My tiels love when we sing and whistle to them. I have two rescues that are about 9 years old.. had for about a year and 6 months. I haven't tried a lot of the target training I should start.
Hey Valerie, They love the attention! Also awesome you have rescues! You should, it's honestly something I recommend to anyone who has parrots! It's useful and fun!
I love my baby girl. I found If they start to back off, then I back off. That makes her come closer. When she is just sitting there I will talk to her like my dog. I say fly to me, come on jump! And she does! They understand more than you think.
Working with a RESCUED bird now . Been with me a year . Very slow but FINALLY I got Pete to COME out . And hopefully coming around alittle . I had to remove a huge mirror from his cage not realizing he was protecting that . But watching your videos NEVER seen a mirror so I removed it . OMG what a difference. Am I right
Hi . Love your videos and birdies . How do we get an unbonded boy back in cage for bedtime ? Finally got them to come out now to get them back in .... ?
Hey. The Issue I'm having is that my cockatiels is a rescue that has been neglected for many years. He is okay with me being near to the cage, but hates my hands, so the farthest I can get with these steps is the passive interaction without him getting very anxious and hissing at me. Any tips to get past this barrier?
Hey Stuart, I'd keep working on the passive interactions still. But also work on starting to build up his tolerance to your hands. That means moving them slowly near his cage and then moving them away. This is respecting his space and telling him that hands appearing doesn't mean they are going to grab him! I'd also work on feeding through the bars and positively associating you with treats! If he won't take a treat through the bars even if you hold it really still, try dropping it onto a platform or into a feeding bowl. You could also try target training! I have lots of videos on these kinds of topics!
Hey, did you manage to tame him? Just curious :) my friend has a rescue and it took him a whole year, even though she was 11,5 months when he got her; but now they are inseparable :D patience turned out to be the best method
@@anderoo9260 hey. He's now at the stage where he takes food from my hands when he's in his cage. I'm still working on him getting used to my hands at his cage door. Persistence is key I think, but he definitely seems much more comfortable around me/my hands.
Hey, I have a question. My bird let's me pet him, feed him, give him treats by hand, help him preen, etc. However I have a problem with the first one. Whenever I put my finger near him he thinks I'm just there to pet him. If I keep it there and try to show him I'm not there to pet him he gets all frustrated. I can pet him and have my hand around him. But as soon as I put my finger near him to try to get him to step up, or something like that he puts his head down and moves it towards my finger and tries to get me to pet him. If I was meaning to offer him pets great! If not than I can't practice what I'm trying to do like a new trick. He always thinks I'm offering him pets. Know any tips I could try to get him to tell the difference between me offering pets and just putting my finger around him?
Hey Uverial! Of the behavioural problems we get asked about, I think that's one of the nicer ones lol! One thing you could do is separate the stepping up que by using multiple fingers and a constantly consistent gesture paired with reinforcement / click or word. So the finger will mean petting, multiple fingers or a hand will mean stepping up. Our birds sometimes do the same, Fish for example will be on my shoulder, see my hand and be like "right petting time, not step up time!" However, they tend to link the hand coming from above with pets and from below with step up!
Hi, I have a rescue male. He had a bad start. I've had him for over two years now and, despite my best efforts, he will not tolerate being touched. He will step up onto my flat hand if he wants to but he cannot be approached with a finger without serious biting. I let him approach on his own terms. He was grabbed by previous owners and hurt, then, because he bites, was locked into a cage so small he couldn't spread his wings and was malnourished causing beak deformation. If I hadn't have rescued him I believe he would be dead by now. He is extremely territorial and will attack and bite, drawing blood. He NEVER plays with toys, is very fearful. I am experienced with birds (it's my job) but I wondered if you had any advice. He distrusts people so much and I feel terrible when I need to 'sausage roll' him to trim his nails.
Honestly, my advice would be treating interactions with him from a clean slate starting now! I have lots of videos to explore on dealing with some of the issues you mentioned there. What’s good is you’re taking the right approach in many ways it likely just needs tweaking a bit!
Hey Adeki, I guess the easiest way to tell is body language. For example if your cockatiel is taking snacks from your hand and not backing away and comfortable being around it. It may be time to try stepping up etc. It's about observing them and seeing how they behave!
A couple of days ago I brought home 2 girls that are almost 2. They were rescued from a hoarding situation and spent 2-3 weeks at a rescue. They go into a panicked frenzy anytime I change food and water dishes. Flapping around the cage in ways that make me worry about injuries. I have to at least clean the bottom tomorrow and am worried about how much stress that will cause. I have relaxing music that they are responsive to and I talk gently and make sure not to be sneaky or startling. The intensity has come down a bit since adding music. They are not yet treat motivated. Any tips for making the process as easy as I can on them? Still working on trust and bonding with my other birds but they don't get stressed when I feed, water, or clean.
I wasn't told much about what they left, but they are underweight and have scallop curls on their wing feathers. I was told they have not experienced any training and are very wild. They were on all seed diet and I am up for the task of getting them healthy. I am hyper aware that with their unknown traumas everything is a trigger right now. I just want to do everything I can to not traumatize then any further.
Before I started typing... I was simply going to ask if you could do a video focused on working with birds that have been in unfortunate circumstances. Lol... didn't mean to write a book!
Hey Chris, Lol that's ok and I understand you want to explain everything! A specific video on the subject is certainly something I can consider doing, but it's also a tough one to do. The things to keep in mind are that every bird is an individual, especially if they've had trauma and specific experiences. So a catch all isn't always the easiest thing to do in terms of a video. I know some RUclipsrs have tried and some of the tips do work, but we feel it's a little irresponsible to give misleading info! General tips wise, you're likely doing things right in many ways already. It's not rushing, keeping things calm, letting them adapt, not rushing to change their diet but doing so over time and observing their behaviour. Basically you want to do all the things you'd do if you got a baby bird, but more carefully and slowly!
The other thing I forgot to mention is if you really struggle or need tailored advice, you can always book a consult with our business! That way we can take a look at everything and give specific recommendations! If not then the above advice and patience should work!
@@TheParrotTeacher thank you very much! With a million and a half variables of situations I can see how it would be hard to break things down in short videos. I chickened out and put cleaning off until tomorrow... fingers crossed!
Hi David. Thanks for another great video. My cockateil does somwthing which I have no idea of what it means. I'll try and send a photo! She puts her beak between her cage bars and sits for a while. Any ideas?!
@@TheParrotTeacher thank you so much! I'm not on Insta, are you on Facebook as my husband is...I don't do social media! Is it usual also for cockateils to love watching nature documentaries?! I put one on for mind this evening and she's actually sitting on her tray and not in her usual bedtime spot which she goes to routinely an hour before sleep time...and she's sitting chilling quite the thing, watching it and dosing! Is this unhealthy?! I am so thankful for your responses, it's wonderful to have someone who owns a channel that actually responds! Blessings 🙌
@@JmJendtimes Hey Julia, I do have it but seldom use it. You could email me it (My address should be in my channel bio) Yes, parrots can enjoy watching telly. For example when I play games sometimes our two cockatiels will have a nap or fluff up! It could either be routine, the sounds or they just like it!
I just found your youtube channel. When I saw the channel name and the profile picture -> instant sub :D Originally I was searching for tips for my two cute cockatiels :)
Hi, thanks for making these videos. I love them and also Sophie's. I just have a question an bonding. I know all cockatiels are unique and different so you probably can't give me a once size fits all answer, but how long does the passive interaction phase generally last and how do you how they're ready for more active interaction? I have my 2 cockatiels (male and female) for 3 day now, they're young cockatiels from a breeder and about 8 weeks old. The things is, so far they have zero interest in interacting with me. They do not accept treats, and they don't even seem to care about treats or food in general at all. They don't seem to be afraid as I can put my hand in the cage to do cleaning or changing food, without them flapping around. They just don't want to interact. Do I need to worry now? I've heard someone say that day 1 is settling in, day 2 you can start feeding through the bars and by day 3 you should be able to let them out of the cage and get them back in again without problems. Mine are nowhere near that stage. Do I need to be worried that after 3 days, my birds still show no interest in interacting with me?
The timescale you were given isn’t really accurate. Some birds will be willing to interact quickly others will take much more time! It’s also important to remember they are recently weaned too so it’s all going to be a bit confusing and like whaaa for them! I’d keep up with the passive, I’d offer individual millet buds through the bars and make it easy to get to while not moving your hand and just take your time!
Hi David, Great video. I have just become a first-time Cockatiel owner and bought a pair of Cockatiels yesterday. I have a question regarding all of your training and bonding methods. How long and how many times a day should I be doing each method until my birds feel comfortable and without coaxing. My birds were purchased from my local Garden Centre's Pets Department and are 1 year old male and female and judging by their behaviour were not hand raised as they were not born in the Pets Department. Thank you in advance. Emma Gordon and my Cockatiels Eric and Lily
Passive bonding can be done constantly, provided you aren’t stressing your cockatiels by doing it! The more active methods I’d try to do 2-3 times a day depending on how receptive they are to them! The important thing is for them to get used to you, your house and learn you’re a cool person to be around!
Hey there, That's not unusual at all. She's just come into a totally strange place and is probably a bit scared/unsettled. You'll need to give her plenty of time to settle in. Make sure the food and water bowls are high up in the cage and she has a few high up perches to pick from so she can feel comfortable. Once she's settled you can begin working on passive bonding/treating her.
Thank you for the video. Im getting a pair of cockatiels tommarow a rehoming situation. They do step up and sit on shoulders so there semi tamed I believe. Im a little over the moon because after I lost Neicco at 19 ( wild variaty cockatiel) he was abused and neglected before I got him and had no reason to trust but he trusted me within 5 minutes of getting him. Man I miss Neicco he was my first bird. I cant believe they can leave such a impact on me and assuming other owners. My only question is do you have a pregnant cockatiel video the cockatiels Im getting one is expecting and I want to make it all as stress free as possible for her. Yesterday I bought one of every treat and cockatiel seeds and pellets for her optimal nutrition and have a baby bird first aid essentials just in case. But other then that what else can I do to help her in her time of need?
Honestly I’m not the most experienced with breeding them. If you want her to brood successfully then supplement her protein intake and ensures she has a comfortable play to nest on. As for diet I’d recommend looking at other stuff other than just seed and pellets! They aren’t ideal!
@@TheParrotTeacher they have the egg meal mix on top of the seeds and they just started pellets today. I'm amazed there both so healthy for the conditions they were in honestly. I learned he gave them garbage seed and no real nutrients. I mean it's not so much about the brood it's about making sure the parents are healthy not so much about the capital of the senario. I mean I'd love best case senario but everything I learned about where they came from basic care is a huge jump up. Currently they are on water mineral supplements, Garden greens Fruits Veg mash Pellets Working on weaning to pellets and veggies but baby steps. It's literally the first 12 hours I had them. The mineral and calcium blocks they came with were gross so switched them out with a plain mineral block and a orange I think peel flavored one and a calcium fish bone thing sorry forgot the name. I also provided clean drinking water on top of the mineral suplimentation drink they have. And the new better cage will be in on wednesday
@@TheParrotTeacher oh I named them Gomez and Morticia. Their chipper birds given their old owner changed their water only 2 or 3 times a week. That weirds me out because in the last 12 hours I changed their water 2 or 3 times the female poops in the water I'm not 100% sure why and hoping that stops when they get comfortable and realize there's always going to be clean drinking water and food and treats with me and there here for life. Because of the water pooping I added a extra dish of water much higher in the cage fingers crossed she doesn't poop in both.
I could use some suggestions if that’s okay. I adopted my rescue cockatiel over a year ago. He still has a hard time trusting me, he does try to bite me. I do go at his pace I have for the past year. He does step up but still gets scared when I go to try to get him to step up. He’s on a good healthy diet looooves veggies, especially bell peppers. Those are his favorite. But I noticed he doesn’t like being around me. He will tolerate me in the room and when I hold him. But soon as I movie he starts freaking out. He does come on command ONLY if I have treats. I’ve noticed recently he doesn’t even like doing that any more. I’m worried he will never bond with me. It’s been over a year infact it’s been a year and 4 months now. He is out of the cage almost 24/7 I keep it open he has ALOT of toys I try using that to help bond with him. But he just doesn’t like me. He does bite every now and then when I do his food, or grabbing stuff out of his cage. Even when I’ve done step up he has bit me. I know even if he never trust me I will always love him. But that doesn’t stop the worry he may never fully trust me. No matter what I do.
So it’s great he has a good diet and he gets lots of time out. When you say hold him, what do you mean by that? Do you grab him? Do you know his favourite treat and does he have any cage time? Have you done any training work with him?
@@TheParrotTeacher No step up is what I mean by hold him. Like he sits on my fingers or the flat top of my hand. Which ever he feels most comfortable doing. Favorite treat is millet I try to use that for tricks but currently he refuses to do any and will only eat millet when I’m not near him. I’m worried I maybe did something wrong. He was doing so good. He would fly to me when I said come here and he would get a treat. For cage time. It’s open all day then they all go to bed at 8:30 and are up at 7 like clock work. But during the day it’s always open for him to go in and out as he pleases.
@@Drawing_with_lillian it’s a tough one to give advice on honestly as there may be more subtle stuff to it! My advice would be increase his sleep slightly so he’s getting 12 hours (the usual amount for most parrots to be happy) I’d also double check his diet and do a treat heirarchy test (video on channel) to see what his fave treat is and reserve it for bonding and training work. I’d also see if you can take your interactions a few steps back and start from a clean slate as it sounds like maybe there was a break in trust somewhere.
I’ve just taken in one of these guys his cage is in the lounge I’m sitting next to him etc he’s coming up to the front of the cage and chirping to me. anyways he was found 6 years ago (landed on a ladies shoulder) she couldn’t find the owner and kept him, now I have him I’m wondering if bonding and getting him out like your birds for a better life is even possible at his as the last owner has him, I don’t know how old he was when found. so let’s say my question is bonding and retraining possible in older cockatiels?
Hey Jess, 100% yes it is possible! They are smart little guys and if you put the work in a parrot of any age can be trained or bonded with. They are all individuals, so some may take longer than others or may not get on as well with humans as others. But you can always achieve tolerance and some basic interaction. All it takes is patience, lots of training and LOTS of positive reinforcement!
How can I bond with my cockatiel Chip, when he is already attached to my husband? He loves my husband so much. Chip he chirps, mimics and whistles to husband and nothing towards me. Even flys to him. Me, nothing, but, Chip does get snippy with me. I can’t put him away without snapping or even touch him. Chip is a rehome, 2 years old we have had him for a few days. It’s cute but frustrating too since he was suppose be my little guy. Chip already can step up, but does not want me to pick him up only my husband can. Chip we know picks his mate us having no real reason. The bird only knows, but how can I connect and bond with him. So I can train him and have that connection as well. Thank you
So it’s possible that Chips prior experiences were mostly with a male or someone who had similar characteristics to your husband. Or similarly he had unpleasant ones with a female or someone who looked like you. Either way the solution is kinda similar. It’s also very early days so the dynamic may shift as time goes on. The solution mostly invovvles you putting in extra work with Chip and giving him positive reinforcement wherever possible. It can be through the bars, through training, when your husband isn’t about etc! It’s mostly going to be about effort and consistency over time! Chip may always prefer your husband but that’s fine if he’s happy being around you too. This is something we have experienced ourselves first hand and worked through too btw!
@@TheParrotTeacher thank you so much I have watched and really implemented a lot of your teachings. From bonding to the food he eats. I definitely find myself messing up and learning along the way. I feel my mistakes set any foundation back to the start. I know it’s so so early about a week. I have done the passive hanging out. I am reading my Bible out loud so he can get a little Jesus too 🤣. He has stepped on my finger to come out and boom click and treat which is a huge win. Putting him to bed was so hard he did not want to get off his perch outside of the cage last night and I upsetted him to get him in. Maybe I should have just let him be?. This morning he would not budge from the corner rubbing his beak fast over and over on the cage. I let it be and just sipped on my coffee. We keep chip in a room that keeps my husband away so chip doesn’t get possessive and for me to work with him. Every morning I feed and hangout for about an hour or more and off to work. I leave the cage open he has plenty of toys and forging he can do. I have a camera to see how he is when gone he doesn’t move. Very little if any. Then after my work shift I go in and feed and hangout until bedtime 7pm. We know they need 12 hours so I wake him 6am and place him to bed 7pm. I will admit last night he was out late 8pm 😶. But he gets a lot of attention and love I play music -sing-read and I tried to target train but he just looks at the stick never touches it. I take it looking is a huge step so I click and treat. I truly love this little guy. I know I am new but so open and willing to do the best for him.
Sometimes it’s good to almost reset and have no expectations! We sometimes recommend it to clients with birds who have had set backs! I have lots of videos that can help you out with many aspects of keeping a cockatiel!
Hey there, It really depends on the individual cockatiel/circumstances. If you've just got him it's good to work on it for a while before moving on to more active interactions! HOWEVER if the little one is hand raised, friendly and receptive you can try more active interactions. It's usually best to gauge it depending on how your cockatiel is reacting and how nervous they are.
HI my dear cockatiel lovers, i have this problem with my Eric, he does see a normal vet a lot for this and that and he even has a heat mat around his cage at night for his respiratory problems witch the vet thinks is a great idea, but my problem is his crest feathers look stringy and not opened out properly, they are long and lots of them and he is happy and the vet has no idea and not worried but do you have any idea and is it normal for some to be like this. When he is on alert the ends near his head look full, i would just love to know can it be normal depending on different birds. MUCH LOVE TO YOU FROM AUSTRALIA and Eric.😀🦜💖 I have noticed when fish and chip are relaxed theirs look similar.
Is it possible his crest feathers are still partially stuck in their feather casings? If so and he lets you, you could gentle rub them between your fingers to help loosen the casings. It's also possible he just has thin crest feathers, it's not unheard of and if the vet isn't too concerned about it I wouldn't worry!
@@TheParrotTeacher Sweetie I do help Eric when he malts and rub those casings around his neck head and crest, where it's hard for him to get, the ends of his crest just looks sticky and he is very vain. No i feel blessed it's only me he lets do it to help him but i wondered do any of yours have this sticky look at the ends. Thanks darlin. Love from Aussie Land.😀🦜💖
I have a Cockatiel, they are approximately 5 Months of age, or maybe older(I am unaware of Charli's gender as of now) Charli is just the sweetest little bird! At first Charli wanted nothing to do with coming out of the cage, but day two I noticed Charli pacing the bottom of the cage, which had me rather confused. So about 30 minutes after realizing it only occured when I was in the room I just opened the door and here Charli comes straight to the foor to step up! I was fairly surprised because I was expecting awhile before actually any progress and Charli just hangs out with me, and tweets for me to come get him/her. I'm unsure of our true relationship as of now, because I don't want to push petting, or anything like that until... well, atleast more than a week. Charli dances with me, and makes a some kind of noise when she sees me, it's hard to explain over type, but it's much like a silent screech, but at the same time. Not really! It's somewhat fascinating to hear, but at the same time I hope he/she isn't upset, Charli has never bit me though. Anyway! I love your videos! They are very informative!! - April
Hey April, Thanks for the kind comment! Some birds bond very quickly, others take much longer. It all depends on their experiences and how they were raised! It's great that you are getting on. The silent screech could be a baby noise (I have a video on sounds) It's great you both get on!
Female cockatiels have little striped feathers underneath their tails. They also cannot talk, and are not as aggressive as males. If you find that Charli is actually male, you can just add an “e” and call him Charlie.
Hey, I have question. I have two cockatiels, first one(Tutu) is for two months in my house, second one (Kuku) is from last week. I have trouble with gaining trust with Tutu and I'am worried that I will make the same mistakes with Kuku. With Tutu I had like basic trust, he ate from my hands, make a walk on my arms and thats all, he never allowed me to pet himself. Than I bought a second one and the seller told me that a good way to make a bond is to catch a parrot in the night, then go with her to another room and there you can pet her, talk to her and this way she will get used to you. I tried this for about a week and now I see that Tutu is scared of me, He has trouble with eat from my hand and for sure he won't sit on me. I watched many "tutorials" how to make a bond but I'm in some sort of stasis that I can't move and I don't know what to do next to not make a mistake. Could You help me a little?
Hey Marcin, Sadly the advice you got was not the best. Catching a parrot especially at night is going to cause major fear and potentially break your trust with the parrot. The best example is imagine you go into a new place, you've just moved in and you're a little unsure and nervous. Then someone starts touching you all over without consent! My advice would be to go right back to basics with both cockatiels. Start with the passive interactions while they are in the cage and don't force any interactions with them. Just be around them so they know you won't interact randomly without consent. I'd also go back to encouraging eating from the hands. For example a small bud of millet pinched between your fingers offered through the bars while kept still. You could also work on target training to put distance between hands and them if they are of concern. It could take some time to regain trust, but you can do it!
@@TheParrotTeacher For now nothing changed, I'm sitting next to them for 8-10 hours, depends on my work. I'm trying to feed them with apple, millet, banana and carrot, talk to them, reading them a book. I'm corious, the cage is opened 24/7, should I make them go to the cage for the night, and in the morning change the food and water and next let them leave or it makes no sense and it doesn't matter? Also, I really don't know how some people make a bond with a parrot within a week or two, I have two cockatiels and two budgies and for me is so hard to make it, I'm spending lot of hours daily with them and I'm like making one step in few days.
@@marcineljasz9589 Hey Marcin, Forming a bond with a parrot can take absolutely ages sometimes. Some people may present it as something that happens quickly, but that's not always the case. Sometimes it can take a very long time to form a bond with consistent effort. For example, with Olive one of our rescues. It took a long while for her to learn to trust us and form a bond.
Sure isn't! Target training is v.highly recommended but you can get by without it. You can also do target training without the clicker, just using verbal prompts/bridges.
i hope the cockatiel i pick up tomorrow can bond with me! my budgies are always scared of my hand i can feed them treats in their cage but they’ll never go near my hand without it
Hi, so i got a problem, i tied doing it and other ways to bond with my cockatiel, but it isnt working, almost 1-2 years passed and still nothing, keeps on screaming when close and tries to bite, what do i do in the situation?
Hey Daniel, How long have you been using the techniques in this video? If bonding isn't working I'd look at the potential reasons why? For example is the treat motivation high enough? Do you regularly do it and make it consistent? How long do you do the bonding work? What's the environment like? etc etc The list goes on. Sadly there's too much to cover in just a comment. I do have other videos on cockatiels that may help.
I have 2 cockatiels whom are aggressive. They’re both quite old (one is about 19 and one is 7, not sure if seven is old but it seems old). I’ve seen so many videos but they always talk about taming the cockatiel right after getting it so I’m not sure how I would tame mine after having them for so many years and not having them tamed yet. I feel they’ve been neglected because my parents never really let them out while having them and now I want to have a bond with them. How would I be able to do that?
Hey Aima, It's never too late to start! Although it will potentially take more time and effort because they are older and used to being left to it. I'd work on in cage bonding and taming first, letting them out if they aren't used to it could cause more trouble than help! Passive bonding is the best place to start along with giving favoured treats through the bars. Linking yourself as not a threat and with good things is a good starting block. Next I'd try target training (videos on channel) as it keeps hands from being too close. I'd then work on getting them used to hands, stepping up etc. Once they are stepping up semi reliably or target trained you can let them out and start catching up on lost fun time! All of this will depend on their motivation for treats (if they eat all seed it'll be tough as they already get treat food constantly), the effort you put in and their individual personalities and past experiences!
My rescued cockatiel male is about 5 now . He's bonded great to my female which I'm BONDED too . But PETE male is very mean . Lunges at me but don't draw blood when he connects with me . He won't come out CAGE which I've switched since he's came HERE to a bigger one . Why is it so hard with HIM ? He's been here almost 1 year . I want to bond but he's hesitant . I watch your videos thank you VERY helpful
Hey Cathy, It's likely he is being protective of the female. The other issue is he's a rescue, so his past experiences could be traumatic or bad in relation to hands and people. So you need to think about it as almost starting RIGHT from the beginning. You need to constantly reinforce with treats, be slow and soft spoken and take things at his pace. I'd also work on target training with him. If you need some dedicated advice you could book a consult with our business for some tailored to his situation. Otherwise following the bonding/training tips in our videos would work too!
i have 4-5 year old cockatiels, 2 of them. they are bonded together, their names are tommy and bonnie, tommy will step up on ur hand, but doesnt want to stay with you, bonnie will step up but fly away, they never fly around the room, they sit on their cage unless something loud happens and they fly and i go to get them. how do i fix that and help they fly, and bond with them? im buying toys, millet, im passive bonding with them and nothing seems to work
Hey Hannah, It takes a few different things to work with them and improve your bond and what they do! I have lots more videos on cockatiels and various training that I'd recommend taking a look at. Advise wise, I'd work on target training first. It's a core skill and will help you build a bond but also put distance between potentially scary hands. I'd also get them a foraging tray. You could initially place this on top of their cage then potentially move it elsewhere so they can get used to other parts of the room!
Hi David 👋 great video! Thank you! One question regarding bonding. Are cockatiels likely to "pick a favourite" person, and ultimately prefer one person, or if we both put in work will they bond and respond positively to us both?
Hey Leesh, Many parrots will have a favoured human, but some are very equal in their preferences. It really depends on the individual. BUT, if both people put in work, training and bonding effort that divide will be much smaller and less noticable. We call it the 60/40 rule. If they have a slight preference for one person, then that's fine as they'll still be happy with the other. You tend to see that split go 80/20 etc when one person puts in less effort, does less training or has less fun with them. We have some good examples in our own flock. Our cockatiels have a preference towards me, but they are still happy to train and play with Sophie. One of our rescues, Scampi came with a strong preference for women and Sophie. But I put in lots of work with him and now he's happy to spend time on me/play with me!
Thanks so much for the amazing response! I'm excited that we can both form our own individual relationship with our new little guy. He's taken an instant particular shining to my partner i think because the breeder was a man and was very attentitive, and it's so lovely to see! But he's certainly not adverse to hangouts and playtime with me so I'm thrilled to know that will continue as long as we show him love and attention in return! Ps. You and Sophie have fuelled my educational journey into cockatiel ownership, thanks for all the amazing content!
@@racoonasaurus I’m really glad our content has been useful! That’s quite possible, but if he’s happy to hang out with you too then there’s lots of scope to develop your bond with him!
So Im in an odd position. I got my cockatiel at about 8 weeks maybe younger and has been mostly parent raised and not fully weaned. Ive been giving some hand rearing formula (he eats maybe 4ml twice a day) but hes stubborn and doesnt really like being handled for it. He will eat a bit then throw a tantrum. Indont like handling against his will but Im worried he wont get enough nutrients if I dont. Will this work to bond or will this strain his trust 🥺
Hey Emeeko, It's hard to say honestly. It's better usually to get them after as it saves you the trouble of doing it and also avoids the potential issue you may have. I think the important thing is ensuring he's fed right now and getting him weaned effectively. You can always work on restoring trust/bonding work after. Will he not take it without being handled at all?
I have a question I have a friendly male he is a 1.5 years old and he doesn't make any sound I went to a petshop he is a 100% male is there a reason why he isn't making sounds
Hey Jackie, It's unusual for a male cockatiel to make no sounds! Does he make any vocalisations at all? The most common reason is nervousness or stress. But if he is happy and friendly it's unlikely to be these. It could be an issue with his syrinx too that's preventing him making noises. If he is healthy in every other way it could be worth mentioning it to your avian vet during his next check up.
My two still aren't fully hand tame. It's funny because they will perch and crawl all over me. Yet if I try to get them to just come onto my hand without millet (Pip) or a stick (Sparky) they just aren't having It!
Hey there! It sounds like you're going in the right direction if they are that content being on and around you! However I wouldn't say that's a taming issue but more of a training issue! Also, for some cockatiel's they just wont step up without the reinforcement, especially when little! They have what they want to do, then there's what you'd like them to do! There's trying to find that middle ground and incentive initially. THEN working on making that behaviour so consistent the treat is less needed (sorry if this is repeating stuff you already know btw!) I also set up the Patreon you and a couple of others were asking for!
@@TheParrotTeacher Thanks, that's good to know I'm heading in some kind of direction lol. I've seen your Patreon post and it's on my to do list I promise. Things have been busy, I'm just getting ready to move so hopefully things will be calmer in the next week or two.
Sorry one other thing as his name tells you he is male and i have had him six an a half years, but when he is in his favorite shoe box lol he gets on his tummy and rocks from side to side and will only let me near his box he also has a love affair with the tv remote, it has a yellow button and he kisses it and when he is done he sings, its only the yellow button he kisses. It is strange but makes all my friends laugh. At least he treats the remote with love and respect with all the kisses between well you know and a click noise near when he is done.😍🦜
@@TheParrotTeacher I told you about Eric sitting in his shoe box he LOVES😍 But i worry that he lays on his tummy rocking side to side and if anyone but me goes near him he hisses, my last cockatiel did this but she was a SHE. Eric is male all the way HE ACTS LIKE MY KEEPER & BOSS.
Great video. Thank-You. My little cockatiel will be 11 years old 6.10.2021... she's sick. Please send good thoughts her way. I don't think I will deal very well if I lose her. I will be absolutely alone in this world. 🙏💕
@@steveyray8852 Thank -you very much. I do adore her and she seems to feel the same way about me. I'm within transportation and I don't have anyone to bring us to her Avian Veterinarian. She laid an egg last night/ this morning. She seems better than yesterday, but I need she's vomited twice in about 7-9 dsys. She didn't eat or drink yesterday. Today she is atleast doing these things. Vomiting is never good...it wasn't regurgitation. God bless and keep you and your loved ones happy and healthy. Thank -you and all of you for your kind words of support. Bless you 💕🙏💕
@@TheParrotTeacher Thank you very much. I would have brought her to her Avian Veterinarian, but he's about 17 miles and I don't have a car and no one to help me. * She's a chronic egg layer . She vomited clear mucus yesterday . It was on her face and head. I heard you mention that Cockatiels vomit when hormonal.She vomited a copious amount last week and was very soaked and there were bits of undigested pellets in it. Did you actually mean that they vomit when hormonal?? You gave me hope. She will be 11 years old on this Thursday. Z She has never vomited in the 9 or so years of laying eggs. She use to get Lupron shots - but no transportation so she hasn't had one since the beginning of the pandemic. Thanks so very much You are appreciated. Denise ~ USA
Hey I just got my cockatiel about 3 days ago so I’m still in step 1 for now. How long do you think it will take before I can try to move on to step two? Also I put some millet in my babies cage but he doesn’t like it. He hasn’t even tried eating it I think. I even put it in his food bowl and left the room for 2 hours to see if he would eat it but he never did. Is this normal?
Hey Amir, Sadly I can't give a timescale as every parrot is an individual and some bond v.quickly while others take much longer. You can start attempting step 2 through the bars fairly quickly if you notice he's settling well. Are they eating normally otherwise? It's possible they just don't like millet much and need another top tier treat. Or they are just a bit worried about it. You could break it up into tiny buds to make it less scary!
@@TheParrotTeacher thank you so much for replying! the first day I got him he was really scared and didn’t touch his food or water bowl. Now he seems much better, he’s chipping a lot, moving around, and most importantly eating his food (although he prefers when I don’t watch him) I’ll try to break up the millets but I’m unsure how to feed him the broken up millets behind the cage? Also if there are any other top tier snacks or treats you could recommend, that would be lovely. Thank you
@@scpAmir That's not unusual. It's a big change to move to a new house (think I've mentioned that in a few videos!) It's great he's moving about and more active. If he's eating/drinking then that's also great. When you're getting near him while he's eating or drinking, you can just get closer but avoiding eye contact, that way you can maintain proximity but not scare him. You can hold them through the bars, pop them in his bowl again to see if he dislikes millet or just finds it intimidating on the spray. Hemp seeds, sunflower seed, safflower some also like to nibble on fresh herbs!
Three months ago, I adopted a cockatiel from someone who had him for at least 10 years, and they took him from a previous owner. He's only had a single dowel perch and a food and water bowl in his cage. He is cage-bound, and he was never handled or socialized. Since the three months I've gotten to the point where he'll eat a portion of millet spray (he's never had millet spray until I took him in. It didn't take long for him to fall in love with it) from my hand. However, he is still afraid of my hands. He'll hesitate before eating, and if I try to touch him or get him to step up he'll back away from me and hiss. I have to let him come to me. It's odd because he'll call to me when he wants his millet. I guess that means he half-trusts me. He trusts me enough to demand I feed him millet and will eat it out of my hand, but not enough that I can touch him or move my hand to him. I'm not really sure what to do at this point. I understand that three months is a very short time, and I just keep offering him a portion of millet spray every day (especially when he calls to me) but I don't know what the next step would be. I don't think he'll ever fully be tame to the point that I can give him head rubs, but at the very least I'd like to teach him to step-up for practical reasons.
Hey there, It sounds like you're off to a good start and using millet as a bonding treat is a great idea. Sadly, you have an awful lot of damage to repair and undo. As you say the amount of time you've had him is just a fraction of the time he was just left in a boring cage with no real interaction. If it were me, my next step would be passive bonding near his cage, continuing to do what you're doing and strengthening your bond. Then potentially working on target training followed by step up training. I'd avoid actively trying to touch him or any part of him for now and just work on getting him to come to you and step onto your hand! If you're really struggling you could reach out to our business, but otherwise I'd say you're doing things right!
@@TheParrotTeacher Thank you very much for responding! His cage is in my bedroom right at the foot of my bed, so he sees me all the time. I talk to him every time I pass by his cage. My strategy has been to let him come to me, and about a week ago he did touch me with his foot for the first time. He hasn't done it since, but it was very encouraging. He's started eating vegetables, which is good. For seeds, he'll only eat the white millet regardless of what brands I get him. Ah well, small victories. At least he IS eating vegetables! It's good to know I'm on the right track!
@@kintallo5617 it’s awesome he is trying his veg too! That’s one of the hardest battles for many! Have you considered introducing some fresh herbs to help? I’d also recommend chamomile! I have videos about flowers and herbs in diet in my channel! You really are! Just keep at it!
@@TheParrotTeacher Just want to say that shortly after making my post, my cockatiel called for me to give him his millet spray. So I did, and he put a foot on my hand to hold the spray down. Last time he touched it he did it very briefly. Very awesome!
Thank you for the video. I am planning to adopt 2 cockatiels and a friend told me that if there is a pair, they won't bond with the human parent? Is that true? Or can you bond with a pair of cockatiel too? Of course with time and patience?
Hey Sachi! You definitely can bond with a pair! It’s a common myth that having pairs of birds impacts the relationship between us and them. The only time it’s a problem is during nesting (which can be prevented with hormone management) If you put the bonding work in and are patient you definitely can build a bond with them :)
@@sachiverma1 no problems! I’m sure they will have a good home with you! Just keep doing research before hand and give them plenty of time, love and patience!
How do I get my cockatiel to bathe? I tried spraying but he starts panicking and fying away (i have a dove too and he also hates water, unless if its for drinking 😂) I left a tray with water in front of their perch (they’re not in cage, but free in the house), but both are ignoring it….
Hey Bella, You could try a very fine mist or offering a bowl etc! I have a video on how to help with moulting that may help and Sophie made a video dedicated to bathing on her channel too!
Hi! I have an 5 month old male cockatiel and he is wild and too much aggressive. We try to give him all veggies for taming but he is not at all eating them, instead he hisses and bites it. I don't know how to tame him.. when we put our hand in his cage for him to get used to it, sometimes he will bite and sometimes he will get scared. Whenever I try to change his food bowls, he hisses and even bites. I have tried passive voice interactions and feeding through the bar..he sometimes eat through the bars but the motive of eating the seeds is just trying to bite us...pls help me with taming him..I am literally frustrated as I have seen many videos of taming on RUclips but all of the videos don't go with me
Hey there, I'd strip back your relationship right to the start. I'd work on passive interactions with him (you being near him in his cage). I'd treat him through the bars more with his fave treat (usually millet). I'd also try and work on target training with him. It's possible he sees hands as something threatening, so if you can put some distance between you and him it may help him relax. Taming and bonding can take a while and takes some patience. For some people it goes mega quick, for others it can take longer!
@@TheParrotTeacher thanks for replying He is used to us being around him and also we take him out of his cage as he does not at all like to be in cage and he goes and sits on our cupboards and higher places and he never comes to his cage until and unless he is starving for almost 12 hours, he screams and hisses at us when we try to get him in his cage... So he does not at all like his cage... I am working on him to get used to our hands because we don't want to threat him and also he is comfortable as he eats sunflower seeds from our hand through the bars as well as when he is outside of his cage ..bit sometimes he gets too aggressive... And that's why I am trying to get him used to my hand and once he is comfortable completely with our hands, I will start introducing the target training stick to him and that's gonna take a lot of patience and efforts for both of us!
Hey there, That's down to them balancing their relationship with your cockatiel! They will need to work on training, bonding and respecting the little guy themselves!
@@blueflame441 It's possible you just need to give him more time and just be around him more before you try. I'd also suggest holding up some millet when he's had time to settle in and waiting. It can sometimes take ages before they trust us!
I have a lot of friends here in Australia that love Eric and think it would be great to get a bird, they go out and get a hand reared bird and next time i seen these friends they have let it go and telling me the birds will be much happier, to my horror i don't believe they have done this as the birds were HAND REARED and don't know how to fend for themselves. I couldn't sleep I felt sick for these poor little souls. I have put a lot of people on your channel AND COULD YOU PLEASE TELL PEOPLE WHY THEY SHOULD NEVER DO THIS AND TAKE THEM BACK TO WHERE THEY BOUGHT THEM. GOD BLESS YOU. YOUR CHANNEL IS IMPORTANT AND GREAT.🦜💖
Hey Sharon, Sadly many people do do that. It's the same as people who leave cats/dogs abandoned. They assume someone else will take care of them or that their responsibility has ended because the animal isn't in their hands. We find it sad too, especially with the prevalence of views that ALL animals should be wild. While ideally that is true, it isn't the world we live in so letting a hand reared bird out in the wild often leads to tragedy. It's something I can consider doing but I'd have to tread carefully due to the controversy and arguments such topics often cause.
@@TheParrotTeacher they are the same to tame, Im an Aussie dinki di, I have a budgie and a cockatiel, they both the same to get to trust and finally tame
Hi David, thank you so much for making these great videos. Much appreciated. I rescued 2 cockatiels about 5 days ago and I have been slowly approaching them. They are comfortable with eating millet from my hands. I can put my hand in the cage and they aren't so scared now. They are learning to step up on a stick. However, they still don't step up on my hand. Which is fine, they will take their time... I wanna know when should I let them out of their cage? Should I wait until they are hand-fed and not scared of me or should I let them out of their cage and let them explore on their own? My biggest concern is that if I let them out of the cage, they might not wanna get back to the cage, and when I try to get them in the cage, I will lose their trust. Any suggestions? Thank you so much again
Hey Sachi, It sounds like you've been making really good progress with them already! It's a strong impulse to want to get them out and flying around and having fun. But sometimes it isn't the best for them. I'd wait until they are less fearful of you and also have at least a semi consistent step up trained. This is to avoid what you mentioned in losing trust and also so you can get them out of any dangerous situations reliably. Once they are comfortable with you and stepping up then you can let them explore and enjoy! You could set them up a foraging tray and stand too!
I’ve noticed that cockatiels in particular really like when you talk to them - or sing to them! If that makes me hokey, then so be it!
Hey Vee,
Thanks for the comment! I totally agree, they do enjoy being talked to and communicated with!
They're such a rewarding companion, I likened mine to a cheeky dog...lol
My tiels love when we sing and whistle to them. I have two rescues that are about 9 years old.. had for about a year and 6 months. I haven't tried a lot of the target training I should start.
Hey Valerie,
They love the attention! Also awesome you have rescues!
You should, it's honestly something I recommend to anyone who has parrots! It's useful and fun!
Chip and Fish are adorable!
Wow another WoF fan!!!
Thank you, I also just popped up a compilation of their antics on their RUclips channel if you want more of them lol
I love my baby girl. I found If they start to back off, then I back off. That makes her come closer. When she is just sitting there I will talk to her like my dog. I say fly to me, come on jump! And she does! They understand more than you think.
Hey Betty,
Definitely. They are smart little creatures! In some cases they can even train us haha!
Working with a RESCUED bird now . Been with me a year . Very slow but FINALLY I got Pete to COME out . And hopefully coming around alittle . I had to remove a huge mirror from his cage not realizing he was protecting that . But watching your videos NEVER seen a mirror so I removed it . OMG what a difference. Am I right
@@cathyjerome1662 Hey there,
Yeah we aren't fans of mirrors! there are so many better forms of enrichment!
Yes, me too.
Hi . Love your videos and birdies . How do we get an unbonded boy back in cage for bedtime ? Finally got them to come out now to get them back in .... ?
How old are your cockatiels? I wonder how long it took them to learn these tricks. That’s impressive
Hey AB, they are almost 4! But Chip first learned tricks at around 1! I have videos on teaching them if you'd like to learn more!
Ooooo! Planning to get a cockatiel! This will help 😃
Awesome, good timing then!
@@TheParrotTeacher 😁
Hey. The Issue I'm having is that my cockatiels is a rescue that has been neglected for many years. He is okay with me being near to the cage, but hates my hands, so the farthest I can get with these steps is the passive interaction without him getting very anxious and hissing at me. Any tips to get past this barrier?
Hey Stuart,
I'd keep working on the passive interactions still. But also work on starting to build up his tolerance to your hands. That means moving them slowly near his cage and then moving them away. This is respecting his space and telling him that hands appearing doesn't mean they are going to grab him!
I'd also work on feeding through the bars and positively associating you with treats! If he won't take a treat through the bars even if you hold it really still, try dropping it onto a platform or into a feeding bowl. You could also try target training!
I have lots of videos on these kinds of topics!
Hey, did you manage to tame him? Just curious :) my friend has a rescue and it took him a whole year, even though she was 11,5 months when he got her; but now they are inseparable :D patience turned out to be the best method
@@anderoo9260 hey. He's now at the stage where he takes food from my hands when he's in his cage. I'm still working on him getting used to my hands at his cage door. Persistence is key I think, but he definitely seems much more comfortable around me/my hands.
Hey, I have a question.
My bird let's me pet him, feed him, give him treats by hand, help him preen, etc. However I have a problem with the first one. Whenever I put my finger near him he thinks I'm just there to pet him. If I keep it there and try to show him I'm not there to pet him he gets all frustrated. I can pet him and have my hand around him. But as soon as I put my finger near him to try to get him to step up, or something like that he puts his head down and moves it towards my finger and tries to get me to pet him. If I was meaning to offer him pets great! If not than I can't practice what I'm trying to do like a new trick. He always thinks I'm offering him pets. Know any tips I could try to get him to tell the difference between me offering pets and just putting my finger around him?
Hey Uverial!
Of the behavioural problems we get asked about, I think that's one of the nicer ones lol!
One thing you could do is separate the stepping up que by using multiple fingers and a constantly consistent gesture paired with reinforcement / click or word. So the finger will mean petting, multiple fingers or a hand will mean stepping up.
Our birds sometimes do the same, Fish for example will be on my shoulder, see my hand and be like "right petting time, not step up time!"
However, they tend to link the hand coming from above with pets and from below with step up!
@@TheParrotTeacher thanks. I'll give that a shot!
@@Dylan-jx2mq No worries!
Hi, I have a rescue male. He had a bad start. I've had him for over two years now and, despite my best efforts, he will not tolerate being touched. He will step up onto my flat hand if he wants to but he cannot be approached with a finger without serious biting. I let him approach on his own terms. He was grabbed by previous owners and hurt, then, because he bites, was locked into a cage so small he couldn't spread his wings and was malnourished causing beak deformation. If I hadn't have rescued him I believe he would be dead by now. He is extremely territorial and will attack and bite, drawing blood. He NEVER plays with toys, is very fearful. I am experienced with birds (it's my job) but I wondered if you had any advice. He distrusts people so much and I feel terrible when I need to 'sausage roll' him to trim his nails.
Honestly, my advice would be treating interactions with him from a clean slate starting now!
I have lots of videos to explore on dealing with some of the issues you mentioned there.
What’s good is you’re taking the right approach in many ways it likely just needs tweaking a bit!
Lol 2 vids at once
Title: How to bond with and tame your cockatiel
Me: But.... But I already bonded with my cockatiel....
Fluffy: *I demand a scritch*
I decided to do them both lol Well I don't think you need it much with Fluffy!
How do I know if my cockatiel is ready to take a step forward? Like if the bonding progress is far enough to go further?
Hey Adeki,
I guess the easiest way to tell is body language. For example if your cockatiel is taking snacks from your hand and not backing away and comfortable being around it. It may be time to try stepping up etc.
It's about observing them and seeing how they behave!
Hi we have new cocktail tow but we are not taking them out of the gage yet for a few days because they are babies yet
Sounds sensible! You can work on passive bonding while he’s in the cage!
Im getting a cockatiel soon hopefully! This was very helpful
Glad I could help!
A couple of days ago I brought home 2 girls that are almost 2. They were rescued from a hoarding situation and spent 2-3 weeks at a rescue. They go into a panicked frenzy anytime I change food and water dishes. Flapping around the cage in ways that make me worry about injuries. I have to at least clean the bottom tomorrow and am worried about how much stress that will cause. I have relaxing music that they are responsive to and I talk gently and make sure not to be sneaky or startling. The intensity has come down a bit since adding music. They are not yet treat motivated. Any tips for making the process as easy as I can on them? Still working on trust and bonding with my other birds but they don't get stressed when I feed, water, or clean.
I wasn't told much about what they left, but they are underweight and have scallop curls on their wing feathers. I was told they have not experienced any training and are very wild. They were on all seed diet and I am up for the task of getting them healthy. I am hyper aware that with their unknown traumas everything is a trigger right now. I just want to do everything I can to not traumatize then any further.
Before I started typing... I was simply going to ask if you could do a video focused on working with birds that have been in unfortunate circumstances. Lol... didn't mean to write a book!
Hey Chris,
Lol that's ok and I understand you want to explain everything! A specific video on the subject is certainly something I can consider doing, but it's also a tough one to do.
The things to keep in mind are that every bird is an individual, especially if they've had trauma and specific experiences. So a catch all isn't always the easiest thing to do in terms of a video. I know some RUclipsrs have tried and some of the tips do work, but we feel it's a little irresponsible to give misleading info!
General tips wise, you're likely doing things right in many ways already. It's not rushing, keeping things calm, letting them adapt, not rushing to change their diet but doing so over time and observing their behaviour.
Basically you want to do all the things you'd do if you got a baby bird, but more carefully and slowly!
The other thing I forgot to mention is if you really struggle or need tailored advice, you can always book a consult with our business! That way we can take a look at everything and give specific recommendations!
If not then the above advice and patience should work!
@@TheParrotTeacher thank you very much! With a million and a half variables of situations I can see how it would be hard to break things down in short videos. I chickened out and put cleaning off until tomorrow... fingers crossed!
Hi David. Thanks for another great video. My cockateil does somwthing which I have no idea of what it means. I'll try and send a photo! She puts her beak between her cage bars and sits for a while. Any ideas?!
Hey Julia,
Sending me a photo or video via Instagram is best! The description could be an individual quirk or a behaviour, difficult to tell!
@@TheParrotTeacher thank you so much! I'm not on Insta, are you on Facebook as my husband is...I don't do social media! Is it usual also for cockateils to love watching nature documentaries?! I put one on for mind this evening and she's actually sitting on her tray and not in her usual bedtime spot which she goes to routinely an hour before sleep time...and she's sitting chilling quite the thing, watching it and dosing! Is this unhealthy?! I am so thankful for your responses, it's wonderful to have someone who owns a channel that actually responds! Blessings 🙌
@@JmJendtimes Hey Julia,
I do have it but seldom use it. You could email me it (My address should be in my channel bio)
Yes, parrots can enjoy watching telly. For example when I play games sometimes our two cockatiels will have a nap or fluff up! It could either be routine, the sounds or they just like it!
@@TheParrotTeacher thank you David!
I just found your youtube channel. When I saw the channel name and the profile picture -> instant sub :D
Originally I was searching for tips for my two cute cockatiels :)
Hey Nicole,
Thanks for subbing! I have lots of videos on various topics around cockatiel care and training! So do take a peek!
When I saw your channel I subbed so fast and. Now I watch u 24/7 :D
Hey there! Thanks for subbing! I hope you find the videos useful!
Hi, thanks for making these videos. I love them and also Sophie's. I just have a question an bonding. I know all cockatiels are unique and different so you probably can't give me a once size fits all answer, but how long does the passive interaction phase generally last and how do you how they're ready for more active interaction? I have my 2 cockatiels (male and female) for 3 day now, they're young cockatiels from a breeder and about 8 weeks old. The things is, so far they have zero interest in interacting with me. They do not accept treats, and they don't even seem to care about treats or food in general at all. They don't seem to be afraid as I can put my hand in the cage to do cleaning or changing food, without them flapping around. They just don't want to interact. Do I need to worry now? I've heard someone say that day 1 is settling in, day 2 you can start feeding through the bars and by day 3 you should be able to let them out of the cage and get them back in again without problems. Mine are nowhere near that stage. Do I need to be worried that after 3 days, my birds still show no interest in interacting with me?
The timescale you were given isn’t really accurate. Some birds will be willing to interact quickly others will take much more time!
It’s also important to remember they are recently weaned too so it’s all going to be a bit confusing and like whaaa for them!
I’d keep up with the passive, I’d offer individual millet buds through the bars and make it easy to get to while not moving your hand and just take your time!
Hi David,
Great video.
I have just become a first-time Cockatiel owner and bought a pair of Cockatiels yesterday.
I have a question regarding all of your training and bonding methods.
How long and how many times a day should I be doing each method until my birds feel comfortable and without coaxing.
My birds were purchased from my local Garden Centre's Pets Department and are 1 year old male and female and judging by their behaviour were not hand raised as they were not born in the Pets Department.
Thank you in advance.
Emma Gordon and my Cockatiels Eric and Lily
Passive bonding can be done constantly, provided you aren’t stressing your cockatiels by doing it!
The more active methods I’d try to do 2-3 times a day depending on how receptive they are to them!
The important thing is for them to get used to you, your house and learn you’re a cool person to be around!
my cockatiel is stting in the same plac and is puffed up, got her today, i am worried, she isnt eating , chirping, drinking... pls any suggestions?
Hey there,
That's not unusual at all. She's just come into a totally strange place and is probably a bit scared/unsettled. You'll need to give her plenty of time to settle in. Make sure the food and water bowls are high up in the cage and she has a few high up perches to pick from so she can feel comfortable.
Once she's settled you can begin working on passive bonding/treating her.
Thank you for the video. Im getting a pair of cockatiels tommarow a rehoming situation. They do step up and sit on shoulders so there semi tamed I believe. Im a little over the moon because after I lost Neicco at 19 ( wild variaty cockatiel) he was abused and neglected before I got him and had no reason to trust but he trusted me within 5 minutes of getting him. Man I miss Neicco he was my first bird. I cant believe they can leave such a impact on me and assuming other owners. My only question is do you have a pregnant cockatiel video the cockatiels Im getting one is expecting and I want to make it all as stress free as possible for her. Yesterday I bought one of every treat and cockatiel seeds and pellets for her optimal nutrition and have a baby bird first aid essentials just in case. But other then that what else can I do to help her in her time of need?
Honestly I’m not the most experienced with breeding them.
If you want her to brood successfully then supplement her protein intake and ensures she has a comfortable play to nest on.
As for diet I’d recommend looking at other stuff other than just seed and pellets! They aren’t ideal!
@@TheParrotTeacher they have the egg meal mix on top of the seeds and they just started pellets today. I'm amazed there both so healthy for the conditions they were in honestly. I learned he gave them garbage seed and no real nutrients. I mean it's not so much about the brood it's about making sure the parents are healthy not so much about the capital of the senario. I mean I'd love best case senario but everything I learned about where they came from basic care is a huge jump up.
Currently they are on water mineral supplements,
Garden greens
Fruits
Veg mash
Pellets
Working on weaning to pellets and veggies but baby steps. It's literally the first 12 hours I had them.
The mineral and calcium blocks they came with were gross so switched them out with a plain mineral block and a orange I think peel flavored one and a calcium fish bone thing sorry forgot the name. I also provided clean drinking water on top of the mineral suplimentation drink they have.
And the new better cage will be in on wednesday
@@TheParrotTeacher oh I named them Gomez and Morticia. Their chipper birds given their old owner changed their water only 2 or 3 times a week. That weirds me out because in the last 12 hours I changed their water 2 or 3 times the female poops in the water I'm not 100% sure why and hoping that stops when they get comfortable and realize there's always going to be clean drinking water and food and treats with me and there here for life. Because of the water pooping I added a extra dish of water much higher in the cage fingers crossed she doesn't poop in both.
I could use some suggestions if that’s okay. I adopted my rescue cockatiel over a year ago. He still has a hard time trusting me, he does try to bite me. I do go at his pace I have for the past year. He does step up but still gets scared when I go to try to get him to step up. He’s on a good healthy diet looooves veggies, especially bell peppers. Those are his favorite. But I noticed he doesn’t like being around me. He will tolerate me in the room and when I hold him. But soon as I movie he starts freaking out. He does come on command ONLY if I have treats. I’ve noticed recently he doesn’t even like doing that any more. I’m worried he will never bond with me. It’s been over a year infact it’s been a year and 4 months now. He is out of the cage almost 24/7 I keep it open he has ALOT of toys I try using that to help bond with him. But he just doesn’t like me. He does bite every now and then when I do his food, or grabbing stuff out of his cage. Even when I’ve done step up he has bit me. I know even if he never trust me I will always love him. But that doesn’t stop the worry he may never fully trust me. No matter what I do.
So it’s great he has a good diet and he gets lots of time out.
When you say hold him, what do you mean by that? Do you grab him?
Do you know his favourite treat and does he have any cage time?
Have you done any training work with him?
@@TheParrotTeacher No step up is what I mean by hold him. Like he sits on my fingers or the flat top of my hand. Which ever he feels most comfortable doing. Favorite treat is millet I try to use that for tricks but currently he refuses to do any and will only eat millet when I’m not near him. I’m worried I maybe did something wrong. He was doing so good. He would fly to me when I said come here and he would get a treat. For cage time. It’s open all day then they all go to bed at 8:30 and are up at 7 like clock work. But during the day it’s always open for him to go in and out as he pleases.
@@Drawing_with_lillian it’s a tough one to give advice on honestly as there may be more subtle stuff to it!
My advice would be increase his sleep slightly so he’s getting 12 hours (the usual amount for most parrots to be happy)
I’d also double check his diet and do a treat heirarchy test (video on channel) to see what his fave treat is and reserve it for bonding and training work.
I’d also see if you can take your interactions a few steps back and start from a clean slate as it sounds like maybe there was a break in trust somewhere.
I’ve just taken in one of these guys his cage is in the lounge I’m sitting next to him etc he’s coming up to the front of the cage and chirping to me. anyways he was found 6 years ago (landed on a ladies shoulder) she couldn’t find the owner and kept him, now I have him I’m wondering if bonding and getting him out like your birds for a better life is even possible at his as the last owner has him, I don’t know how old he was when found. so let’s say my question is bonding and retraining possible in older cockatiels?
Hey Jess,
100% yes it is possible! They are smart little guys and if you put the work in a parrot of any age can be trained or bonded with. They are all individuals, so some may take longer than others or may not get on as well with humans as others. But you can always achieve tolerance and some basic interaction.
All it takes is patience, lots of training and LOTS of positive reinforcement!
How can I bond with my cockatiel Chip, when he is already attached to my husband? He loves my husband so much. Chip he chirps, mimics and whistles to husband and nothing towards me. Even flys to him. Me, nothing, but, Chip does get snippy with me. I can’t put him away without snapping or even touch him.
Chip is a rehome, 2 years old we have had him for a few days. It’s cute but frustrating too since he was suppose be my little guy. Chip already can step up, but does not want me to pick him up only my husband can. Chip we know picks his mate us having no real reason. The bird only knows, but how can I connect and bond with him. So I can train him and have that connection as well.
Thank you
So it’s possible that Chips prior experiences were mostly with a male or someone who had similar characteristics to your husband. Or similarly he had unpleasant ones with a female or someone who looked like you.
Either way the solution is kinda similar. It’s also very early days so the dynamic may shift as time goes on.
The solution mostly invovvles you putting in extra work with Chip and giving him positive reinforcement wherever possible. It can be through the bars, through training, when your husband isn’t about etc!
It’s mostly going to be about effort and consistency over time! Chip may always prefer your husband but that’s fine if he’s happy being around you too.
This is something we have experienced ourselves first hand and worked through too btw!
@@TheParrotTeacher thank you so much
I have watched and really implemented a lot of your teachings. From bonding to the food he eats. I definitely find myself messing up and learning along the way. I feel my mistakes set any foundation back to the start. I know it’s so so early about a week.
I have done the passive hanging out. I am reading my Bible out loud so he can get a little Jesus too 🤣. He has stepped on my finger to come out and boom click and treat which is a huge win. Putting him to bed was so hard he did not want to get off his perch outside of the cage last night and I upsetted him to get him in. Maybe I should have just let him be?. This morning he would not budge from the corner rubbing his beak fast over and over on the cage. I let it be and just sipped on my coffee. We keep chip in a room that keeps my husband away so chip doesn’t get possessive and for me to work with him. Every morning I feed and hangout for about an hour or more and off to work. I leave the cage open he has plenty of toys and forging he can do. I have a camera to see how he is when gone he doesn’t move. Very little if any. Then after my work shift I go in and feed and hangout until bedtime 7pm. We know they need 12 hours so I wake him 6am and place him to bed 7pm. I will admit last night he was out late 8pm 😶. But he gets a lot of attention and love I play music -sing-read and I tried to target train but he just looks at the stick never touches it. I take it looking is a huge step so I click and treat. I truly love this little guy. I know I am new but so open and willing to do the best for him.
Sometimes it’s good to almost reset and have no expectations! We sometimes recommend it to clients with birds who have had set backs!
I have lots of videos that can help you out with many aspects of keeping a cockatiel!
How long should I work on passive interaction before proceeding to work on active interaction? I don't want to move too fast and freak him out
Hey there,
It really depends on the individual cockatiel/circumstances. If you've just got him it's good to work on it for a while before moving on to more active interactions! HOWEVER if the little one is hand raised, friendly and receptive you can try more active interactions.
It's usually best to gauge it depending on how your cockatiel is reacting and how nervous they are.
@@TheParrotTeacher Thanks for the response :D He's very shy but is at least eating with us around now
HI my dear cockatiel lovers, i have this problem with my Eric, he does see a normal vet a lot for this and that and he even has a heat mat around his cage at night for his respiratory problems witch the vet thinks is a great idea, but my problem is his crest feathers look stringy and not opened out properly, they are long and lots of them and he is happy and the vet has no idea and not worried but do you have any idea and is it normal for some to be like this. When he is on alert the ends near his head look full, i would just love to know can it be normal depending on different birds. MUCH LOVE TO YOU FROM AUSTRALIA and Eric.😀🦜💖 I have noticed when fish and chip are relaxed theirs look similar.
Is it possible his crest feathers are still partially stuck in their feather casings? If so and he lets you, you could gentle rub them between your fingers to help loosen the casings.
It's also possible he just has thin crest feathers, it's not unheard of and if the vet isn't too concerned about it I wouldn't worry!
@@TheParrotTeacher Sweetie I do help Eric when he malts and rub those casings around his neck head and crest, where it's hard for him to get, the ends of his crest just looks sticky and he is very vain. No i feel blessed it's only me he lets do it to help him but i wondered do any of yours have this sticky look at the ends. Thanks darlin. Love from Aussie Land.😀🦜💖
@@sharonpearce1352 Hey Sharon, I wouldn't say so no, only really when moulting!
I have a Cockatiel, they are approximately 5 Months of age, or maybe older(I am unaware of Charli's gender as of now) Charli is just the sweetest little bird! At first Charli wanted nothing to do with coming out of the cage, but day two I noticed Charli pacing the bottom of the cage, which had me rather confused. So about 30 minutes after realizing it only occured when I was in the room I just opened the door and here Charli comes straight to the foor to step up! I was fairly surprised because I was expecting awhile before actually any progress and Charli just hangs out with me, and tweets for me to come get him/her. I'm unsure of our true relationship as of now, because I don't want to push petting, or anything like that until... well, atleast more than a week. Charli dances with me, and makes a some kind of noise when she sees me, it's hard to explain over type, but it's much like a silent screech, but at the same time. Not really! It's somewhat fascinating to hear, but at the same time I hope he/she isn't upset, Charli has never bit me though. Anyway! I love your videos! They are very informative!!
- April
Hey April,
Thanks for the kind comment! Some birds bond very quickly, others take much longer. It all depends on their experiences and how they were raised!
It's great that you are getting on. The silent screech could be a baby noise (I have a video on sounds)
It's great you both get on!
@@TheParrotTeacher Thank you!
Female cockatiels have little striped feathers underneath their tails. They also cannot talk, and are not as aggressive as males. If you find that Charli is actually male, you can just add an “e” and call him Charlie.
Hey, I have question. I have two cockatiels, first one(Tutu) is for two months in my house, second one (Kuku) is from last week. I have trouble with gaining trust with Tutu and I'am worried that I will make the same mistakes with Kuku. With Tutu I had like basic trust, he ate from my hands, make a walk on my arms and thats all, he never allowed me to pet himself. Than I bought a second one and the seller told me that a good way to make a bond is to catch a parrot in the night, then go with her to another room and there you can pet her, talk to her and this way she will get used to you. I tried this for about a week and now I see that Tutu is scared of me, He has trouble with eat from my hand and for sure he won't sit on me. I watched many "tutorials" how to make a bond but I'm in some sort of stasis that I can't move and I don't know what to do next to not make a mistake. Could You help me a little?
Hey Marcin,
Sadly the advice you got was not the best. Catching a parrot especially at night is going to cause major fear and potentially break your trust with the parrot.
The best example is imagine you go into a new place, you've just moved in and you're a little unsure and nervous. Then someone starts touching you all over without consent!
My advice would be to go right back to basics with both cockatiels. Start with the passive interactions while they are in the cage and don't force any interactions with them. Just be around them so they know you won't interact randomly without consent.
I'd also go back to encouraging eating from the hands. For example a small bud of millet pinched between your fingers offered through the bars while kept still.
You could also work on target training to put distance between hands and them if they are of concern.
It could take some time to regain trust, but you can do it!
@@TheParrotTeacher Yeah sadly I tought so. Sure, thanks for Your respond, I will try from begining :)
@@marcineljasz9589 let me know how you get on!
@@TheParrotTeacher For now nothing changed, I'm sitting next to them for 8-10 hours, depends on my work. I'm trying to feed them with apple, millet, banana and carrot, talk to them, reading them a book. I'm corious, the cage is opened 24/7, should I make them go to the cage for the night, and in the morning change the food and water and next let them leave or it makes no sense and it doesn't matter? Also, I really don't know how some people make a bond with a parrot within a week or two, I have two cockatiels and two budgies and for me is so hard to make it, I'm spending lot of hours daily with them and I'm like making one step in few days.
@@marcineljasz9589
Hey Marcin,
Forming a bond with a parrot can take absolutely ages sometimes. Some people may present it as something that happens quickly, but that's not always the case.
Sometimes it can take a very long time to form a bond with consistent effort.
For example, with Olive one of our rescues. It took a long while for her to learn to trust us and form a bond.
Is a stick and clicker mandatory
Sure isn't! Target training is v.highly recommended but you can get by without it. You can also do target training without the clicker, just using verbal prompts/bridges.
@@TheParrotTeacher thank you
i hope the cockatiel i pick up tomorrow can bond with me! my budgies are always scared of my hand i can feed them treats in their cage but they’ll never go near my hand without it
I'm sure it will! Just put in the work and keep going at it!
They do seem to be more willing to interact with humans.
Was yours hand raised??
What do I do when it hisses. I wanna continue the process but I'm worried doing so will lose trust
If your cockatiel is hissing it may be worth looking at why and maybe taking a step back in the process!
Hi, so i got a problem, i tied doing it and other ways to bond with my cockatiel, but it isnt working, almost 1-2 years passed and still nothing, keeps on screaming when close and tries to bite, what do i do in the situation?
Hey Daniel,
How long have you been using the techniques in this video?
If bonding isn't working I'd look at the potential reasons why? For example is the treat motivation high enough? Do you regularly do it and make it consistent? How long do you do the bonding work? What's the environment like? etc etc
The list goes on. Sadly there's too much to cover in just a comment. I do have other videos on cockatiels that may help.
Thank you so much! Me and Fiji are much closer now :)
That's awesome. Really glad it helped!
I have 2 cockatiels whom are aggressive. They’re both quite old (one is about 19 and one is 7, not sure if seven is old but it seems old). I’ve seen so many videos but they always talk about taming the cockatiel right after getting it so I’m not sure how I would tame mine after having them for so many years and not having them tamed yet. I feel they’ve been neglected because my parents never really let them out while having them and now I want to have a bond with them. How would I be able to do that?
Hey Aima,
It's never too late to start! Although it will potentially take more time and effort because they are older and used to being left to it.
I'd work on in cage bonding and taming first, letting them out if they aren't used to it could cause more trouble than help!
Passive bonding is the best place to start along with giving favoured treats through the bars. Linking yourself as not a threat and with good things is a good starting block.
Next I'd try target training (videos on channel) as it keeps hands from being too close.
I'd then work on getting them used to hands, stepping up etc.
Once they are stepping up semi reliably or target trained you can let them out and start catching up on lost fun time!
All of this will depend on their motivation for treats (if they eat all seed it'll be tough as they already get treat food constantly), the effort you put in and their individual personalities and past experiences!
@@TheParrotTeacher thank you so much! I’ll keep trying to be consistent, thank you for your advice :)
My rescued cockatiel male is about 5 now . He's bonded great to my female which I'm BONDED too . But PETE male is very mean . Lunges at me but don't draw blood when he connects with me . He won't come out CAGE which I've switched since he's came HERE to a bigger one . Why is it so hard with HIM ? He's been here almost 1 year . I want to bond but he's hesitant . I watch your videos thank you VERY helpful
Hey Cathy,
It's likely he is being protective of the female. The other issue is he's a rescue, so his past experiences could be traumatic or bad in relation to hands and people. So you need to think about it as almost starting RIGHT from the beginning.
You need to constantly reinforce with treats, be slow and soft spoken and take things at his pace. I'd also work on target training with him.
If you need some dedicated advice you could book a consult with our business for some tailored to his situation. Otherwise following the bonding/training tips in our videos would work too!
i have 4-5 year old cockatiels, 2 of them. they are bonded together, their names are tommy and bonnie, tommy will step up on ur hand, but doesnt want to stay with you, bonnie will step up but fly away, they never fly around the room, they sit on their cage unless something loud happens and they fly and i go to get them. how do i fix that and help they fly, and bond with them? im buying toys, millet, im passive bonding with them and nothing seems to work
Hey Hannah,
It takes a few different things to work with them and improve your bond and what they do!
I have lots more videos on cockatiels and various training that I'd recommend taking a look at.
Advise wise, I'd work on target training first. It's a core skill and will help you build a bond but also put distance between potentially scary hands. I'd also get them a foraging tray. You could initially place this on top of their cage then potentially move it elsewhere so they can get used to other parts of the room!
Hi David 👋 great video! Thank you!
One question regarding bonding. Are cockatiels likely to "pick a favourite" person, and ultimately prefer one person, or if we both put in work will they bond and respond positively to us both?
Hey Leesh,
Many parrots will have a favoured human, but some are very equal in their preferences. It really depends on the individual.
BUT, if both people put in work, training and bonding effort that divide will be much smaller and less noticable. We call it the 60/40 rule. If they have a slight preference for one person, then that's fine as they'll still be happy with the other.
You tend to see that split go 80/20 etc when one person puts in less effort, does less training or has less fun with them.
We have some good examples in our own flock. Our cockatiels have a preference towards me, but they are still happy to train and play with Sophie.
One of our rescues, Scampi came with a strong preference for women and Sophie. But I put in lots of work with him and now he's happy to spend time on me/play with me!
Thanks so much for the amazing response! I'm excited that we can both form our own individual relationship with our new little guy. He's taken an instant particular shining to my partner i think because the breeder was a man and was very attentitive, and it's so lovely to see! But he's certainly not adverse to hangouts and playtime with me so I'm thrilled to know that will continue as long as we show him love and attention in return!
Ps. You and Sophie have fuelled my educational journey into cockatiel ownership, thanks for all the amazing content!
@@racoonasaurus I’m really glad our content has been useful!
That’s quite possible, but if he’s happy to hang out with you too then there’s lots of scope to develop your bond with him!
So Im in an odd position. I got my cockatiel at about 8 weeks maybe younger and has been mostly parent raised and not fully weaned. Ive been giving some hand rearing formula (he eats maybe 4ml twice a day) but hes stubborn and doesnt really like being handled for it. He will eat a bit then throw a tantrum. Indont like handling against his will but Im worried he wont get enough nutrients if I dont. Will this work to bond or will this strain his trust 🥺
Ive kept an eye on his crop and it seems at least prominent enough for me to feel (first time bird owner)
Hey Emeeko,
It's hard to say honestly. It's better usually to get them after as it saves you the trouble of doing it and also avoids the potential issue you may have.
I think the important thing is ensuring he's fed right now and getting him weaned effectively. You can always work on restoring trust/bonding work after.
Will he not take it without being handled at all?
I have a question I have a friendly male he is a 1.5 years old and he doesn't make any sound I went to a petshop he is a 100% male is there a reason why he isn't making sounds
Hey Jackie,
It's unusual for a male cockatiel to make no sounds! Does he make any vocalisations at all?
The most common reason is nervousness or stress. But if he is happy and friendly it's unlikely to be these.
It could be an issue with his syrinx too that's preventing him making noises. If he is healthy in every other way it could be worth mentioning it to your avian vet during his next check up.
Still getting new inputs and ideas out of your videos👍
It's great they are proving useful!
My two still aren't fully hand tame. It's funny because they will perch and crawl all over me. Yet if I try to get them to just come onto my hand without millet (Pip) or a stick (Sparky) they just aren't having It!
Hey there!
It sounds like you're going in the right direction if they are that content being on and around you! However I wouldn't say that's a taming issue but more of a training issue!
Also, for some cockatiel's they just wont step up without the reinforcement, especially when little!
They have what they want to do, then there's what you'd like them to do! There's trying to find that middle ground and incentive initially. THEN working on making that behaviour so consistent the treat is less needed (sorry if this is repeating stuff you already know btw!)
I also set up the Patreon you and a couple of others were asking for!
@@TheParrotTeacher Thanks, that's good to know I'm heading in some kind of direction lol.
I've seen your Patreon post and it's on my to do list I promise. Things have been busy, I'm just getting ready to move so hopefully things will be calmer in the next week or two.
@@nurgleslefttentacle6844 lol there’s no worries or commitment to sign up! I just remembered you mentioning it!
Sorry one other thing as his name tells you he is male and i have had him six an a half years, but when he is in his favorite shoe box lol he gets on his tummy and rocks from side to side and will only let me near his box he also has a love affair with the tv remote, it has a yellow button and he kisses it and when he is done he sings, its only the yellow button he kisses. It is strange but makes all my friends laugh. At least he treats the remote with love and respect with all the kisses between well you know and a click noise near when he is done.😍🦜
Haha that is a funny thing and cute :D
@@TheParrotTeacher I told you about Eric sitting in his shoe box he LOVES😍 But i worry that he lays on his tummy rocking side to side and if anyone but me goes near him he hisses, my last cockatiel did this but she was a SHE. Eric is male all the way HE ACTS LIKE MY KEEPER & BOSS.
@@sharonpearce1352 Hey Sharon,
That's bordering on hormonal behaviour so it might be best to discourage it if he does it lots in there!
Great video. Thank-You.
My little cockatiel will be 11 years old 6.10.2021... she's sick. Please send good thoughts her way.
I don't think I will deal very well if I lose her.
I will be absolutely alone in this world.
🙏💕
Sending lovely thoughts to you and your cockatiel ❤️ I hope she gets better. It sounds like she’s absolutely adored. From 🇦🇺
Has your bird seen an avian vet? If not drop BirdNerdSophie a comment and she can help you find one.
@@steveyray8852 Thank -you very much. I do adore her and she seems to feel the same way about me.
I'm within transportation and I don't have anyone to bring us to her Avian Veterinarian. She laid an egg last night/ this morning. She seems better than yesterday, but I need she's vomited twice in about 7-9 dsys. She didn't eat or drink yesterday. Today she is atleast doing these things.
Vomiting is never good...it wasn't regurgitation.
God bless and keep you and your loved ones happy and healthy.
Thank -you and all of you for your kind words of support.
Bless you 💕🙏💕
@@TheParrotTeacher Thank you very much. I would have brought her to her Avian Veterinarian, but he's about 17 miles and I don't have a car and no one to help me.
* She's a chronic egg layer . She vomited clear mucus yesterday . It was on her face and head.
I heard you mention that Cockatiels vomit when hormonal.She vomited a copious amount last week and was very soaked and there were bits of undigested pellets in it. Did you actually mean that they vomit when hormonal??
You gave me hope. She will be 11 years old on this Thursday. Z
She has never vomited in the 9 or so years of laying eggs. She use to get Lupron shots - but no transportation so she hasn't had one since the beginning of the pandemic.
Thanks so very much
You are appreciated.
Denise ~ USA
Lol my tiels sleep when I do passive bonding lol
Must be working well then if he's that relaxed!
Hey I just got my cockatiel about 3 days ago so I’m still in step 1 for now. How long do you think it will take before I can try to move on to step two? Also I put some millet in my babies cage but he doesn’t like it. He hasn’t even tried eating it I think. I even put it in his food bowl and left the room for 2 hours to see if he would eat it but he never did. Is this normal?
Hey Amir,
Sadly I can't give a timescale as every parrot is an individual and some bond v.quickly while others take much longer. You can start attempting step 2 through the bars fairly quickly if you notice he's settling well.
Are they eating normally otherwise? It's possible they just don't like millet much and need another top tier treat. Or they are just a bit worried about it. You could break it up into tiny buds to make it less scary!
@@TheParrotTeacher thank you so much for replying! the first day I got him he was really scared and didn’t touch his food or water bowl. Now he seems much better, he’s chipping a lot, moving around, and most importantly eating his food (although he prefers when I don’t watch him) I’ll try to break up the millets but I’m unsure how to feed him the broken up millets behind the cage? Also if there are any other top tier snacks or treats you could recommend, that would be lovely. Thank you
@@scpAmir
That's not unusual. It's a big change to move to a new house (think I've mentioned that in a few videos!)
It's great he's moving about and more active. If he's eating/drinking then that's also great.
When you're getting near him while he's eating or drinking, you can just get closer but avoiding eye contact, that way you can maintain proximity but not scare him.
You can hold them through the bars, pop them in his bowl again to see if he dislikes millet or just finds it intimidating on the spray.
Hemp seeds, sunflower seed, safflower some also like to nibble on fresh herbs!
@@TheParrotTeacher I’ll try that. Thank you so much :)
Three months ago, I adopted a cockatiel from someone who had him for at least 10 years, and they took him from a previous owner. He's only had a single dowel perch and a food and water bowl in his cage. He is cage-bound, and he was never handled or socialized. Since the three months I've gotten to the point where he'll eat a portion of millet spray (he's never had millet spray until I took him in. It didn't take long for him to fall in love with it) from my hand. However, he is still afraid of my hands. He'll hesitate before eating, and if I try to touch him or get him to step up he'll back away from me and hiss. I have to let him come to me. It's odd because he'll call to me when he wants his millet. I guess that means he half-trusts me. He trusts me enough to demand I feed him millet and will eat it out of my hand, but not enough that I can touch him or move my hand to him.
I'm not really sure what to do at this point. I understand that three months is a very short time, and I just keep offering him a portion of millet spray every day (especially when he calls to me) but I don't know what the next step would be. I don't think he'll ever fully be tame to the point that I can give him head rubs, but at the very least I'd like to teach him to step-up for practical reasons.
Hey there,
It sounds like you're off to a good start and using millet as a bonding treat is a great idea. Sadly, you have an awful lot of damage to repair and undo. As you say the amount of time you've had him is just a fraction of the time he was just left in a boring cage with no real interaction.
If it were me, my next step would be passive bonding near his cage, continuing to do what you're doing and strengthening your bond. Then potentially working on target training followed by step up training.
I'd avoid actively trying to touch him or any part of him for now and just work on getting him to come to you and step onto your hand!
If you're really struggling you could reach out to our business, but otherwise I'd say you're doing things right!
@@TheParrotTeacher Thank you very much for responding! His cage is in my bedroom right at the foot of my bed, so he sees me all the time. I talk to him every time I pass by his cage. My strategy has been to let him come to me, and about a week ago he did touch me with his foot for the first time. He hasn't done it since, but it was very encouraging. He's started eating vegetables, which is good. For seeds, he'll only eat the white millet regardless of what brands I get him. Ah well, small victories. At least he IS eating vegetables!
It's good to know I'm on the right track!
@@kintallo5617 it’s awesome he is trying his veg too! That’s one of the hardest battles for many! Have you considered introducing some fresh herbs to help? I’d also recommend chamomile! I have videos about flowers and herbs in diet in my channel!
You really are! Just keep at it!
@@TheParrotTeacher Just want to say that shortly after making my post, my cockatiel called for me to give him his millet spray. So I did, and he put a foot on my hand to hold the spray down. Last time he touched it he did it very briefly. Very awesome!
@@kintallo5617 that’s great progress and definitely a good step! Be proud as that’s due to all the effort and patience you’ve shown!
Thank you for the video. I am planning to adopt 2 cockatiels and a friend told me that if there is a pair, they won't bond with the human parent? Is that true? Or can you bond with a pair of cockatiel too? Of course with time and patience?
Hey Sachi!
You definitely can bond with a pair! It’s a common myth that having pairs of birds impacts the relationship between us and them. The only time it’s a problem is during nesting (which can be prevented with hormone management)
If you put the bonding work in and are patient you definitely can build a bond with them :)
@@TheParrotTeacher Thanks for your reply. I will be rescuing them soon-ish. So just want to be prepared. ♥️
@@sachiverma1 no problems!
I’m sure they will have a good home with you! Just keep doing research before hand and give them plenty of time, love and patience!
How must l do it
Hey there,
The video goes over the most effective and popular techniques!
How do I get my cockatiel to bathe? I tried spraying but he starts panicking and fying away (i have a dove too and he also hates water, unless if its for drinking 😂) I left a tray with water in front of their perch (they’re not in cage, but free in the house), but both are ignoring it….
Hey Bella,
You could try a very fine mist or offering a bowl etc!
I have a video on how to help with moulting that may help and Sophie made a video dedicated to bathing on her channel too!
@@TheParrotTeacher they hate misting too… dirty birdies 😅 i left a bowl with water so lets see… thank you for replying btw 💕
Hi! I have an 5 month old male cockatiel and he is wild and too much aggressive. We try to give him all veggies for taming but he is not at all eating them, instead he hisses and bites it. I don't know how to tame him.. when we put our hand in his cage for him to get used to it, sometimes he will bite and sometimes he will get scared. Whenever I try to change his food bowls, he hisses and even bites. I have tried passive voice interactions and feeding through the bar..he sometimes eat through the bars but the motive of eating the seeds is just trying to bite us...pls help me with taming him..I am literally frustrated as I have seen many videos of taming on RUclips but all of the videos don't go with me
Hey there,
I'd strip back your relationship right to the start. I'd work on passive interactions with him (you being near him in his cage). I'd treat him through the bars more with his fave treat (usually millet). I'd also try and work on target training with him. It's possible he sees hands as something threatening, so if you can put some distance between you and him it may help him relax.
Taming and bonding can take a while and takes some patience. For some people it goes mega quick, for others it can take longer!
@@TheParrotTeacher thanks for replying
He is used to us being around him and also we take him out of his cage as he does not at all like to be in cage and he goes and sits on our cupboards and higher places and he never comes to his cage until and unless he is starving for almost 12 hours, he screams and hisses at us when we try to get him in his cage... So he does not at all like his cage... I am working on him to get used to our hands because we don't want to threat him and also he is comfortable as he eats sunflower seeds from our hand through the bars as well as when he is outside of his cage ..bit sometimes he gets too aggressive... And that's why I am trying to get him used to my hand and once he is comfortable completely with our hands, I will start introducing the target training stick to him and that's gonna take a lot of patience and efforts for both of us!
Lovely video 🌺
Thank you!
Mine is tamed n likes me but doesn't like my mum n frnds how do I get him to like everyone
Hey there,
That's down to them balancing their relationship with your cockatiel! They will need to work on training, bonding and respecting the little guy themselves!
I've just brought one of these home and this was really helpful. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful! I have a few more videos on them that may be useful too!
when i try to feed my cockatiel it just flies away
Hey there,
It may be you need to be more patient and work on passive bonding, or feeding top tier treats through the bars.
@@TheParrotTeacher I tried feeding him treats through the cage bars but he stayed away from the bars
@@blueflame441 It's possible you just need to give him more time and just be around him more before you try.
I'd also suggest holding up some millet when he's had time to settle in and waiting. It can sometimes take ages before they trust us!
@@TheParrotTeacher thanks for the advise
My mom said we will get a cockatiel parrot and i have been studying it for the past days
Awesome! It's great to do your research and be as prepared as possible!
나 최근에 앵무새 한 마리를 얻었는데, 내가 그걸 빙크스 노래로 불렀더니 그 사람이 그걸 외웠어?!??!
Amazing how smart they can be isn’t it?!
Cool!
Thank you!
I have a lot of friends here in Australia that love Eric and think it would be great to get a bird, they go out and get a hand reared bird and next time i seen these friends they have let it go and telling me the birds will be much happier, to my horror i don't believe they have done this as the birds were HAND REARED and don't know how to fend for themselves. I couldn't sleep I felt sick for these poor little souls. I have put a lot of people on your channel AND COULD YOU PLEASE TELL PEOPLE WHY THEY SHOULD NEVER DO THIS AND TAKE THEM BACK TO WHERE THEY BOUGHT THEM. GOD BLESS YOU. YOUR CHANNEL IS IMPORTANT AND GREAT.🦜💖
Hey Sharon,
Sadly many people do do that. It's the same as people who leave cats/dogs abandoned. They assume someone else will take care of them or that their responsibility has ended because the animal isn't in their hands. We find it sad too, especially with the prevalence of views that ALL animals should be wild. While ideally that is true, it isn't the world we live in so letting a hand reared bird out in the wild often leads to tragedy.
It's something I can consider doing but I'd have to tread carefully due to the controversy and arguments such topics often cause.
I have had my cockatiel for a year now , and he still doesn’t listen ,
There are lots of aspects to bonding, it could be several factors affecting it!
Just got my lovely cockatiel ''Leo'' and I find these tips so helpful ❤️👌
Glad it was helpful!
Budgies 🤦 and cockatiel are basically the same bird but different sizes 😅
I’m not sure I’d agree. They have some similarities due to being from the same continent but have many differences too
@@TheParrotTeacher they are the same to tame, Im an Aussie dinki di, I have a budgie and a cockatiel, they both the same to get to trust and finally tame
👍
🎉
Hi David, thank you so much for making these great videos. Much appreciated. I rescued 2 cockatiels about 5 days ago and I have been slowly approaching them. They are comfortable with eating millet from my hands. I can put my hand in the cage and they aren't so scared now. They are learning to step up on a stick. However, they still don't step up on my hand. Which is fine, they will take their time... I wanna know when should I let them out of their cage? Should I wait until they are hand-fed and not scared of me or should I let them out of their cage and let them explore on their own? My biggest concern is that if I let them out of the cage, they might not wanna get back to the cage, and when I try to get them in the cage, I will lose their trust. Any suggestions? Thank you so much again
Hey Sachi,
It sounds like you've been making really good progress with them already!
It's a strong impulse to want to get them out and flying around and having fun. But sometimes it isn't the best for them. I'd wait until they are less fearful of you and also have at least a semi consistent step up trained. This is to avoid what you mentioned in losing trust and also so you can get them out of any dangerous situations reliably.
Once they are comfortable with you and stepping up then you can let them explore and enjoy! You could set them up a foraging tray and stand too!
@@TheParrotTeacher thank you so much. This is great advice. I will wait 😁
Aghh! My finger
Best run it under some cold water!