If you have ever owned a parrot, you will have noticed that they are extremely social animals and will make a wide range of noises throughout the day. But have you ever wondered what exactly these noises could mean?
Within this article, we will go over some of the noise that you might expect a parrot to make, as well as what exactly might the parrot be trying to communicate by using them.
Table of Contents
Happy Sounds
These are the kinds of noise you will want to hear from your parrot. Signs that they are happy and don’t have a thing to worry about. Here are just a few of them.
Purring
Believe it or not, parrots do actually purr! It is low and relatively hard to hear as far as the sounds a parrot makes are concerned, which means they are content and comfortable in their surroundings. Of all the noises to hear, this is definitely a nice one.
Beak Grinding
This one may seem strange at first, with beaks being a little like teeth in humans, grinding your teeth is usually a sign of discomfort and anxiety – but in parrots, it means that they are happy. You will usually hear this sound as they settle down at the end of a day or during their chatter throughout it.
Whistling
Hearing a whistle from your parrot is one of the cutest sounds there is, and you will be happy to know that when your parrot does this that they are most certainly content. This sound is usually to get the attention of other parrots or humans in their environment.
Clicking the Tongue
Not all parrots will make these sounds, usually it will be a parrot like a cockatiel or a cockatoo, and this is yet another sound that you needn’t be worried by. A little like whistling, this is a sound that shows that a parrot is comfortable and is trying to get your attention.
Neutral Sounds
These sounds are ones that you will encounter a lot, most of the time your parrot is around it will be throwing out some of these neutral sounds like something to do. Here are a few of them now.
Chatter
Of all the sounds, this may be the most common one. Chatter can mean anything from a whistle to a background noise they are mimicking or some word they heard during their day. Anything your parrot has picked up will be repeated as chatter and it can be a whole heap of fun to hear.
Laughing
This is a form of chatter that a parrot may use to make you happy and reinforce your bond together. Parrots love to laugh at many things and can be a little mischievous at times, but hearing laughter from your parrot is always something to look forward to.
Talking
Hearing your parrot talk can be some of the most interesting and fun times that you have with your pet. If you have been training your parrot for a long time it may be obvious what the bird means when it is talking, it may want food or simply some attention but a talking parrot is one of the marvels of the world.
Silence
Usually the only time your parrot will be quiet is when it is sleeping! This is something you will have come to realize after owning a parrot. Sometimes, a parrot may be silent when it is tired or fully absorbed in an activity like eating or observing something in its environment that interests it.
If your parrot is much quieter than usual, you may want to check on it and see if anything is wrong. If the silence persists for a while then you may want to consider taking your parrot to the vets.
Squaking
This is a sound that you will hear quite often when your parrot is bored or a little frustrated. It is nothing to be worried about, it just needs some attention or something to do, nobody likes to be bored – not even parrots!
Angry Sounds
These are sounds that you may hear from time to time from your parrot and should be of concern to you. Hopefully, you won’t be hearing these too often but it is good to know what they sound like for when you do.
Beak Clicking
This can sound something like rattling and occurs when your parrot is opening and closing its beak at a rapid speed. Beak Clicking is a threat and means that the parrot is defending its territory, you will also notice that its body language will change and its feathers will be raised along with its wings.
Growling
Almost like the purring we listed before but much more angry in nature, growling is a much more vocal sound than purring and will be lower the bigger the bird is. This sounds means to stop whatever it is you are doing or to back away and you will also notice a change in body language.
Screeching
Of all the sounds to hear, this is unmistakable. If your parrot is screeching you will know about it, along with half of the neighborhood! This is a very loud and high-pitched noise that means the parrot is very scared or perceives itself to be in immediate danger.
It is worth investigating when you hear this sound to make sure everything is okay, but sometimes it may also screech if it is scared of something as simple as the vacuum cleaner!
Final Thoughts
To conclude, there are many sounds that a parrot can make and they can mean many different things! From a happy purr to some playful chatter, to an ear-piercing screech, you can be sure that parrots will keep surprising you with many noises.
Hopefully, this article has been useful in showcasing some of the many sounds that parrots can make and what they could mean so that you can better understand your feathered friends.
