How do I tame my pet cockatiel?

Question

I just got him from a rescue, and he seems to want to bite me all the time!! I know that rescue birds can be harder to tame, and I'm willing to work with him as long as it take. Does anyone have any suggestions?I think he bites mainly out of fear.

His wings were clipped when we got him.

Answer 1

if you go here http://plaza.ufl.edu/jhugus/current_birds.html then you could tame it

Answer 2

My mother got a cockatiel from some people that had not let him out of the cage in over four years. We worked a little bit everyday with him and soon he finally came out of the cage and played on the outside. We started giving him little treats when he would behave on our hand. He isn't completely tame and he isn't mean, but he took a liking to our female and now we have six baby cockatiels and no homes for them. Good luck, with determination and care that bird could grow to love you and possibly love another bird of yours.

Answer 3

I trained a parakeet, so that I could do anything with it. I bought it out of a store so who knows what that bird went through. I bring that up because your bird doesnt trust you. You need to start from scratch. Put feed in your hand at feeding time and get your bird to eat out of your hand every day without touching the bird. The bird will learn to trust you. Good luck

Answer 4

well first you need to clip her wings so it wont fly around the place and then you just work with it. Most birds will bite at first. Its okay to pick the bird up with your hands around it because it wont be able to bite. Just dont keep her around any dogs or cats and she may become more calm. :)

Answer 5

You have to be patient, but make sure you go to the nearest local bait shop and buy some Wigglers in fresh soft dirt. Wiggle that worm and tell her its a treat and if she does good then you can award the bird and move up to Nightcrawlers.

Answer 6

let him get used to your presence for a while. let him feel safe within his cage while he gets used to the new environment. he is experiencing so many new sounds and sights and smells right now. don't touch him at all. talk to him. put him in a room where he will get the most exposure to you doing normal things. walk by his cage often. talk to him when you feed and water him and anytime you maintain his cage but DON"T touch him. it may take several weeks for him to "relax" around you. your next step is to reach into his cage without the intention to touch him, but slowly pull your hand out while "drifting" the back of your hand in his direction without spooking him. he may still lunge his beak at your hand or squawk, but he'll soon realize that you mean no harm. finally, when he stops reacting defensively to your hand, give him treats or toys directly - if he goes for the treat or toy and not your fingers, you've made great progress. but you still can't rush things at this point.

fight your desire to hold him or pet him, it'll come with time and patience. good luck!

Answer 7

Move your hand up to him, never down from above him so he doesn't feel threatened as much. Only spend small amounts of time with him very often rather then a long time once a say. Cheerios always make a good treat.

Answer 8

keep holding your bird for maby 3 weeks the most it depends on the bird they will get to no you better and then they will love to be held maby if they trust u rily good they some times eat out of your hand
cus mine did well have fun and good luck

Answer 9

When you first get your pet home you should leave it fairly undisturbed for a few days while it takes in its new surroundings and gets used to them. If you have bought a tame baby the only thing that you will have to do to begin a rewarding pet relationship is to gently take it out of its cage and play with it for short periods several times a day. There are 2 good reasons not to overdo it. First, the baby should not be separated from its food and water for extended periods. It is still growing rapidly, eating often, and sleeping more than an adult bird. I would suggest keeping early play sessions under 15 minutes then returning the baby to its cage for at least twice as long as it was out. Second, it is tempting to lavish a great deal of attention on a new animal for a few weeks while you are very excited about having a new friend, then, just as it becomes accustomed to a high level of human interaction, sharply reduce the amount of time you spend playing with your bird as other things in your life reassert their usual priority. If you can, its best to figure out what level of interaction you're likely to be able to sustain over the long run and start as you intend to go on.

These play times are a good opportunity to introduce the up command which will be important throughout your bird's life as a means of keeping it tame and reminding it who is flock leader in your house. It is very simple. Just put your extended finger crosswise against the bird's chest and say "up" or "step up" in a firm but not aggressive voice while gently pushing up and back. The bird will lose its balance and step up onto your finger. Soon it will respond to the verbal command without your having to push against its chest. Laddering is an exercise where you have the bird repeatedly step from one hand to another. A few minutes of laddering each day is your best insurance against dominance related behavior problems later on.

If you have an older, never tamed bird or a lapsed hand-fed you will have to take things much more slowly. The initial period of adjustment will be a bit longer and the taming will go much more slowly. I begin with a good wing clip since a non-flying bird can't run away as easily and is more dependent on me. Then I start by simply holding my hand inside the cage while talking to the bird in a soothing voice. It doesn't matter what you say -- you can read the paper, recite poetry, discuss politics (if you can keep your voice calm ), whatever. When the bird has settled down from its initial reaction to your hand you can either end the session with a bit of praise for the bird or you can move your hand a bit closer and keep talking. Just be sure to hold your hand still, the bird will never settle down if you are wiggling it around.

After you've made progress with the hand in the cage you will want to get the bird out to interact with it outside its secure territory. Some birds will come out on their own, others are cage bound and will not venture outside the only oasis of security they have ever known. If your bird will come out you may be able to get him to step onto a spare perch so that you can move him to a small, enclosed room where the two of you can be alone in an environment where the bird will be inclined to cling to you as the only familiar object. If not you will have to towel the bird to get him out of the cage (gently cover him with a medium size towel so that he can be handled without fear of being bitten, because the bird's eyes are covered it can't see any danger and is more tolerant of handling). This is best done in a steady, no-nonsense manner that is neither aggressive nor so timid that you fail. Do not begin unless you are sure that you have the stubbornness and the patience to maintain your efforts until your bird is out. If your bird is extremely nervous you will do nothing but take him out and then return him to his safe place. If the bird accepts the toweling without panicking carry him to a small, enclosed space such as a shower enclosure, a small hallway that you can block off, or a closet that isn't so cluttered as to be dangerous. It must be out of sight of its cage. Personally I've always used the shower enclosure. The point is to get the bird into a place that's too small for it to be able to easily run away from you.

Since you are the only familiar object in the area and it can't see its own territory it will be much more responsive to taming. Continue to talk to your bird and, when it seems calm offer it your arm, or a spare perch and begin to teach the up command. Never end the session until some progress has been made -- at least a reduction in nervousness -- but don't drag it on. Short, frequent sessions are best In time you will be able to pick the bird up on your hand and carry it about. Petting or using your hand to pick the bird up inside the cage may be a long time coming but may be possible in the long run. Persistence and constancy are the key.

Answer 10

I agree with Trenton. I acquired a pair of cocktails who were not used to being handled and I took them to my vet to make sure they were healthy. He trimmed their wings and they were IMMEDIATELY handle-able. It was amazing. I have since learned how to trim wings myself because I have to many birds. Once you see how it's done, it's not difficult to do your self.

Answer 11

just simply handle him as much as possible.it may help if you give him treats while handling him as well.the more you handle him , the more he will trust that your not trying to hurt him.