'I can't rest in the morning nor sleep at night': Sengkang resident files police reports against neighbour over noisy parrot

The presence of a parrot near his home has ruffled one Sengkang resident's feathers, as he claims the bird's noises are disruptive. 

The man, surnamed Zhang, lives on the 12th floor of Block 174B Sengkang Avenue 1. He told Shin Min Daily News that his neighbour on the 11th floor had bought a pet parrot about six months ago. 

As his neighbour placed the bird's cage outside the kitchen window, the 50-year-old property manager claimed that the bird's constant squawking has been a significant source of disturbance in their lives. 

Zhang added that he has also made multiple police reports against his neighbour due to the noise. 

"I need kidney dialysis, my mother isn't in good health and she needs to rest. Now I can't rest in the morning nor sleep at night," he griped. 

Zhang's 86-year-old mother also echoed the same sentiments: "I hear the bird squawking every morning, it wakes me up from my sleep, and I've been feeling depressed because of it." 

As the elderly lady has difficulty walking, her bed was placed near the window — a mere three or four metres away from where Zhang's neighbour hangs the parrot cage.

'He is too sensitive': Neighbour 

Shin Min also spoke to Zhang's neighbour, surnamed Zeng, who refuted his neighbour's claims. 

Although he admitted that the parrot would squawk quite often when he first brought it home, the 68-year-old rag-and-bone man said that his pet has since stopped making such frequent noises. 

"It only squawks once or twice in the morning. [Zhang] is being too sensitive and is exaggerating," he remarked. 

Another resident, surnamed Chen, told Shin Min that he could hear the bird's noises, but was hardly affected by it. 

"I thought it was a bird perched on the one of the walls, it's not very loud. I don't think there's anything wrong with rearing birds," he told the Chinese daily. 

Following Zhang's police reports, Zeng said that officers have turned up at his home to investigate a few times. Wanting to avoid such visits, Zeng told Shin Min he contemplated selling the bird, but was unwilling to part with it. 

In response to Shin Min's queries, the police confirmed that they'd received such reports. 

In May this year, the Ministry of National Development said in a written statement that flat owners are allowed to keep small pets such as birds, as long as they do not cause a nuisance and disturbance to the neighbours and living environment. 

However, if the pets are causing a disturbance to other residents, flat owners will be asked to exercise control over the pet and take measures to stop the nuisance. 

Recalcitrant flat owners will asked to be rehome their pets, with assistance from animal welfare groups as needed, said the ministry. 

READ ALSO: 'I'm suffering all day': Hougang resident keeps tabs on neighbour's parrots 'making noise' every day

claudiatan@asiaone.com