Last Updated on: 30th June 2023, 10:52 am
Parakeets (budgerigars) form flocks of up to 100 birds, spending much of their time vocalizing with each other. Common sounds include chirping, whistling, chattering, chirrups, and shrieking.
Parakeets are noisiest first thing in the morning as the sun rises and before sleep at sunset. You’ll hear budgies singing and communicating with other birds if you’re an early riser.
Parakeets grind their beaks and make gentle sounds before going to sleep. They should be quiet throughout the night, as long as there’s no light, activity, and loud noises.
Are Parakeets Noisy Birds?
Parakeets are vocal during the day. However, budgies are small birds, limiting how much noise they can make. Despite their diminutive size, budgies’ vocalizations can reach 65 to 70 decibels.
They’ll chatter near-constantly with each other. Even if they live alone, American parakeets remain talkative, chirping and whistling, sometimes stopping for a short mid-afternoon nap.
A bored parakeet will make various sounds to entertain and occupy itself. If the parakeet has closely bonded with you, it may vocalize enthusiastically whenever you enter the room.
Pet parakeets are no strangers to noise, so a near-silent parakeet is a red flag for illness and injury.
Sounds That Parakeets Make
Parakeets make a wide variety of sounds when socializing or expressing their mood.
Here are budgies’ different vocalizations and what they mean:
Chattering
Chattering is the most familiar parakeet noise, often interspersed with chirps. It’s most common when parakeets are communicating their feelings. Chattering mostly implies contentment.
Singing
Parakeet singing is a sign of happiness. These high-pitched vocalizations aren’t usually shrill but comparable to the warbled sounds of forwarding a cassette in a tape deck.
Chirping
Many assume that chirping, chattering, and singing are the same. Chirping could be considered the “individual words” of a parakeet’s song, while chattering is the “sentences.”
Clicks
Clicks are a more distinct vocalization. These brief bursts of sound may lead you to believe that a parakeet’s distressed, but it’s an entirely natural behavior.
Parakeets make clicking noises using their beaks or tongues. Many owners report that parakeets engage in tongue-clicking to keep themselves occupied.
Trills
Trills are special sounds that resemble longer and more drawn-out chirps. You may hear a parakeet’s voice change in pitch as it embellishes its trills with different syllables.
These trilling sounds are among baby budgies’ first vocalizations before learning to sing. Trills are natural sounds that don’t signify distress or danger.
Danger Calls
These warning calls are screeches that are louder and more shrill than their other vocalizations.
If you hear a parakeet screeching, it may be a warning of a threat in its surroundings. However, you may hear screeching noises from a parakeet if it sees a wild bird through the window.
Contact Calls
Parakeets make contact calls less frequently than other sounds. These vocalizations resemble a long-drawn call, similar to human whistling.
Contact calls are used to call out to flock-mates, so a lack of response can lead to distress.
Warbling
Warbling resembles very soft chattering noises. According to The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, parakeet warbling sounds are sonically distinct from contact calls.
These sounds indicate a parakeet is feeling happy and at ease. It’s common for parakeets to make warbling sounds when preening themselves or other birds.
Talking
You may find that a parakeet attempts to repeat certain words. Parakeets can recite complete words and sentences with almost the same cadence and tone as humans.
A parakeet doesn’t understand the meaning of the words it’s using because it doesn’t understand English. However, parrots mimic sounds to fit in with their flock.
If you have a lone budgie, you’re its flock. That’s likely why parakeets learn human words.
Beak Grinding Noises
Parakeets create sounds by grinding their beaks, which resembles the sound of scraping hard plastic. However, break grinding is a normal and non-harmful behavior.
This grinding isn’t part of beak maintenance and is usually a sign of contentment. Unsurprisingly, parakeets often engage in this practice just before falling asleep.
Squawking at Night vs. Morning
You may notice a parakeet squawking at different times of the day, especially in the morning (sunrise).
This usually corresponds to when natural light reaches the parakeet’s cage, which can be delayed or stopped entirely by covering the cage.
A parakeet won’t normally squawk at night, making softer warbling sounds before sleep. A parakeet squawking at night signifies distress from environmental light and noise.
Are Parakeets Loud in the Morning?
In addition to making noise when it sees daylight, a parakeet may vocalize throughout the morning. This is its morning routine, where it greets and checks on the welfare of its flock.
Are Parakeets Loud at Night?
A contented parakeet shouldn’t make loud noises at night. If a parakeet makes noise after dark, it may have trouble sleeping due to unsuitable living conditions.
Sounds Due to Sleep Problems
Parakeets need 10-12 hours of rest per night. However, their sleep can be disturbed. If so, they may make loud noises to express their discontentment.
If a budgie experiences night terrors, its sleep will be disturbed. Sleep disturbances occur when something happens that seems like a genuine threat, so it’ll vocalize in a state of panic.
Sounds Due to Light Stimulation
Wild parakeets are susceptible to changes in their environment. Any natural or artificial lighting can affect their hormone levels, making them more exuberant.
According to Hormones and Behavior, parakeets’ hormone levels vary throughout the year, peaking in spring. This hormonal peak can be attributed to longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures.
Exposure to artificial lighting at night can alter a parakeet’s hormone levels, so it’ll grow more vocal. You may be able to circumvent this problem by doing the following:
- Placing a cover over the cage.
- Moving the cage to a dark room after sunset.
These actions can be beneficial if you live near a busy road.
Why Are My Parakeets So Loud?
Parakeets are loud because they live in large flocks and must be heard. However, if a parakeet is excessively loud near-constantly, it could signify other problems:
Attention
A parakeet wanting something or not receiving enough attention could make a loud contact call. It should cease this behavior or call back once its needs have been met.
Stress
If a parakeet is stressed, it may produce louder sounds than normal for the following reasons:
- Environmental lights and sounds, like vacuuming the room or street traffic.
- Conflict with another bird, perhaps over food or access to toys.
- Seeing predatory animals, like cats and dogs.
- Unsuitable diet or a lack of food.
A parakeet should quiet down once you address the cause of distress.
Parakeets Squawking At Each Other
These playful birds get along in the wild by teasing, tormenting, and playing with each other. A favorite pastime is taking things to get a reaction.
You may find 2 parakeets squawking at each other, which is usually a benign playfight. Unfortunately, not all parakeets get along well, entering serious conflict.
Playing vs. Fighting
Parakeets that get along will preen each other’s bodies, faces, and beaks to express affection. If you see the parakeets nipping at each other’s feet while making loud squawking noises, they’re fighting.
How To Quiet Noisy Parakeets
Sometimes a parakeet is far too loud. Maybe you’re trying to put a baby to sleep or want peace. Fortunately, there are ways to get a parakeet to settle down:
Move The Cage Elsewhere
A parakeet dissatisfied with its current surroundings may be vocal. In this scenario, move its cage to a different room. Ideally, this will be quieter, so the parakeet won’t be disturbed.
Conversely, if a parakeet is loud due to a lack of attention, move it to a room used more frequently.
Play Calming Music
Many owners report that parakeets quiet down when they hear calming music. This could be slow and relaxing classical music or ambient nature sounds.
Studies are exploring music’s effect on parrots, but it’s believed they find it relaxing.
Give It a Time-Out
It may need a time-out if you can’t discern why a parakeet is unusually loud. This involves moving the parakeet to a separate cage with food and water until it calms down and quietens.
Socialization Training
If a parakeet is uncomfortable around others, it may respond by screeching. You can resolve this problem by socializing the parakeet, which involves:
- Taking the budgie out to meet new people while it’s still young. Parakeets trust their owners but are often wary of unfamiliar humans.
- Bond a parakeet through calm, quiet individuals through a series of meetings. These meetings should be kept short initially to give them time to grow acquainted with others.
What If My Parakeet Is Too Quiet?
Parakeets shouldn’t go silent or stop producing sounds, which implies illness and injury. Birds are good at hiding sickness, so going silent could allow them to continue to appear strong and healthy.
If you have a parakeet and are tired of the noise it’s making, a workable solution is to temporarily keep it in a separate room where its noise will be controlled and moderated.
