cockatiel wont go back in?

Question

wen i let my cockatiel out of its cage and give it treats and stuff , it seems to refuse to go back. wen i try to perch him on my finger he bites and flies away on to my curtain.then i have to pick up the cage and force him bak in. how can i sort this out ?

Answer 1

Ok, how often are u letting your cockatiel out?
Do u work, and let him out when u get home, or are u home always and just get him out sometimes?
Is his enclosure pleasurable for him to be in? (large enough length ways, comfortable, natural branches for perches instead of dowel, some fresh greenary in there for him?,some toys?,

With my birds (2 lories 2 peachfaces) they are housed 3 seperate flight cages
1 flight cage for each lorikeet and 1 for the lovebirds
75cmlength, 45cmdepth, and 45cm height are their cage sizes.
The lovebird cage has the same dimensions but is double the height.
on the bottom of all of their cages there is newspaper laid and over that a polar fleece baby blanket, fits perfectly in the bottom.
I have always done this, and they love it. (nice & cosy) warm underfoot.
They have large natural branches in their cage instead of a thin piece of perching dowel, i give them fresh greenary every couple of days to chew on, etc.
they have dangle bell toys etc, so that when they r in their cage they are having fun.
they also have a light directly next to their cages so that they are in decent light in the late afternoons.
In saying that they only are in their cages at night, in the day when i work they play in a12foot aviary that is in abudence with chunky logs and flowering eucalypts. BLISS
It sounds to me like your cockatiel is unhappy with his housing,
Put yourself in his position, would u like to b living in his cage, does it look cosy and comfy? does it have things to play with? Is there enough light where he is situated?
does he have enough room? cockatiels have a huge wing span he may feel very restricted.
Size for a cockatiel cage should b no smaller than flight cage length size 75cm.
Also what is his diet like,? do u give him fruits/vegies, multigrain breads etc, these are a must in all birds and is a very important
part of their daily care.
So have a think of how u could improve his housing to start with, i bet it will make a difference, also think about your amount of time u spend with him.

Answer 2

Mine was terrified of the cage, and if he is biting you, that means he don't like it that you are disturbing his perching and treats.
You need to tame him. Don't give him treats everyday, only once in a while. If he gets used to the fact you come home, let him and get treats... he will only think of you as a person giving him treats and then taking him away. Give him only regular food.
To get him to come to you it will take some time. Clipping wings will make him walk more than fly, and the only thing that will be able to get him off the floor will be you and your finger. Once he is used to your finger, you can let the wings grow out. By that time he will be used to you.
Also have him ride on your shoulder when you are doing random things at home and have treats with you (again once in a while) that you can feed him while he is with you. Examples might be when you are just plopped on the couch and watching TV, or when you are washing dishes, or folding laundry.... anything for him to get used to you.
Also if he is sooo into treats, you might think of putting a treat once in a while in the cage so that he will think that he can get them there also.
Soon enough he will do as you wish and go into the cage.

Answer 3

As many others have said, he needs a wing clipping. I know many people are against this, but not only is it very affective for training, it is also a safety precaution. Cockatiels, like most pet birds can crash into windows and become seriously and /or permanently injured. In addition, many of them are very good at planning an escape route out the door.. seriously! I have a male who I allowed to go unclipped for too long, and my husband opened the front door for a split second to put something outside, and Fluffy didn't waste any time.. out the door he flew! Fortunately, 2 days later he found his way back to the area and my neighbor found him on his porch! This occurred last October, in very cold and rainy weather, and he was only 3 months old!
Also, Cockatiels like to be out of their cage as much as possible. I don't think I know any humans that would want to be locked in a cage for numerous hours, day after day..we would probably get nasty too, if it was us! Good Luck!

Answer 4

U lot are sick and cruel hacking off birds wings so they can't be birds and fly free...

Ever occur to you to think... would you want to go back in a prison cell? well neither does the bird...

If you love something set it free, if it comes back and sticks around its your friend or love, if not you should not have been together...


When in Austrailia I met a guy who had a pet Cockatoo... No cage at all the bird was free to fly outdoors. Far from flying away it got upset when it could not see 'daddy' as it called.

Sometimes cried out 'wheres daddy?' till its companion turned up.

So cages should not be needed other then to transfer to a vet or move or give a place where the bird can feel safe.


Parrot type birds or cockatoos should never be pets, they often live longer then humans and are very intelligent, socailble and form life bonds like married couples... And they have nerotic emotional problems as well if their needs are not met... like tearing out feathers like when people self harm to take away pain

Answer 5

I can help you

If you want this problem to stop your going to have to have a pet store trim your birds wings, It might sound cruel but it will help. Just think of it as having a teenage kid and taking away the car keys from him.

when he attempts to jump off your finger he will glide down to the floor.

he will get the idea The you ahve to teach him to come out of the cage and to go back in. Use positive reinforcement, when your bird does a desired behavior, offer words of praise such as good bird or your so smart. or you can offer food as a reward both ways are effective.

His wing feathers will grow back in about 6 months.

you can email me for more questions at [e-mail]

Answer 6

i had a cocktail that was reluctant to be put back into the cage after he had been out but it took a bit of time. he was finger tame so he step on my finger, then i would rest my free had on his back, talk to him and place back into the cage. if however he decide to perch high up the only way to get him down was with is food dish, it worked. just take your time and be patient. he will come around.

Answer 7

Hiya I had the same problem with 1 of mine when I was taming him down. The solution I found was to throw a small old teatowel or towel gently over them so they cant fly away and then gently scoop him up, and pop him back in the cage. Or if its dark turn out the lights and quietly approach him and pop him back in that way.
Hope this helps
good luck!

Answer 8

My cockatiel never wants to go back in the cage either. If I try to take him off of my shoulder, he bites me.

Answer 9

i dont think having the wings clipped is the right option, my parents have a pet shop and would never take away their flight ability. its like having your walking ability taken away.. not nice at all. It just needs a bit of training. a local pet store should be able to give you some tips and advice x

Answer 10

you need to have the wings clipped .

this will take his ability of flight , and he will become submissive .

the only other way is to spend many hours with the bird , establish a great understanding , and then the bird will do most anything for you .

cheers !