Sengkang resident files police reports over neighbour’s noisy parrot disrupting his rest

SINGAPORE: A Sengkang resident, identified as Mr Zhang, residing on the 12th floor of Block 174B Sengkang Avenue 1, has taken action against a neighbor over an ongoing dispute involving a noisy parrot.

The resident alleges that the bird’s incessant squawking has disrupted his daily life and led to multiple police reports being filed.

Shin Min Daily News reported that Mr Zhang’s neighbor on the 11th floor introduced a pet parrot into their shared living space approximately six months ago.

This bird, which had its cage positioned outside the kitchen window, has become a significant source of disturbance for Mr Zhang, a 50-year-old property manager.

“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,” lamented Mr Zhang, describing the challenges he and his 86-year-old mother face due to the parrot’s constant squawking.

His elderly mother, whose bed is situated near the window, experiences frequent disturbances, leading to feelings of depression.

In response to these issues, Mr Zhang has made multiple police reports regarding the noise and its impact on his life.

Neighbour said resident is ‘too sensitive

However, his neighbour, identified as Mr Zeng, has a different perspective.

While he acknowledged that the parrot initially made frequent noise, the 68-year-old stated that it now squawks only once or twice in the morning.

Mr Zeng believes that Mr Zhang is overly sensitive and exaggerating the problem.

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

Mr Chen, another resident, told Shin Min that he could hear the bird’s noises but was not significantly affected by them.

He expressed the view that rearing birds is not inherently problematic.

He said, “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.”

Police investigate parrot noise complaints

In light of Mr Zhang’s complaints, the police have investigated the matter, with officers visiting Mr Zeng’s home on multiple occasions.

To mitigate further visits and inquiries, Mr Zeng contemplated selling the parrot but expressed reluctance to part with his pet.

Shin Min had sought clarification from the police, who confirmed receiving reports regarding the parrot disturbance.

Additionally, the Ministry of National Development issued a statement in May of this year clarified the rules regarding pet ownership in flats.

Flat owners are allowed to keep small pets like birds, provided they do not cause a nuisance or disturbance to neighbours and the living environment.

In cases where pets do cause disturbances, flat owners are expected to address the issue and take measures to alleviate the problem.

The ministry emphasized that recalcitrant flat owners may be asked to rehome their pets, with assistance available from animal welfare groups as needed.