Question: My Blue Fronted Amazon loves watching television and he screams when I turn it off. He also screams when I turn it on sometimes though. He screams a lot, especially when I don't give him the attention he wants, but if I'm watching TV, he is quiet and watches with me. Is it normal or ok that he likes to watch TV?
Answer: I am an Amazon lover and besides having worked with many, many Amazons, I am also owned by a Blue Fronted. They are wonderful companions - in spite of the bad reputation they have been saddled with - but they do need to be well trained and socialized.
These birds are as individual as human beings and in this case, your boy likes television - nothing to be concerned about. Not all parrots like the same things, just like people.
The reason I decided to respond to your question was the screaming you described. This is a bad habit. While parrots are very noisy and general and are prone to "calling" a couple times a day (which is very normal), this screaming he's doing is something you should strongly discourage.
What he's doing is demanding your attention. He's learned, like a spoiled child, that if he throws a temper tantrum he gets what he wants. Some people don't mind the screaming and perhaps you don't, but parrots who scream for attention have been known to scream for hours on end and allowing him to make demands that you comply with can promote other negative behaviors like biting.
I would recommend putting an end to the screaming. It's not necessarily easy - he didn't learn to do it overnight and he's not going to learn to stop overnight, but with some effort he will stop and you'll all be better for it.
In order to stop the screaming, there are a number of training techniques you can use, but the first step is to stop giving in to his demands. His screaming must be ignored. Do not acknowledge or even look at him when he's screaming - leave the room if you can until he stops. When he stops and uses an indoor voice, praise him and give him treats - go over the top to make it clear that his quiet behavior is what you want.
Another technique that I highly recommend is replacement behavior. It is absolutely acceptable for him to ask for your attention, just not to demand it. So, you can give him an option to ask...I have trained screamers to ring a bell rather than scream when they want attention. You could also train him to say a specific phrase. When he does the replacement behavior you need to consistently respond to him. That doesn't mean you have to drop what you're doing to pick him up and play, but you need to respond in some way so he knows that asking nicely (i.e. ringing the bell or saying "come here please") will get him further than busting everyone's ear drums.
Here's a couple of websites that offer great training information:
www.birdtricks.com
www.behaviorworks.org
I hope this helps!
P.S. My BF and my African Grey have movie night quite frequently, they watch disney movies and they absolutely love it! My BF speaks "Minion" from the Despicable Me movies and it's hilarious!! It's perfectly ok for your boy to watch TV with you!! :)
Answer: I am an Amazon lover and besides having worked with many, many Amazons, I am also owned by a Blue Fronted. They are wonderful companions - in spite of the bad reputation they have been saddled with - but they do need to be well trained and socialized.
These birds are as individual as human beings and in this case, your boy likes television - nothing to be concerned about. Not all parrots like the same things, just like people.
The reason I decided to respond to your question was the screaming you described. This is a bad habit. While parrots are very noisy and general and are prone to "calling" a couple times a day (which is very normal), this screaming he's doing is something you should strongly discourage.
What he's doing is demanding your attention. He's learned, like a spoiled child, that if he throws a temper tantrum he gets what he wants. Some people don't mind the screaming and perhaps you don't, but parrots who scream for attention have been known to scream for hours on end and allowing him to make demands that you comply with can promote other negative behaviors like biting.
I would recommend putting an end to the screaming. It's not necessarily easy - he didn't learn to do it overnight and he's not going to learn to stop overnight, but with some effort he will stop and you'll all be better for it.
In order to stop the screaming, there are a number of training techniques you can use, but the first step is to stop giving in to his demands. His screaming must be ignored. Do not acknowledge or even look at him when he's screaming - leave the room if you can until he stops. When he stops and uses an indoor voice, praise him and give him treats - go over the top to make it clear that his quiet behavior is what you want.
Another technique that I highly recommend is replacement behavior. It is absolutely acceptable for him to ask for your attention, just not to demand it. So, you can give him an option to ask...I have trained screamers to ring a bell rather than scream when they want attention. You could also train him to say a specific phrase. When he does the replacement behavior you need to consistently respond to him. That doesn't mean you have to drop what you're doing to pick him up and play, but you need to respond in some way so he knows that asking nicely (i.e. ringing the bell or saying "come here please") will get him further than busting everyone's ear drums.
Here's a couple of websites that offer great training information:
www.birdtricks.com
www.behaviorworks.org
I hope this helps!
P.S. My BF and my African Grey have movie night quite frequently, they watch disney movies and they absolutely love it! My BF speaks "Minion" from the Despicable Me movies and it's hilarious!! It's perfectly ok for your boy to watch TV with you!! :)