Why does my cockatiel scream so much in the morning?

My cockatiel Pixel starts screaming the moment the sun comes up and again around dusk. He's not hurt and quiets down after, but it's loud. Is this normal cockatiel behaviour or am I doing something wrong?

Totally normal. Dawn and dusk flock calling is hardwired — in the wild that's when the flock checks in before/after foraging. You can't train it out, but you can reduce the volume by responding (a soft whistle back) so he knows the flock is 'present'.

Mine does the exact same thing. Covering the cage for an extra 30–45 min in the morning takes the edge off the dawn screaming for me. Also make sure he's getting 10–12 hours of solid dark sleep — overtired tiels are louder and crankier.

Good news — Pixel sounds completely healthy and normal! Dawn/dusk vocalizing is instinctual flock-contact behaviour, not a problem to fix. A few things that genuinely help with volume:

• Answer the call softly so he feels acknowledged, rather than yelling back (which he hears as exciting flock noise)
• Consistent sleep: 10–12 hours of dark, quiet sleep — overtired birds scream more
• Don't reward escalation: if you only come running when he's at full volume, you teach him that loud = attention

We go deeper into what each cockatiel sound means in our cockatiel body-language guide and the complete cockatiel care guide. What time is Pixel going to bed right now?