Whenever I whistle, or sing or talk in a high voice, my cockatiel (handfed and weaned, bought 3 days ago) shakes his head vigorously for a second. At first I thought it was the wind from my mouth blowing on him, but when I whistled with a cloth in between, or whistled turning the other way, or even from across the room, he'd shake his head whether his eyes are closed or just walking around.
I've bought handfed and weaned cockatiels before and they all seem to have their own little quirks, for ex. a pearl cockatiel that I once had would plunge his head down if I got near him, asking for scritches, even on the first day I bought him. He'd then peck my hand if I don't scritch him or I don't scritch him the right way. Could this be one of those quirks of my new cockatiel? Is there a way to un-train him to do that? I think it might have been something he was trained to do while he was handfed (accidentally, probably), but it's rather annoying to seem him shake his head every time I wh
2007-09-03 08:23:36 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Birds
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2007-09-03 11:07:37 · update #1
but he does this every single time I make high noises, not just some of them. like he'd look like he's sleeping, and if I whistle he shakes his head instantly like it's in his instincts or something
2007-09-03 11:08:35 · update #2
If you don't want to see him head shaking, you're going to have to stop doing the things that cause him to do so, like whistle or talk in a high voice around him. There is no way that I know of to un-train this head shaking.
You trained him to do this behavior when you blew on him and whistled on him, even with the cloth in between the two of you.
He's now in full blown protection mode, trying to ensure that he's not going to undergo the discomfort he was put through by your actions. Granted, you didn't mean to cause discomfort, you were playing with your new fid (feathered kid), but you need to remember, cockatiels are a bird that gets scared very easily. That's why the reaction even when you're across the room and do your behaviors that cause the head shaking.
You get to find a new way to play with your baby fid. Find things the two of you can do together and toys he likes. For ex. some birds love to beak things. A napkin given can be a joy forever to some birds (or until it's beaked into the smallest pieces of paper). Personally, I've found that tiels enjoy playing with a wooden toothpick. To them there is no greater happiness, and they blissfully run the pick back and forth until they've destoryed it. Or until, they've tossed it and wait for you to return it to them.
2007-09-03 11:42:51 · answer #1 · answered by valgerdgydhja 2 · 1⤊ 4⤋
I have noticed that our cockatiel shakes his head his head significantly more when I am teaching him a new song. The better he gets to know the song, the less he shakes his head. My family has been surprised at the consistency of this phenomenon since I brought it to their attention. It makes me at least consider the possibility that he is using head shaking as a way of learning the tune. He offers no indication that the new sound, high pitch, or any other facet of the process is bothering him. He appears to be totally engaged and seems rather happy. But he shakes his head less and less the more he becomes familiar with the song and begins to whistle the song himself. I haven't heard this hypothesis of a cockatiel somehow learning more effectively as a result of shaking their head, but it sure seems that ours is doing that.
2015-09-27 11:14:15 · answer #2 · answered by JEFFREY 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My cockatiel does the same thing. If I say her name in a normal voice, she does not react, but if I say it really loud or high pitched, she shakes her head. I believe it is because cockatiels' senses are so much more amplified than ours, so they hear things much more loudly than we do. It is hard for me to believe that they are shaking their heads because they actually LIKE the sound. It probably hurts their ears when we talk loudly or speak in a high pitch.
2007-09-04 17:52:56 · answer #3 · answered by erfoce0nes 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This answer that u "trained" your bird to do this is 100% false and ridiculous. All three of my Cockatiel's do this as well as every Cockatiel I have ever owned or trained and some Budgies I've owned as well. I would be upset if they didn't because it means THEY ARE PAYING ATTENTION! No disrespect but you answred this not knowing anything about bird behavior or what your talking about.
2014-01-09 23:43:10 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
There are two theories for this:
1) The cockatiel likes the sound
2) The cockatiel dislikes the sound
Either way, it's normal.
Don't worry about it.
2007-09-03 09:19:26 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
They don't like loud noises.
2007-09-03 11:39:10 · answer #6 · answered by Joan H 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
my quaker does that and then speaks, thats a sign that he/she is trying to imitate your words
2007-09-03 09:14:27 · answer #7 · answered by Yasir Ali 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋