Maintaining Health and Eliminating Boredom

• 1). Take your bird to the veterinarian at the first sign of excessive noise. The bird could have an illness or infection that you are not aware of, so it's best to rule this out immediately.
  
  
• 2). Provide plenty of toys for your cockatoo. These intelligent birds become bored when they do not have something to entertain themselves with inside their cage. The result is screaming, screeching, plucking their feather and mutilating themselves.
  
  
• 3). Feed your cockatoo an appropriate diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds and vitamin-fortified bird pellets. Feed only organic fruits and vegetables, and water your parrot using only filtered water.
  
  
• 4). Spend at least 3 hours every day with your cockatoo. The time spent with your cockatoo should be outside the cage and hands-on. Teach your bird step-up and step-down commands as early as possible. Include your cockatoo at the dinner table, and provide a plate of bird-appropriate food for your bird.
  
  

Correcting Negative Behavior

• 1). Avoid reacting when your cockatoo screeches or makes any noise that you are uncomfortable with. It's important to note that it is perfectly natural for your cockatoo to make noise early in the morning, and again later in the evening. During these periods you will notice an elevation in the noise level, which can become very loud. Since this is a natural part of being a bird there isn't a lot you can do to stop it. If the noise is bothersome, spend time with your cockatoo during these times to quiet the bird down. Any other time that the cockatoo is excessively loud you should avoid reacting to it.
  
  
• 2). Avoid screaming at your bird. It will only entice the cockatoo to scream or screech at you for attention or when it does not get its way. Screeching is typically a learned behavior. Screaming at your bird tells your cockatoo it's okay to throw a tantrum. Remember that cockatoos have the intelligence of a young child. You wouldn't yell at a 4-year-old to shut up, so you should never yell at a cockatoo.
  
  
• 3). Resist punishing your cockatoo by withholding food or moving your bird to a dark room. These actions will not only make things worse for you, but it will severely traumatize your cockatoo.
  
  
• 4). Be patient! This may take a while. You will not stop your cockatoo from screeching overnight. It can take weeks or even months before you will end the unwanted behavior. The best thing you can do is to be patient and understand that your cockatoo is a living animal and needs proper care.