Parrot squawking and screaming almost always comes down to three things: diet, environment and training, what we call the Birdsville Triangle. Get all three right and most parrots become noticeably calmer and quieter.
This guide explains why parrots vocalise the way they do, in the wild and at home, walks through both older and newer training approaches, and shows why positive reinforcement consistently gets better results than punishment.
It helps to start with realistic expectations. All parrots make noise, it’s part of being a parrot, and even wild parrots aren’t vocal all the time. The aim here isn’t a silent bird, it’s helping your parrot squawk and scream less than it naturally would in a healthy, well cared for environment.
On This Page
Why Do Wild Parrots Make Noise?
Why Do Pet Parrots Squawk and Scream?
How Do You Stop a Parrot From Squawking?
Diet
Environment
Training
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Do Wild Parrots Make Noise?
Wild parrots are noisiest at dawn and dusk, in larger groups, and when they’re alarmed, defending territory or communicating with their flock. They tend to go quiet at night and while feeding.
Most parrot species can’t see well after dark, so they roost before the sun sets, which is why you’ll hear them most in the morning and late afternoon if you spend time in the bush. Parrots are also more vocal in larger groups and quieter in smaller ones. They tend to go quiet while feeding, likely because feeding on the ground leaves them vulnerable and they need to listen out for predators. You’ll also hear more noise from a parrot before it becomes aggressive toward another bird or an intruder in its territory, and when it’s alarmed. A parrot that spots danger will give an alarm call, and the whole flock takes flight immediately.
Why Do Pet Parrots Squawk and Scream?
Pet parrots squawk to communicate, whether that’s staying in contact with other parrots, raising an alarm when they feel threatened, or simply wanting your attention. Loud or frequent squawking can also be a sign of distress, and diet plays a bigger role here than most owners realise.
Parrots are highly social birds, using a wide range of vocalisations alongside whistles and squawks. In the wild, they often squawk together to create a mobbing effect that scares off predators, which is part of why the sound carries so well. A poorly fed parrot is more likely to feel irritable and vocalise more, which is exactly what the Diet section below covers.
If your parrot is squawking out of fear or anxiety, offer comfort and reassurance. If it’s after your attention, giving it company and engaging activities can help prevent the excessive squawking in the first place.
How Do You Stop a Parrot From Squawking?
You stop a parrot squawking by working on diet, environment and training together, what we call the Birdsville Triangle. You can focus on just one side, but working all three gives better, longer-lasting results.
If you’ve worked through all three and the squawking still isn’t improving, which is rare when it’s done properly, there may be an underlying health issue. In that case, book a visit with one of our recommended avian vets, or a local avian vet you trust. You’ll find our full recommended vet list on the Common Bird Illnesses page.
Diet
Nutrition is one of the biggest levers for reducing squawking. The single most effective thing you can do is get your parrot onto a genuinely nutritious, species-appropriate diet, since a well-fed, well-nourished bird is calmer and quieter.
We’ve put together a diet plan for most species we stock. If we haven’t covered your parrot’s species yet, use a similar species’ page as a starting point and add our Birdsville Blend, a mix of seeds, legumes, nuts and herbs with superfoods like chili and beetroot, into a budgie mix for most parrots. We also recommend adding The Good Oil to the seed mix, along with a Synbiotic or probiotic.
One of the easiest ways to get the balance right is our Birdsville Blends Healthy Parrot mix, a nutrient-rich, low-iron blend of over 26 natural ingredients, from herbs and leafy greens to legumes, fruit and nuts, carefully selected to support your parrot’s health and vitality. It takes the guesswork out of getting your bird’s diet nutritionally balanced, and it’s available both in-store and online through Petsville.
Be wary of packaging on some supermarket bird food that claims to be fortified with vitamins and minerals. Some diets are genuinely under-supplemented, others are over-supplemented, and the labelling alone won’t tell you which. For species-specific guidance, including the right ratio of grain to pellets, check the diet section on your parrot’s species page and apply what’s recommended there alongside the tips in this guide.
Choose a high-quality grain mix that isn’t heavy in sunflower seed, and be cautious of cheap, brightly packaged supermarket blends. An all-pellet diet can also cause problems at the other end of the scale. Some species, Eclectus parrots in particular, absorb vitamins very efficiently, and an all-pellet diet with added supplements can lead to over-supplementation, which has been linked to repetitive toe-tapping or wing-flipping behavior in that species. If you notice this, see an avian vet, since it can also have other causes.
Poor nutrition is also generally thought to contribute to irritability and behavioral problems in parrots, so getting the diet right does double duty for calmness and general health.
Vitamin D matters too. If your parrot doesn’t have access to the outdoors, use a vitamin D light, which we stock in-store, since glass filters out the UV a bird needs and a sunny windowsill won’t do the job.
If you suspect your adult parrot is squawking from stress or anxiety, swap the pellet recommended on your parrot’s species page for B-Calm Pellets from Vetafarm. All of these products are always available in-store.
One more thing: sugary foods will make your parrot hyper and noisier, so keep treats to genuinely bird-safe options.
Environment
Environment covers everything around your parrot’s day-to-day life: time in and out of the cage, toys and activities, socialisation, and the cage itself.
Toys and Activities
Give your parrot plenty of toys that encourage play instead of vocalising, to keep it entertained and prevent boredom-driven squawking. Rotating a few different types regularly keeps things interesting. We stock a wide range of toys in-store, including popular refillable foraging toys.
Out-of-Cage Time
Regular time outside the cage genuinely helps bring noise levels down. Parrots that get to come out regularly tend to squawk less overall. Not the same time everyday, and not even every day but regularly, avoid routine.
Socialization
A squawking parrot may simply be bored or lonely. Parrots are highly social and, in the wild, will flock with their own species and others. If you have other pets, keeping them in the same room can help, and a second parrot is worth considering too. Many of our customers who’ve adopted one of our rehomed birds have found two parrots quieter than one, though two can occasionally be louder as well. A bird harness for outings can also help take the edge off your parrot’s overall noise level.
How Do You Train a Parrot to Stop Squawking?
Train a parrot to squawk less with consistent routines and positive reinforcement, not punishment.
Keep a diary of when your parrot is noisy and look for patterns or triggers. Understanding parrot body language, covered in full on our parrot training page, goes a long way toward spotting a squawking episode before it starts.
A consistent routine also helps, though it doesn’t need to be daily, every second day is fine. Just be aware that breaking an established routine can push an already stressed, squawking parrot further, and in some cases tip into feather plucking.
Training should focus on positive reinforcement, rewarding the behavior you want rather than punishing the noise you don’t.
Punishment-Based Techniques to Avoid
- Yelling at the bird. This is common, but it often reads to your parrot as you calling back, and tends to trigger more squawking, not less.
- Throwing something at the cage. This raises your parrot’s stress and damages its trust in you.
- Handing over a toy just to quiet things down. This teaches your parrot that squawking gets it a reward, so it squawks more to get one again.
Positive Training Techniques That Work
- Reward your parrot with a treat the moment it’s sitting calmly and quietly.
- Learn parrot body language so you can recognise the signs before a squawking episode starts.
- If your parrot is screaming for attention, the best response is no response. Any reaction, even negative attention, still counts as attention, so ignore it completely instead of trying to talk it down.
Parrot Squawking and Screaming: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Birdsville Triangle?
The Birdsville Triangle is our framework for tackling unwanted parrot behavior, covering diet, environment and training together rather than in isolation. Squawking, screaming and other behavioral issues are rarely caused by just one factor, so we look at all three sides before assuming it’s a training problem alone.
Why does my parrot squawk in the morning and evening?
This is completely natural. In the wild, parrots are most vocal at dawn and dusk to communicate with their flock before and after resting, since most species can’t see well after dark and roost early. Your pet parrot is following the same instinct, even without other parrots nearby to call to.
Is it normal for parrots to be loud?
Yes, to a point. Parrots are naturally noisy animals and some vocalising every day is normal and healthy. The goal isn’t silence, it’s cutting back squawking that goes beyond what’s natural, especially screaming caused by boredom, anxiety, poor diet or attention-seeking, not eliminating every sound your parrot makes.
Can diet really affect how much my parrot squawks?
Yes. A poorly fed parrot is more likely to be irritable and vocal, while a well-nourished bird is generally calmer and quieter. Low-quality or imbalanced diets, especially all-seed or all-pellet mixes without fresh food, are a common hidden cause of excessive squawking that many owners overlook.
Should I ignore my parrot when it’s screaming for attention?
If the screaming is purely attention-seeking, yes. Responding, even to tell your parrot off, still gives it the attention it wants and can make the behavior worse. Instead, reward calm and quiet moments with attention and treats, so your parrot learns that quiet behavior gets the better result.
When should I take my squawking parrot to a vet?
If diet, environment and training changes haven’t eased the squawking, or it started suddenly alongside symptoms like fluffed feathers, appetite changes or lethargy, book a visit with one of our recommended avian vets. Sudden or unusual squawking can signal an underlying health issue, not just behavior.
Will getting a second parrot make the noise better or worse?
It can go either way. Many owners who’ve adopted one of our rehomed birds find two parrots are calmer and quieter together than one lonely bird, since parrots are highly social. That said, two bonded parrots can occasionally be louder, especially if they’re calling to each other, so weigh up your household first.
If your parrot’s squawking hasn’t let up with these changes, our team can walk you through diet, toys and training options next time you’re in-store.
