For the past few days, my BG has been screaming for "no" reason. I've had a U2 that just loved to scream all day, which was typical.. my BG however, he's never been a screamer. He may do it once or twice a day, and even then only one scream. If he does it more, it's because he knocked all his food out, he wants water, or he wants a bath. Occassionally he wanted to be talked to. However, for the past few days he's just been doing it.. I've checked food/water, given him a bath, talked/played with him constantly.. I'm not sure what to think? I wouldn't think twice if this was his usual behavior, but he has been acting strange since he's started. For one, he's been letting me touch his belly/under wings (he's a biter, he doesn't like anything but his head touched and even then he'll try to nip occassionally). I'm not sure if this is like a complete switch on him wanting me even closer (I'm usually talking to him or playing with him when I'm home, but he does get annoyed and then I just let him be).

I really have no idea what is going on? I feel bad, like I'm not doing something? He just turned 3, is he going through phase? I don't know.. it just came on so quick..

I don't think phases come on quickly. Did his schedule change? Is he getting less sleep for some reason? Is he acting more energentic or less energetic or the same?

If you're in the Northern Hemisphere the days are getting shorter and molting season is going on. So it's not breeding behavior. If you're in the Southern Hemisphere then I'd say it's breeding behavior. Especially with the physical touching deal.

I hope you live in Australia?!

He's molting now.. I think he's nearly done.. still a bunch of down feathers but all of his tail feathers came out and are growing in now.

Nothing has changed? He still sleeps the same.. always around 9-10p and then he's not really awake until 8-9a?

He's still really nippy, but him actually allowing me under his wing and on his belly is odd for him.

Maybe he's still itchy there. I'd try and increase the humidity and give more baths maybe. If you use air conditioning it removes the humidity so that might be it. I have three cheap temperature gauges that can be moved around that show humidity from Walmart. Its surprising how it can go from 78% to 50% in like, 10 minutes with A/C.

Regardless that's good he's allowing you to handle him more and I'd reward that with something he likes. Even if he's doing it for a molt-assist lol.

Probably the molting but a few more questions.

How do you and others in the house respond when he screams? Is he getting a drama reward? This is when you yell at him to shut up, or rush over and cover the cage or put him back in his cage - by doing these things you are giving him negative attention, this can actually reinforce the screaming!
Create a contact call. While you're out of sight, whistle or call to him quietly. Never enter the room when he's loud and if you must . . . do NOT give him eye contact or talk to him . . . turn your back to him when he's screaming.

Has anyone new entered his life?
Has anyone left his life?

If he just turned three, I think there is a possibility that although breeding season is past, you could be seeing some sexual behavior. Particularly in a young, just maturing bird, I don't think their calendar is quite rigidly set. Undoubtedly the molt has him feeling out of sorts as well, but the screaming and willingness to be touched by a previously hands-off bird makes me think of hormones.

I don't know how you mean really awake...if his room is normal then it would be unusual for him to be sleeping in the daylight. In fact birds actually can't really "sleep" in daylight they have a sensor in the brain that triggers all their bodily functions by light. When to eat, sleep, breed, molt and rest.

Right now on the East coast we have 13 hours of daylight. In say, Arizona they have 12.5 or so hours of daylight.

The longest day of the year is mid summer July 15th when it's about 14.5 hours.

So if he's sleeping at 10 and waking up at normal daylight (6:30) am he's getting way too little sleep even going by a spring/summer calendar IMO. Since that's a 15.5 hour day longer than any day in the year here.

Even if he's "sleeping" till 8 am sound asleep in a totally black room then he's getting a 14 hour day and could use more sleep, imo.

I would slowly lower the lighting (on a dim lamp on the floor) over a 15-30 minute period about a half hour earlier to start and then more gradually, until he's going to sleep at the same time it's dusk here in natural lighting. But not all at once that total blackout could push a molt worse. Since his brain might think it's dead fall/winter. Then I'd let him wake up in natural daylight like it is outside. That will give you a better idea if it's hormonal which it sounds like it is but you want to stop that since it's going into winter and he needs to rest. So when it ACTUALLY breeding season in spring it wont be so hard on him (and you LOL).

Hope this helps.

I should have said that besided photoperiod, three other factors in simulating spring/breeding season are in diet. Tender greens, alot of variety and higher protein. Higher proteins and vitamin e (like seeds and nuts).

So it's a good time to start cutting back on the vast summer variety of foods and move towards fall winter stuff like winter squash, root veggies, kale, versus summer veggies and fruits and tender greens like sprouts and dandelion for example. I only give a quarter of the sprouts in the winter that I do in the summer. Same with legumes. And I never ever feed animal proteins.

I just kind of ignore him when he starts screaming. The screaming wasn't so bad yesterday, but he was talking up a storm.. more than usual.. for atleast 2 hours it was just nonstop talking.

He's in our living room, and the light doesn't usually shine in until around 8a, because we live behind a lot of stuff and we have a large tree right in front, so the sun doesn't usually make it through until after it usually would (like 6a). He does the same thing every morning though, before he starts moving around he'll say "Hi bo how are you" and just kind of mumble a little bit, fluff his feathers and then eat. Every morning.. then he waits for everyone else to wake up, cause he peaks into our bedroom and talks when he sees movement. So nothing has really changed?

He gets daily seed in one cup and zupreem fruit blend in the other.. veggies and then some banana (it's the only thing he truly loves, he'll actually start trying to eat more while his mouth is still full).

I suppose it is just the molting/hormonal things going on.. but he seems much more friendly towards me. My boyfriend is getting jealous, since Bo doesn't like him much, I guess he was kind of happy in the back of his mind that's it's not JUST him. So now he wants a DYH..

Shouldn't you just take him to an AV and make sure there isn't some medical reason for his screaming? At least you could set your mind at rest and know he isn't ill or injured. I think that's what I'd do first, and THEN try and see if it's a strictly behavioral problem. Good luck.