How do I stop my cockatiel from biting us?

Question

I am a new owner of a 10yr old male cockatiel. I have had him for two months an sence day one he has biten us. He also land on our head and pulls our hair. We dont force him out of his cage or make him go anywhere. He come to us and just bites, he hasn't broke skin yet but he keeps biting harder. He dose know how to step up, but will bite the entire he is on you r hand. We have gotten to the point that we only use a perch to put him in his cage. We cant use treats to reward good behavoir because he wont eat anything but seed, evrything esle he throws out of his bowl. What can we do? I would really like to live peacefully with him,but we can't handle his biting, I dont want to get rid of him.

Answer 1

the bird is 10 years old and probably set in his ways... sometimes we can't "teach an old dog, new tricks".

there is one trick i always used with young birds i was taming, and that was:

when the bird bites, quickly raise your free hand with index finger pointed out above his head and say "don't bite!" firmly but you don't have to yell.

your finger will distract the bird and he will likely stop biting for the moment. just keep doing this when when he bites.

that's my best advice.

about diet -- they need more than seed alone, but if this bird was raised on just seeds it might be difficult to get him to try new things. dark green leafy vegetables such as endive, romaine lettuce are very good for the bird (regular lettuce has little nutritional value). shredded carrots and other vegetables in small amounts are good too -- keep offering him different things (in very small portions, after all he's not that big..).

my birds liked eggs too -- small bits of cooled scrambled eggs, hard boiled too. and they liked chicken and turkey, believe it or not.

you can give him the "people food" first thing every day and don't offer seeds for an hour or two. maybe this will encourage him to try something new? but sometimes, you can't get them to try anything, especially at his age.

if you offer these things to your bird, and he doesn't eat them in a few hours, remove them from the cage so they don't attract flies, or go sour...

i wish you all the best.

Answer 2

You CAN teach an old dog new tricks and that is the same for birds. First question is, are you keeping him above eye level? If the cage or bird is above eye level, he feels as if he's the dominate one and will be aggressive and will eventually get you under control instead of the other way around. When you want him out of the cage, you be the aggresser and put your finger to his chest and say "step up". When he's out of the cage, 'always' keep him under eye level, do not lift him up high. When he starts to bite, put your forefinger out (as if to punish a puppy) and say "no bite"! but be calm and firm, do not raise your voice or show excitement, they can read you better than a dog you just can't read their faces like a dog to know what their thinking. Be assertive with your finger against his chest and don't let him back away from you, he will eventually get on your finger and show some respect. But remember, always keep him chest level and lower so he doesn't feel so powerful and dominate, that is your job-good luck! I have an adopted cockatiel also and he was the same way, now he is my buddy and even recogonizes my car when i pass the window.

Answer 3

I have four cockatiels . I did the something you did rescue a cockatiel she only 3 and is. A whiteface , I had a lot in the past , what I did was let her adjust to the new environment maybe 2 days, then I started talking to her and I took her places with her wing r cut, then I worked on step up which is a way of taming.

Answer 4

Do you react when he bites? If you put him back, take him out less, or make a noise when he bites, you're rewarding him and he'll keep biting. Ignore the biting and it should stop. If it doesn't, pinch his beak (the sides), look him in the eye and say "no biting" but don't put him back in his cage. Also, if he's only eating seeds, this needs to change or he'll die soon! Do "timed feedings" where you leave pellets in his dish all day long, but no seeds. Every 3-4 hours, give him a bowl of seeds and let him eat for 10 minutes, and take away the seeds. Soon he'll get hungry enough that he'll eat the pellets, but he wont starve in the meantime because he still gets to eat his old food. Good luck, and check out http://www.cockatootrainer.com/biting/

Answer 5

cockatiels are really one person birds, and if you got him at this age, it is possible that he will never really bond with any of you, or be friendly, for that matter. Keep him in his cage unless you are taking him out yourself, and keep his wings clipped. this will encourage his dependancy on you and might make him a little more friendly. For now, i suggest that only one person interacts with him, and when he is more well behaved, add other people to his social contact list.