A cockatiel’s scream is like a long, loud, and sharp cry. Cockatiel owners who have never heard such noise before may get alarmed with the sound.
It can be a disturbance for some people as well. But why do cockatiels scream? Is it an emergency? I did some research, and here is what I have learned.
Cockatiel scream when they are in pain, fear, or psychological distress. Your birds may squeal when they have a fear of losing their lives by being attacked. Excruciating pain is yet another primary reason that can make your cockatiels scream. Some birds also scream just before they die as well.
If you hear a loud scream of your cockatiels, make sure you reach out to them immediately. Look out for pain, injury, or any other discomfort they may be experiencing.
Try to calm them down by petting them, playing their favorite music, or offering them their favorite treat.
Once they are calm and quiet, you can get a vet appointment for them. Your vet can find out the reason behind the scream as sometimes that cause is not so apparent.
Do Cockatiels Scream A Lot?
Although cockatiels are vocal birds, their screams sound different.
Your cockatiel may scream if they are experiencing severe pain, dying, or are terrified by something in their immediate environment.
A cockatiel scream will sound high pitched and loud. Many people compare the noise of a bird scream to the shriek or yell of a baby or young child.
If something in your cockatiel’s environment is causing them to scream, you will need to take action to remove it as soon as possible.
What Does It Mean If A Cockatiel Is Screaming?
Cockatiels are pretty vocal animals. However, a sudden piercing noise can surely alarm any bird owner.
One of the primary reasons for screaming in cockatiels is pain, while the other is fear. If your cockatiel is in extreme pain, then they will scream just like any other living being does.
Fear is another primary reason for the screams. Cockatiels pigs don’t have any defense or any help to protect them.
So, whenever they feel that their lives are in danger, they cry out loud to make sure someone comes for their rescue.
Other reasons for cockatiels to scream includes extreme anger and food.
Cockatiel Screaming Due To Pain/Injury
Your cockatiel will likely scream loudly if he is in excruciating pain or severe injury.
Like most other living beings, a loud screech is the body’s natural reaction, and the same is true with our cockatiels.
If your cockatiel is screaming out of pain or injury, the scream will likely be accompanied by various other symptoms.
Look out for other signs of injury. If you feel the situation is not under your control, the best idea is to take your bird to a vet.
Cockatiel Screaming In Anger
An angry cockatiel often makes a high-pitched noise. It is similar to a boisterous child losing their temper.
When your cockatiel screams out of anger, it signifies that the situation is highly upsetting to them.
You will also see that some cockatiels yell when we do something they don’t enjoy.
A fight between two cockatiels is yet another reason that can make them scream out loud.
Cockatiel Screaming Due To Fear
Fear is yet another factor that can make your cockatiels scream.
Cockatiels are prey animals. They do not enjoy the company of other animals such as cats, dogs, or even other birds.
It is important for you to make sure that your cockatiel have a secure and a safe cage. Always reach out to they if they make loud screaches as it can be a signal for some unforseen threat.
Some other factors that can frighten your cockatiels are loud sounds of music player, lightning, etc.
Sometimes stress can lead to life-threatening situations for our cockatiels. Thus, make sure you are around to comfort them when they need you the most.
Cockatiel Screaming For Food
If your cockatiel is extremely hungry or thirsty, then it might scream loudly.
Once my cockatiel started screaming juyst because it’s water container was out of water.
Therefore, it is important to make sure that you look out if your bird makes loud noises.
The same goes for food as well. Your cockatielss might starve to death under such circumstances if you don’t lookout for the same at the right time.
Therefore, making sure your cockatiels are eating their daily diet properly is crucial.
Cockatiel Screaming When Touched Or Picked
You must never let small children handle a cockatiel alone.
You must understand that children are not trained in handling birds. Any sort of improper handling, along with loud noises and running from children, can cause distress in your bird.
Cockatiels are fragile animals. Ensure that an adult is always present while a child interacts with a cockatiel.
Cockatiel Screaming Out Of Boredom
Single cockatiels who are very closely bonded with their caretakers are particularly susceptible to loneliness or boredom.
This kind of constant cockatiel screaming or crying usually starts after you go to bed and continues until you respond or she gets tired of calling out for attention.
If a cockatiel won’t stop meowing because she’s lonely, find a solution. Or, consider adopting a second cockatiel.
Cockatiel Screaming To Get Your Attention
Sometimes, your cockatiel might cry for your attention as well. This usually happens when they see you around, or it’s their veggie time, and they know you are about to serve them veggies.
They will start making chirp noises to grab your attention. All they want from you is their cup of fresh vegetables or their favorite treat.
Make sure you get them what they need, and they will stop making those loud noises.
How Do I Get My Cockatiel To Stop Screaming?
If you find your bird screaming, you must first offer them comfort and support.
You must begin by looking for signs of injury. You must not hurry to take your pet to the vet. Instead, the best idea is to evaluate the situation first.
Your cockatiel may be shocked by a neighborhood dog or a loud noise. Therefore, such fear might force your bird to scream.
If you feel your cockatiel is stressed, it is best to judge the situation and wait until your bird calms down.
If you are unaware of the source of your cockatiel’s stress, eliminating it is necessary for your bird’s wellbeing.
If your cockatiel is stressed by another pet, keeping your bird in a quiet, private space will help.
If you suspect your cockatiel may be dying or screaming out of excruciating pain, you may offer comfort and let it pass at home.
Alternatively, you can take your cockatiel to the vet to be humanely put down if you fear your bird is suffering too much.
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Do Cockatiels Scream Before They Die?
Although it is pretty rare, your cockatiel might scream right before they die. This usually happens when they pass away due to extreme circumstances like heart disease, seizure, etc.
Cockatiels can get frightened and stressed out easily. Although not very common, some birds do lose their life due to sudden stress or extreme fear of something.
A sudden loud noise, a storm passing by, or some predators broke into your cockatiels’s living space. Such unforeseen circumstances can lead to extreme fear and heart attack in some cases.
Cockatiels who passed away in such situations make a loud screaming noise before they pass. It is the same as a human being screaming out of fear of something.
Why Does My Cockatiel Scream When I Leave The Room?
Most cockatiel owners can agree that these little pets can be quite nosey sometimes.
They might watch you go from room to room, and they want to know what you’re doing. They could make a squeaking sound—which indicates they’re feeling rather left out.
If you see your cockatiel staring at you from across the way, go over and give them a few scratches. They’ll feel better right away.
Why Does My Cockatiel Scream In The Morning?
The most likely reason that your cockatiel wakes you up in the morning is food, specifically one of two things related to food.
Either your cockatiel is hungry or your bird woke you up previously and you fed them.
There’s a good chance that at some point your cockatiel started screaming in the morning, and that you gave them food to shut them up so you could go back to sleep.
Maybe your cockatiel was bored and wanted to play — but when they realized that annoying you resulted in food, they discovered a new way to score a morning snack.
Why Does My Cockatiel Scream At Night?
Some cockatiels owners compliant that their birds are noisy at night.
This usually happens when they are hungry.
Sometimes your bird may even cry out of fear. There may be something around your cockatiel that has frightened them.
For example: other pets in your house (dogs, cats, other birds) or loud noise (music, lightening), etc.
Why Does My Cockatiel Scream At Me?
If you have a feeling that your cockatiel is screaming at you, then you need to back off. Also, do not try to pick your bird in such cases.
Give your cockatiels some time to calm down while trying to figure out what is causing them to feel this towards you.
Give your bird around an hour to calm down and then you can slowly start talking to them in a soft voice and see how they react and take it from there.
Again, the easiest and fastest way to stop your cockatiel screaming is to go through the reasons we have talked about and eliminate these reasons one by one until you feel you have a good idea of what can be causing the issue.
Conclusion: A Cockatiel’s Scream
Hearing a cockatiel scream can be stressful and panic-inducing. However, it’s important to remain calm so you are best able to help your bird.
It’s not always a sign that your cockatiel is going to die. It can be because something is scaring your bunny, or because something is causing them extreme pain.
If you act fast to get your cockatiel help, they can come out of the other end absolutely fine. And, you can take steps to prevent bird screaming in the future.
