Does Loud Noise Affect Parakeets?

Some birds get stressed by constant exposure to ongoing noise sources, while others respond negatively to sudden, unexpected loud noises. For example, your parakeet might freak out if she hears a vacuum cleaner or blender running on occasion, but be fine with regular volume music. It's often a matter of trial and error to figure out what type of noises bother your bird, and to what extent.

If your bird gets stressed out from overstimulation or from a loud environment, she may chatter incessantly, be completely quiet, pluck her own feathers, refuse to eat or sit on the bottom of her cage rather than on a perch. If you see your parakeet exhibiting any of these behaviors, help her out by reducing your house’s noise volume or giving your bird space that affords her a little privacy and seclusion and see if her behavior changes.

When you first bring your bird home, give her a few days to get acclimated and pay close attention to her mannerisms and how she acts when she’s exposed to different environmental sounds. If she seems anxious or skittish with typical semi-loud household sounds, you might want to keep her cage in an out-of-the-way location. You’ll want a spot that still lets her interact with the household, but doesn't put her in the direct path of loud sounds.

If you have a particularly sensitive bid who responds in a stressed way to noise, be proactive and get a heavy-duty cage cover that muffles sound to help put her at ease. A portable cage stand also gives you flexibility to move her room-to-room as necessary to give her a low-noise environment. Take her to the vet to make sure she doesn’t have any underlying health issues that might contribute to her skittish behavior.

While re-homing your parakeet should be a last resort, if you can’t alter your noisy household or find a way to help you bird manage noise stress, a calmer environment might be the best bet for everyone. Find a friend with a low-key life who wants an equally mellow companion.