How to Deal with Your Noisy Parrot When Working from Home

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended human life in innumerable ways, however the upheaval has also extended to our animal companions. Job losses have forced many people into difficult financial situations that have impacted their ability to afford pet food, for example, or even more costly veterinary care. Yet the impacts have also emerged in less expected ways. While it may seem that those fortunate enough to continue earning a living working from home might have more time to spend with their animal companions during the day, the change in routine has led to a more complicated reality for some.

A reported uptick in the number of unwanted pet parrots is linked to the difficulty some people are experiencing when they attempt productive workdays at home while their feathered companions stay busy with loud squawking. Considered the loudest parrot, Moluccan Cockatoos are known to create about 120 decibels of noise with their vocalizations, equivalent to the racket produced by a rock concert. Even the milder calls of smaller parrot species can cause audible disturbances in the form of incessant chatter. Such noise pollution has severed many relationships between pet owners and parrots, and having to attend Zoom meetings from home during the pandemic apparently hasn’t helped matters.

Parrots are complicated animals to keep as pets in one’s home, and although some individuals have developed the knowledge and skills to foster functional companionship with parrots, many people buy and adopt these birds, ill-prepared and destined for failure. While the human in the equation moves on with their lives and may get another pet, the parrot is left to be passed around to different homes, surrendered to a shelter or set loose — all scenarios that undoubtedly come with trauma for the animal. No one knows exactly what the future holds in terms of the COVID-19 situation and whether the working world will return to “normal.” Regardless, there are many strategies that pet owners can utilize to achieve a quieter home with their parrots and restore an atmosphere of sanity for both themselves and their birds. All it really takes is understanding the feathered companion and a little planning ahead.

Foraging

In the wild, parrots like many species of animals spend long hours in search of food. This basic survival activity keeps birds very busy during their waking hours, providing a natural source of exercise and freedom from boredom. Unlike their wild counterparts, pet parrots are usually given their meals in food bowls for “free.” While this might make for a less stressful and less hungry life, it can also rob a bird of necessary stimulation and activity, which can lead to behavioral problems. One primary behavioral problem is screaming. Pet parrots can sometimes vocalize beyond what is normal because they are simply bored and don’t know what to do with themselves. A simple way to solve this problem is to give them something to do!

Instead of offering all of the parrot’s daily feedings in a bowl, owners can harness the bird’s natural foraging instincts to keep him entertained. This can be done by hiding treats, such as nuts and seeds within toys, requiring the parrot to work a bit for her sustenance. Even a measure as simple as putting tiny strips of paper on top of food in a bowl, or hanging a spray of millet high up in the cage where the bird has to climb to get it can add stimulation. An important note is that foraging behaviors can range from beginner to advanced levels of difficulty, so it’s important that birds are slowly introduced to these activities so that they don’t become frustrated or too hungry while they’re still learning.

Keep those beaks busy

A bird needs a suitable area to spend her time while her owner is busy working, and whether it be a cage, aviary or play stand, it is of the utmost importance that the space is large enough for the species, and provides enough area to move around freely while keeping the bird safe from hazards in the home. Such a space will be filled with novel bird-safe toys that the parrot can destroy with her beak, or educational toys where the bird has to solve a puzzle to receive a treat. This is a natural and necessary activity that human companions can facilitate by providing new toys regularly that are interesting and safe to chew on like untreated wood, paper, natural plant fibers and leather. Always do research to ensure that the item is safe for the species to chew on and play with, and rotate toys often to prevent boredom.

Time management

Some amount of squawking is a natural behavior for parrots and so it can’t (and shouldn’t) be eliminated entirely. It’s part of what people sign up for knowingly or not when they get a parrot. Because of this, a large part of successfully being able to work from home while having a companion parrot boils down to time management. Many species of parrots are known to be a bit more vocal early in the morning and around sunset, so if possible, important online conferences or phone calls with the boss shouldn’t be scheduled for these times. Birds can be set up for success by being given a new toy or foraging activity shortly before their human starts Zooming, making it much more likely that they’ll be quiet during that time.

Parrots have social needs just like humans and so one source of screaming might be a lack of social outlets. An upside of working from home is being able to skip a long commute and having that extra hour to spend with the bird. Using that time wisely means that the parrot will have received some enriching companionship or extra time to fly around, climb, play and burn off some pent up energy that can lead to excessive noise.

Don’t reinforce unwanted behavior

A major mistake many parrot owners make is to unintentionally reinforce screaming behavior in their birds. This happens when they get frustrated with the screaming and instead of addressing it in a productive way, they respond by yelling back at the bird, punishing him or locking the bird away in a room where his needs aren’t being met. The problem is that the bird starts to think that the screaming was a roaring success because he accomplished something — a reaction from his human. So the next time the bird wants attention, a treat or some stimulation in life, he knows he can scream and will get some attention, even if the owner thinks it’s negative attention.

A better way to respond to screaming is by being quiet. Rather than rushing over to the bird for a scolding, stay quiet and wait until the bird is quiet and then go and give her some attention. This teaches the parrot that she gets what she wants when she’s quiet. It’s also important to stop the excessive screaming before it even starts by giving the bird the attention she needs and supplying her with an abundance of toys and opportunities to forage. Despite taking all these measures, there will be times when a parrot will commence some very loud squawking at the most inopportune moment. It’s these occasions that call for some environmental interventions.

Acoustical treatments

Sometimes poor acoustics in a home can amplify noise. Fortunately adding things like carpet, rugs, bulky comforters and cushions to a space can help dampen some of the reverberating sound. Beyond this there are many acoustical treatments on the market that can help absorb some of the noise, and many come in the form of wall panels or door coverings. There are even small enclosures on the market about the size of a phone booth, and although very expensive, are nearly sound proof areas perfect for getting human work done.