Help! My new cockatiel hates me.?

Question

He is about 8 months old and was hand raised. At first he was OK with being held - 1 or 2 times when he first came home with me and then he "flew" off my hand (wings are clipped) and rammed into the window. Since then he hisses and bit me really hard when I try to get him out. I know I need to work with him but I'm really freaked about getting bit again. It hurt! I've tried using a towel to get him and now he hates me even more. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Since your cockatiel is going to be a member of your family, you should know how to tame and train it. You will be rewarded with a well-behaved companion who will give you many years of pleasure. The taming and training period can be divided into three categories: getting acquainted, training techniques, and talking or whistling.

Getting Acquainted Put yourself in your cockatiel's place: You have been taken away from your family and placed in a strange cage in a new room with different sights and sounds and no place to hide. There are huge, unfeathered creatures with no beaks making strange noises in front of your cage. How would you feel? Frightened, of course!

As you can see, the first few days should be devoted to getting acquainted. It is very important that you move slowly and talk quietly to your new family member. In a few days, you will probably see that your cockatiel is less frightened — it won't jump from perch to perch, squawk, hiss, or fluff its feathers as much when you approach or stand near its cage. Try to learn your cockatiel's body language and "speech" — its signs of aggression as well as its signs of trust. Try to imitate its "trusting" sounds.

Training Techniques After a few days, your cockatiel will still not trust you completely but will tolerate your presence. This is the time to start hand taming your cockatiel. For the next week, try to show your bird that perching on your hand or on a stick can be fun. A bare hand can be used for finches, canaries, and budgerigars, but leather work gloves should be worn with the smaller parrots like the cockatiel.. Since your bird will feel more secure in its cage, start the hand or stick training in the cage, with a few fifteen-minute sessions each day. Using slow movements and a calm, reassuring voice, introduce your hand or stick into the cage. By gently pushing up where the chest joins the legs, you can get your bird to jump onto your finger or your stick. Once you have succeeded in using the stick method for your cockatiel, the next step is to ease your stick-holding hand under your bird's feet while talking softly and gently. Now offer small bits of food with your free hand to distract your cockatiel, then simply slide your hand over, drop the stick softly — and the bird is on your hand. That contact is a good feeling — instant communication — like shaking hands with someone. Continue to reassure your cockatiel as it ponders its new perch — your hand. After you have tamed your cockatiel, other family members should be encouraged to handle it and feed it treats so that it will become accustomed to many people. You are now well on your way to having a well-socialized, hand-tamed pet. Once your bird feels comfortable on your hand, you should slowly and with gentle reassurances remove it from the cage. It will probably jump off your hand or grab for the bars first. But with patience and determination and with a reassuring voice and a few treats, you will be successful. Again, these sessions should be no more than fifteen minutes, two or three times a day, and they should be handled by only one person so that your cockatiel does not get confused or frightened. The room should be quiet, and all distractions such as toys, mirrors, and bells should be removed during training sessions.

During training sessions:

Close and cover all windows

Close and (if possible) lock all doors

Cover boiling liquids. Better yet, don't cook at this time
Once your cockatiel is hand tamed, it will beg you to take it for rides around on your hand, arm, shoulder, or the top of your head! If your bird tries to nip at your hand, turn your fingers away and push your cockatiel's chin away with your other hand. Some cockatiels do learn the meaning of the word no. Never hit your cockatiel. They do not understand this type of punishment, but they do respond to gentleness and patience.
If your cockatiel flies off your finger when you first take it out of the cage, don't lunge for it like an outfielder chasing a ball. Simply wait until it has perched and then slowly and quietly offer your hand, a stick, or even the cage to it. Offering some treat or fruit is also helpful. If this doesn't work, don't worry. Just leave the cage door open with some fresh goodies inside, and your cockatiel will return to the cage on its own time. If this doesn't work, wait until dark. Your cockatiel will sleep, and you can try your "salesmanship" again in the morning.

Talking Birds of the parrot family — budgerigars, cockatiels, African greys, macaws, and cockatoos, for example — can learn to "talk." Actually, they mimic or imitate your speech, the calls and songs of other birds, and even sounds around the house, such as the chimes of a grandfather clock, a banging door, or the ring of a telephone. They seem to enjoy this wonderful talent, and so do their owners. The neighbors are another story.

You should start "speech classes" only after your cockatiel has been tamed and is accustomed to you.


In general, males seem to learn more words and sounds faster than females.

Younger cockatiels are easier to teach, but you may still be able to teach an "old bird new tricks" with patience and kindness.

It is best to remove toys, mirrors, and food cups during the classes.

Cockatiels like routine. Give the lessons at the same time each day (before the cage cover is off in the morning and after it is replaced in the evening.

Single cockatiels are easier to teach than those that have company.

Each lesson should be about fifteen minutes long.

Be sure the "classroom" is quiet, without television, radios, or stereos blaring. If there are other people present, they should be quiet as well.

Cockatiels seem to respond better to the voices of females or children.

It may take one month to one year to teach your cockatiel to speak. Once it utters its first word or phrase, others will come easier and faster. In fact, your cockatiel will love its newfound talent so much that it will rapidly pick up more words. Some cockatiels never learn to talk but make pleasant pets anyhow.

Short words and phrases are best for lessons. A new word should be repeated slowly many times. It should also be repeated whenever you, other family members, or friends pass the cage or T-stand.
Some cockatiels can graduate to the "school of clean tricks" — learning to put objects in containers, ring bells for a reward, do somersaults, or other delightful show-stopping stunts! If you watch your cockatiel's natural antics, you can adapt simple stunts around them. Be careful not to use any materials or toys that may injure your cockatiel.

Answer 2

I'm not sure what someimespet means. Try showing her a treat in your hand and use a key word. Repetition is the key. After 4 days of this, use the key word and let her have some of the treat while she is in the cage and you are out. After a lot of praise, open the cage door and let her come to you offer her the treat in your hand using the key word. Praise a lot. Then offer a hand held perch using the treat and keyword. Practice this a couple of days. Then offer her your finger as a perch.if she bites, don't overreact and push towards the bite and give her a firm "No!". A two minute time out works with some and she will learn good behaviour means more play time. Make her foraging toys like small pieces of wax paper with a treat put in the center. Twist the ends. Stuff Cholla wood with treats. Put treats in empty baby aspirin boxes and show her what you are doing.She may enjoy tearing adding machine paper refills. use 2-3 training sessions of 10 minutes a day. Birds are intelligent and must not be bored. I think she will love you again. Be persistent and have a tweet year.

Answer 3

Well the good news is you can still work with him to change it, the bad news is you really made him more angry with the towel.
I took in an very old Macaw, She hated women and would hit the cage like a shark. Because I work with birds I expect to he bitten often. And not by a little cocktail either!! You have to except that you will take a few bites, it goes with the turf. The more fear you show, the less likely you will have them strike at you. You have to gather your self and deal with it. I wouldn't trade that Macaw for anything, and all it took was me to show no fear of her.

Answer 4

It's very east to permenantly affect a bird's attitude towards something. Your bird's bad experience basically hard-wired its little brain to hate the thing it associates with the pain it felt--namely, you. However, all is not lost! :) You might be able to help your bird recover.

Try leaving the cage door open and letting your bird come out on his own. He'll be a lot less likely to bite if he doesn't feel threatened. Instead of offering your hand, which he fears, approach him with your arms at your side. Put your shoulder near him and see if he'll climb on it. Let him climb around on you and get used to being with you. Once he feels safe with you and recognizes that being with you mean being out of his cage and being able to explore, he'll be more friendly towards you. Most important is to let him progress at his own pace. Forcing him to do anything will only make it worse.

I had a cockatiel with a similar problem. He never did sit on my finder again, but he would get on my wrists, shoulders, and head with no problem.

Answer 5

Some times birds pick who they want to be friends with. My tiel will open his wings wide when I walk in the house. He/she is so happy to see me that she will jump off the cage to come to me. But when my girl friend walks up to the cage the bird heads to the back side to get away from her. But at times the bird will go right to her. The stupid sun conure will go to both of us with no problems. Reminds you of a puppy dog.

Get some Jet puff sugar free marshmillows and some sugar cane and some pepers the long skinny kind. Your till will like one of them and take these treats with you and offer them. The little guy will start seeing you as a provider of something good. Then every time you are insite he will want you. Just take your time.

Answer 6

New Cockatiel

Answer 7

Follow the advice here, it is good, and remember, no one has EVER died from a cockatiel bite!

Answer 8

Thats a good question I hope you will get valuable answers

Answer 9

hey......don't feel sad....OK
i think you can search the good cockatiel....
good cockatiel...

Answer 10

If he bites you again, get a fly swatter and beat the crap out of him. That should break him of biting.