Parrots aren’t quiet pets. In the wild, they make a wide variety of sounds to communicate with other parrots. While all parrots vocalize frequently, smaller parrots are usually much quieter than larger parrots.
Parrotlets are the quietest parrots, creating an average of 65 decibels of noise. Budgies aren’t far behind, reaching just 68 decibels. Contrast this with a quaker parrot (113 decibels) and a sun conure (120 decibels).
If you’re looking for a quiet pet parrot, consider getting a smaller species. However, you must do your research beforehand to ensure that its temperament and personality are right for you.
How Many Decibels Is A Parrot?
No parrots are considered quiet, as they all make a level of noise. However, some species are louder than others, while some are much quieter. Overall, parrots have a broad decibel range of between 60 and 155 decibels.
To put these figures into context, 65 decibels is equivalent to human laughter. Similarly, the average human talking voice is 60 decibels. In comparison, 155 decibels sound like a jet engine or fireworks.
While 65 decibels is a manageable amount of noise to live with, 155 decibels is very noisy. This impressive noise feat belongs to the nanday parakeet, also known as the black-hooded parakeet or nanday conure.
They produce so much noise that their screech can cause headaches and permanent ear damage to anyone standing close by. They can also be heard miles away.
Parrot Decibel Chart
The average decibel levels of the nosiest and quietest parrots are as follows:
Quietest Parrots
| Parrot Type | Average Decibel Level |
| Parrotlets | 65 decibels |
| Budgies | 68 decibels |
| Cockatiels | 75 decibels |
| Lovebirds | 83 decibels |
| Senegal Parrot | 89 decibels |
| Meyer’s Parrot | 89 decibels |
| Red-Bellied Parrot | 89 decibels |
Loudest Parrots
| Parrot Type | Average Decibel Level |
| Nanday Conure | 155 decibels |
| Mealy Amazon Parrot | 124 decibels |
| Sun Conure | 120 decibels |
| Moluccan Cockatoo | 120 decibels |
| Eclectus Parrot | 115 decibels |
| Quaker Parrot | 113 decibels |
| Rose-Ringed Parakeet | 111 decibels |
| Hyacinth Macaw | 106 decibels |
| Scarlet Macaw | 105 decibels |
What’s The Quietest Parrot?
While it’s close between parrotlets and budgies, parrotlets are ever-so-slightly quieter, coming in at an average noise level of only 65 decibels. As mentioned, this is not far off the level of human speech.
Parrotlets cannot screech and scream, which is what makes other parrots noisy. Instead, they use soft chirps to communicate.
In particular, Pacific parrotlets are one of the quietest parrot species in the world. They can repeat simple words and phrases but lack the ability to be good talkers. They’re also tiny parrots, so they don’t have the capacity to be as noisy.
Green-rumped and Mexican parrotlets are also quiet parrots and make great pets for small homes or apartments. Your neighbors probably won’t even know that you have one.
What Are the Least Noisy Parrots?
While we’ve determined that parrotlets are the least vocal parrots, other quiet parrots include:
Brown-Headed Parrot
The brown-headed parrot is a small, popular bird with a sweet temperament. While it makes a small amount of noise, it’s a quiet, calm parrot. This makes brown-headed parrots ideal for people living in apartments.
They don’t express themselves with vocalizations as much as others. However, like most African parrots, they can learn some words and repeat them. They love to talk but do so in a gentle and controlled manner.
They also have a soft chirp, so their call isn’t too loud and offensive. They do sometimes whistle, but it’s not as ear-piercing as other species of parrots.
Budgies
Budgies (parakeets) are one of the quietest parrots species, more peaceful than most birds. However, that’s not to say they don’t make noise. In fact, they have a wide vocal range.
As described by The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, budgerigars have a complex, learned vocal repertoire consisting of short calls produced by males and females. Males produce a long, rambling warble song that allows them to bond and mate with females.
While budgies are quiet birds, they possess a range of beautiful sounds that many owners enjoy listening to.
Cockatiels
Cockatiels are one of the most popular parrots but also one of the quietest.
While they don’t make much noise, they possess a good vocal range. Affectionate female cockatiels call out to their owners when they want attention. They’re also interactive birds that vocalize when you offer them affection.
Male cockatiels mimic human words and phrases. They’ll also wolf whistle to get your attention, and are more likely to sing, tweet, and chirp. If you’re concerned about noise, choose a female cockatiel as their quieter.
Conures
While the sun and nanday conures are among the loudest parrots, the half-moon, green-cheeked, and peach-fronted are among the quietest.
Half-Moon Conure
Half-moon conures, also known as the orange-fronted parakeet or conure, are medium-sized dwarf parrots. While they’re excitable, they’re quieter than other conures. They’re not known to be talkers, and they’re not very chatty.
Green-Cheeked Conure
Green-cheeked conures are shyer than other conures. So, they prefer to remain quiet and rarely call out or vocalize. However, once you become bonded with one, they make soft chirping sounds and mimic some words.
Peach-Fronted Conure
Peach-fronted conures are small, measuring only 10 inches. They’re a small, quiet conure species.
They’re not the best talking birds. They do sometimes make loud, high-pitched sounds when calling, but the noise level is tolerable. However, the half-moon and green-cheeked conure are better for apartment living.
Lovebirds
Because of their small size, lovebirds are one of the most common parrot pets. While they’re chatty and enjoy singing and whistling, they’re too small to make much noise. Similarly, they don’t mimic sounds.
Lovebirds tend to have a soothing, pleasant song that owners enjoy listening to. Lovebirds are most vocal between dawn and dusk, and they tend to remain quiet for most of the day.
However, they do have a high-pitched screech. While it’s not particularly loud, it’s unpleasant to listen to.
Mini Macaws
Unlike their loud cousins, mini macaws are the quietest macaws. As the name suggests, they’re smaller and less noisy than other macaws with limited vocal abilities.
Meyer’s Parrot
Also known as the brown parrot, Meyer’s parrot is part of the same family as Senegal and red-bellied birds. They’re adored due to their easy-going, laidback personality. Rather than vocalizing, they prefer to watch everything from afar.
Meyer’s parrots aren’t known for their talking ability. Instead, they whistle, make clicking noises, and sometimes squeak. While this can be loud, they don’t do it too often. They don’t scream or squawk.
Parakeets
Except for the rose-ringed parakeet, parakeets are quiet birds. The two least noisy parakeets include:
Bourke’s Parakeet
Bourke’s parakeets are famous for their noise-less, calm demeanor. While they’re most chatty during dawn and dusk, like lovebirds, they’re still quiet compared to other parrots.
They chirp with delight and make soothing melodic sounds. However, they sometimes produce sharp, high-pitched sounds when startled, so they’re best suited to quiet homes.
Barred Parakeet
Barred parakeets are another quiet parrot species. They have low noise levels and chatter softly to themselves, barely making much sound at all.
Occasionally, they’ll become loud when they need food or feel stressed, but this is rare. Not only are barred parakeets quiet, but they can learn words and imitate noises, making them fun to be around.
Red-Bellied Parrot
Red-bellied parrots aren’t considered vocal birds. However, they’re talkative and can mimic words well. They’re playful birds that make a range of sweet vocalizations when they’re mentally stimulated. Red-bellied parrots love to whistle. However, they’re not known to screech and squawk.
Senegal Parrot
Despite being slightly bigger than most other quiet parrots, Senegals have sweet, gentle personalities and want to be around their owners. They’re not very talkative and don’t scream. They prefer to whistle and cluck to communicate.
As a result, it’s unlikely your neighbors will ever hear one. And while they’re one of the quieter parrots, they can mimic words, making them one of the more intelligent birds to be around. Senegal parrots don’t like loud noises or noisy areas, so they’re better suited to quiet homes.
How To Keep Parrots Quiet
While you can’t change parrots’ noise levels, you can encourage them to vocalize less by ensuring their environment is suited to their temperament and personality. When quiet birds make noise, they sometimes need to alert their owners of something they’re not happy about. As a result, provide the following to reduce your parrot’s noise:
Mental Stimulation
Parrots vocalize when they’re bored or stressed. This is sometimes because they lack things to do. To prevent this, provide fun toys and games that they can use for entertainment.
Alongside vocalizations, bored and stressed parrots will pluck out their feathers, so mental stimulation is essential for several reasons.
As described by Peer J, chronic stress is the cause of several behavioral disorders. Therefore, making more noise is one of the most effective ways for parrots to highlight their displeasure.
Gentle Mist Bath
If your parrot starts making lots of noise for no apparent reason, try misting it down with a spray bath.
Most parrots enjoy the relaxing feeling of the water hitting their feathers and will spend time preening and grooming them. As a result, they’ll quieten down, reducing their noise levels.
Regular Feeding Times
Your parrot might be calling out to you because it’s hungry. As a result, consider the times you feed your parrot and alter them to reflect the times your parrot gets hungry. Alternatively, provide a small bowl of healthy fruits and vegetables to reduce its appetite.
Clicker Training
Clicker training is a good option if your parrot’s excessive noise-making has become a bad habit. The idea behind clicker training is that the click means your parrot’s about to get a tasty treat. Once it quietens down due to the clicking sound, you can reward your parrot with its favorite food.
Eventually, you remove the treat and the click signals that your parrot needs to quieten down. Most parrots are intelligent enough to pick up this type of training.
Why Do Parrots Make Sounds?
Parrots don’t just make noise because it’s what nature intended – they vocalize for several reasons, including:
Communication
Parrots use sounds to communicate with other birds, especially when they’re living with others. They use sound signals to warn each other of dangers and scare predators away. They also use vocalizations to defend their territory from other parrots.
Find A Mate
Parrots sing to attract mates, which are the most beautiful vocalizations parrots can make. According to Science Daily, female budgies listen to the variation in males’ calls and use this information to choose a mate. Your parrot will become more vocal during the sexual reproduction stages while it attempts to find a partner.
Show Emotions
Parrots have emotions, so they vocalize when they feel happy, sad, angry, or stressed. Parrots have different vocalizations for their moods, so listen for different sounds to determine how your parrot feels.
Quiet parrots make good pets. They fit into their surroundings and don’t upset the neighbors. Similarly, they tend to make a range of nice sounds that can relax and soothe you. Monitor your parrot’s vocalizations for sudden changes.
