The best way to discipline a parrot for screaming is to ignore him. Others cover the cage or turn off the light when their pet bird screams. These can be positive reinforcement techniques that you can apply to your flock.
To discourage your bird from biting when you are trying to get it to step-up onto your hand, you must present your hand in a confident, firm manner, in front of and just below the bird's belly, where its body meets its legs. You should say, “Step up,” in a clear voice, using the same tone and volume each time you ask.
More than likely, a parrot does not like being yelled at any more than a child would. Eventually, the bird finds the yelling humorous, which prompts even more bad behavior.
Punishment isn't effective in correcting bad habits in birds. Most bird pet owners find out that getting or removing away undesirable things from their pets could be a firm way to control their bad behaviors. Punishing them by physical force is not good for them because it may lead to more aggressive behavior.
Parrots are very sensitive to our emotions, sometimes better than we are. Our birds are keen observers of our facial expressions, body language, tone and even energy levels and therefore we have to be cognizant of how our emotions can impact our birds.
An angry bird may stretch up tall or crouch into an attack position, or it may sharply flick its tail or spread its wings to make itself appear larger and more threatening. Sound: Many birds have alarm calls and other sounds such as bill clacks or hisses that can indicate agitation and anger.
Causes of aggression in parrots include territoriality, hormonal fluxes during adolescence or breeding season, stress, lack of mental stimulation, and dominance issues, to name a few. Take steps to eliminate any obvious factors that may contribute to your bird's aggression.
One of the best sounds to get birds to scatter (and perhaps not to return) are synthetic sounds such as high-frequency, ultrasonic sounds. If you add in a frightening visual object such as an owl statue or scarecrow with shimmering tassels, the strategy becomes all that much more effective.
Biting is not an arbitrary behavior. Parrots make a choice to bite - or not. Your parrot is trying to express something and is using his biting as a means of communication and control. Sometimes hormones kick in seasonally to contribute to a bit of "edginess" in birds.
Many birds may bite when they are feeling playful and are over-stimulated. Amazons and Cockatoos are especially prone to "overload" behavior. Know your bird's body language and avoid trying to handle a bird that is obviously excited.
Negative reinforcement
Something that the bird dislikes and will try to avoid. An example of this is forcing a bird to step up by pushing a hand into the chest or prying toes off a perch.
Parrots are prey animals and can startle easily by new large objects, loud noises, and sudden movements. Keep your parrots away from the sight and sounds of predatory animals.
Why Are Pet Birds Aggressive? The most common causes of aggression in birds are fear or previous traumatic experiences. These can lead to handling problems, bites, and attacks when birds are interacting with their owners and others.
Studies have shown that parrots have, on average, the emotional complexity of up to a four year old human (the largest birds and some Amazons & Greys) Just like humans, they will have their up-days and their down-days ... their temper tantrums and their jumps for joy.
Wing flapping generally means a bird is either seeking attention or displaying happiness. If your bird is flipping his wings, it often means he is upset by something. If your bird's wings are drooping, he may be tired or sick.
While some owners will fall for their parrot's screaming trap, it's recommended that you actually ignore them. Playing or even talking to your parrot when they screaming will only reward them for their bad behavior, which is exactly what you don't want to do.
Even negative reactions, such as yelling at or striking your bird, can inadvertently positively reinforce the biting behavior. If your bird bites while on your hand, slowly put him down and walk away, like giving a time-out to a child. NEVER hit a bird!
Never Yell at Your Bird!
Bear in mind that under no circumstances (and as mentioned above) should you yell at your bird as this can prove very counterproductive. Some birds might desire you to yell back at them as they simply adore drama and expression of raw emotion, and the yelling itself becomes a prize!
Repeating sounds you've heard many times before is called mimicry. The “talking” we hear from parrots is mimicry of all sorts of sounds. They imitate many things, from spoken words to creaking doors to barking dogs. Most parrots are simply mimicking their owners.
Parrots may be displaying signs of affection when they rub their beak on you. This is a common way for parrots to show that they trust and feel close to their owners. Other times, parrots may rub their beaks against people or objects as part of preening behavior, which is self-care and grooming.
Parrots in captivity become one-person birds. Especially when there is no cage friend or mate, this species of bird quickly becomes closely bonded to one person in the home. In fact, the bond is so strong that other people living in the home are typically shunned to the point that the parrot will bite.