sqeaking

Question
my parakeet is absolutely adorable, but he/she? has a very high-pitched sqeak that is driving me and other family members crazy. I have tried everything to get it to stop, any suggestions? Thank you! Mary Miller

Answer
Hi, Mary!

Budgies are notoriously talkative, and yours could be squeaking for any number of reasons; he/she might want something, be looking for attention, trying to communicate with other birds (even the ones outside), or just screaming for the sake of screaming.

When mine start squaking, I know exactly how you fee; you'll do just about anything to shut the stupid thing up!  Try playing some music, or some nature CDs if you have any.  That usually makes the noises change from screaming into something more melodic.

Also, if you don't know the sex of your bird, there's an easy way to tell; look at the cere (that's the skin above its beak where it turns colors.  If its blue to sometimes a violet color, its male.  If its brownish, its female.  There are exceptions for breeds like pieds, but this is the general rule of thumb.  Females also tend to be a bit more aggressive in their youth.

I hope this helps!
Good luck...
-Leah