8 Parrots That Do Not Scream

Imagine going home from work—exhausted and drained from the chaotic pile of papers and manic errands from your workmates- and all you think about is slouching on your soft sofa. You want to soak in the peace—not until a high scream jolts you out from your tranquility. You’re now wondering,” What’s screaming?” or, better yet, “Who is screaming?”

So, you lazily lifted yourself from your couch and looked for something or someone screaming like a banshee. It’s a good thing that you looked, but it’s a bad thing too that you found out that the screaming banshee was your parrot. 

Although there is no parrot that is entirely quiet, there are some that are less likely to make too much noise. Among them are Cockatiels, Parakeets, Senegal Parrots, Pacific Parrotlets, Rosy, Bourke Parakeets, Meyer’s Parrots, Red-Bellied Parrots, and Lineolated Parakeets.

What Parrot Does Not Scream?

Cockatiels, parakeets, Senegal parrots, Pacific parrotlets, Bourke’s parakeets, Meyer’s parrots, Red-bellied parrots, and Lineolated parakeets are among the quiet kinds of parrots in their lines of species. These parrots have calm and low-noise levels that are not a handful for your ears compared to larger parrots. 

Do Quiet Parrots Exist?

Many parrot owners would interject and say, “The only quiet parrot is a dead one!” 

There’s no such thing as quiet parrots or silenced birds. They often make a sound, but not in a way that will damage or irritate your eardrums. 

It’s more like low-level noises and calm shrills. Also, there’s no escaping that all birds—even parrots—tend to be such vocal singers or annoying screamers, and there’s no in-between that! 

It is because the parrots’ and birds’ shrills and screams are what alert them to predators and potential harm. 

Remember! These birds come in a large flock, and the best method to communicate with their flock is to make unique and distinct noises that set them apart from other environmental sounds. 

What Does A Quiet Parrot Indicate?

Going back to the topic, even though loud parrots scratch your brain, a happy and cheerful parrot shows their healthy condition through great chirps and tweets. So, if your parrot is quiet, it’s either sick or not delighted. 

Just putting it out there, parrots are talkative and handful birds. But regardless of their handful and talkative behavior, some classes of parrots have low-level noises and calm shrills. 

What Are A Parrot’s Decibels? 

Keep in mind that there are no birds or parrots that are considered silent or quiet throughout their life cycle; the reason is that from time to time, these species create sounds. In this case, you can consider the decibels or sound level of a parrot. 

Usually, a parrot’s decibel ranges from 60 and 155 decibels. For context, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a 60-decibel noise sounds like a ticking watch or a refrigerator hum. In comparison, a 155-decibel noise feels like the sound of your neighbor’s leaf blower up-close and the sound of firecrackers during New Year or Fourth of July. In all honesty, 60 decibels don’t hurt as much as 155 decibels. (source)

What Experts Say?

You may be considering that 155 decibels are quite a daunting level of noise for a parrot. In the All About Parrots blog post, Carrie stated that a155-decibel noise is more common in nanday conures or black-hooded parakeets. The parrot’s sound is a migraine to the brain and can permanently damage your ear. So, make sure that you’re not too close to these types of parrots. You never know; you may not be able to enjoy your music after that. (source)

How To Know If A Parrot Is Loud?

One should weigh everything loud with reasonable considerations. Simply saying, how do we know if a parrot is noisy at a glance? Before you get your pants twisted, you can follow these considerations to avoid loud birds somehow, especially if you tend to be out of patience. So, here are the things you should consider.

1. Size 

In the Parrot Quaker blog posted on November 14, 2019, Ali mentioned the correlation of the parrot’s size to its sound levels. The larger the parrot, the higher its sound levels. As a result, Ali recommended going for smaller species of parrots for softer or low decibel chirps and sounds. (source)

2. Environment

As stated in an article from Petfinder, Rebecca discussed why parrots are loud. (source)

First, it could be that the parrot is away from its flock or accustomed environment. For instance, you may have purchased a parrot from a large aviary with a solid flock. Your parrot will likely squawk and protest loudly to locate its flock. 

Second, your parrot may be feeling sad, sick, or ticked off about something. In that case, it’s best to check your companion’s environment–if it’s good and safe. 

3. Species

Male parrots are usually the loudest ones compared to their counterparts. Some owners consider the male parrot’s loud and unruly demeanor as something better; others think otherwise. It’s positive that some owners will shy away from male parrots and consider a calmer option. 

To give a bigger picture, male parrots are rowdy and noisy because they are more playful and social and imitate sounds to communicate with their flock. Keep in mind that there are also times that male parrots like budgies that are quieter than their opposites. But to tell you the truth, a parrot’s voice level varies, but it’s more prominent in male parrots. 

What Are The Quiet Parrots?

Now that you know the brief background and reasons parrots are loud and boisterous, let’s enumerate the nine types of quiet parrots. 

1. Cockatiels

Cockatiels are indeed vocal, but their vocalizations do not reach an ear-piercing scream. They have slightly softer shrills that will not disturb your whole neighborhood. These parrots have low-maintenance care but still, need a big cage to roam and climb perches. Cockatiels need a lot of exercising to do! 

But if you want your cockatiel to mimic your whistles and simple vocabularies, you can do so with consistent patient training. It is an excellent stimulation to entertain your birds so that they can still sing sometimes. 

2. Parakeets

Parakeets or budgies are considered the smallest bunch of parrots. Although small, they pack a small punch of verbal skills from their more prominent parrot family. And just like their bigger cousins, they are intelligent and easily trained. Playing is like their middle name! They love to play and interact, more specifically, interact with their owners. 

Plus! One good thing about these budgies or parakeets is their inability to scream compared to larger parrots—making these birds a good option for bird lovers living in closed neighborhoods and apartments. No matter how quiet they are, they still have some element of fun in them! 

3. Senegal Parrots

One word to describe these parrots-natural comedians. Oops! It’s two words. Well, anyway, you’ll see these birds mimicking people’s behavior and talking with them. But lucky for you, they are only loyal to one member of the group, and that is you, their owners. 

This medium-sized parrot originated in West Africa, and they make excellent and more favorable parrot pets. It’s because they are quieter than their larger relatives and are a source of joy for their playful and comical demeanor. Unlike Cockatoos and Macaws, these parrots don’t scream and screech. 

Indeed, they are an excellent addition to your aviary and house companion, minus the intense decibels of their shrills. 

4. Pacific Parrotlets

From the word itself, parrotlets are pretty small. Even with their small size, their affectionate behavior will melt your heart. Pacific Parrotlets are a good companion for achieving that active lifestyle if you’re a busy person. Similar to their larger classes of parrots, they are friendly but without loud and painful screeches. 

In all actuality, Pacific Parrotlets are one of the best choices for parrot-lovers living in apartments and quiet neighborhoods. Because of their small size, they can’t sing out loud, or they’ll burst their lungs and explode—of course, this is unlikely. So, don’t worry about it! It just means that they can’t produce a high level of noise. 

5. Rosy Bourke Parakeets

These Australian native parrots are not what we call chatterboxes. Some parrot owners even label them as polite. The reason is that they have a generally calm attitude and remain quiet in all instances. These parakeets are so polite that even during their calls are not a bother to your neighbors. 

Even though they are active all day, their noise level is not something you should be warry. Remember, they are considered polite parrots compared to their larger cousins. Make sure their cages are spacious so they have room to fly. 

6. Meyer’s Parrots

Also known as brown parrots, Meyer’s Parrots are closely related to Senegal and Red-bellied birds. Like other parrots, they are flocked by all kinds of people. Simply put, many adore them because of their relaxed and friendly traits. 

Aside from being a laid-back and outgoing parrot, they would instead observe than make a noise—a good companion when your days are lazy and quiet. You’ll often hear the sounds of these parrots: whistles, clicking, and adorable squeaks. Don’t worry about them screaming because they don’t! 

7. Red-Bellied Parrots

Comparable to Meyer’s Parrots, Red-bellied parrots are not screamers. They are not vocal like parrots but can still imitate words and are slightly talkative. Their playful characteristics are similar to Senegal Parrots. It means that they love playing and therefore produce various cute vocalizations. 

They love stimuli, and if stimulated well, they’ll produce cute and sweet sounds that are not painful to human ears. Sometimes, you’ll hear Red-bellied parrots whistling. Also, they do not scream or screech—definitely, a good friend during quiet weekends. 

8. Lineolated Parakeets

Lineolated Parakeets wouldn’t be on this list if they are noisy, that’s for sure! These parrots are peaceful and only make little noise like soft chatters and trim vocalization levels. You and your neighbor’s ears will not bleed out dry! 

Please don’t be anxious about their flock calls! Although they can shrill their way to the top, it only lasts for a short time. 

Decibel Chart

Parrot Kind	Noise Level
Cockatiels	75 decibels
Parakeets	68 decibels
Senegal Parrots	89 decibels
Pacific Parrotlets	65 decibels
Rosy Bourke Parakeets	89 decibels (estimated)
Meyer’s Parrots	89 decibels
Red-bellied Parrots	89 decibels
Lineolated Parakeets	40 decibels

Why Are Parrots Loud?

It’s not like parrots make sounds just for the heck of it. Just like when we get startled by something or get hungry, parrots are like us. What sets parrots apart from us is their way of communicating these feelings through screams and loud shrieks. Nonetheless, the reasons why parrots are loud are as follows:

1. They Are Communicating.

If you don’t know it yet, parrots produce sounds to communicate with their flock. It is to alert them from potential dangers or predators or scare predators away from their flock. They use vocalizations to mark their territories. 

2. They Are Showing How They Feel

Parrots have feelings too. So, the happier the parrots, the more cheerful and talkative they are with you. If you are treating them well, they’ll make sure to sing you a song to show you how they feel. They will not give you a silent treatment unless there’s something wrong. 

3. They Are Looking For A Mate

It’s in a parrot’s instinct to vocalize to find a mate. They’ll create attractive and pleasant vocalizations to catch their perfect mate this season. So, be prepared for spring or warm season, for they’ll sing a song to find their mates.

Debunking The Myth

There’s no such thing as entirely silent parrots. One way or the other, they’ll make a sound; the only quiet parrot is a dead one or possibly a sick one. 

Wouldn’t life be livelier when a calm and friendly parrot accompanies you? Soft and small chatters and tweets from here or there don’t hurt from time to time. Your weekends will be much more fun if you have a cuddly and friendly companion. Lucky you to have a feathered friend! 

Do you know other quiet parrots? Comment down below!

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