the light does not go through it.

[bluelgummies]

Bless him! Probably been chirping and thinking "mama feed meeeeee". So glad that was the case!
Ah! Thank you, that's very very good to know! The one I ordered was mentioned to be suitable for brooding chicks etc. but I'll definitely read about them more before I even consider using it...doesn't hurt to be careful!

[Wolf]

I have one of those oil filled heaters that I use part time and I really don't think that you could find a much safer heater to use near a bird. It is pretty rare for them to burst open. I have had mine for close to 12 years now and it still works perfectly.

[liz]

Even after my baby cockatiel were able to feed themselves they would follow the adults around begging. Lemone' and his mate did not produce babies that year but he played nanny for the chicks.
When a human baby is able to feed himself he will get tired long before he is full and needs help.

When you hear the cricket sound, look close at his mouth. Myrtle has been making a noise by clicking her tongue in the top of her beak.

[Wolf]

The last heating pad that I bought , I purchased it at the pharmacy.