My cockatiel is afraid of my little brother?

[HazelBird029]

My cockatiel Hazel is afraid of my little bro Caleb (age 5) He's generally quite calm around her, but, like every 5 year old boy, he's a bit of a nutjob all the time XD
Hazel is very afraid of him. (She lives in my room, and he doesn't mess with her unless I say he can, but I need her to at least be okay with him)
Any suggestions?

 

[blewin]

IMHO a five year old is way too young to be left around a 'tiel unsupervised. 'Tiels are very responsive to the energy around them, and, unlike dogs, aren't very tolerant of high-energy situations. She probably sees your brother as a big loud scary predator. Even though he may be calm around her most of the time, she's probably remembering him acting like a nutjob every time she sees him. If you want him around her, he needs to be able to settle down, and not try to touch or go near her. If he can handle that, then you can move on to having him tame her with millet.

The other thing that you want to keep in mind is that most young kids are not well coordinated, and can be accidentally rough. With a lot of careful supervision, you can probably get Hazel to the point where she's not afraid of your brother. That being said, you want very clear boundaries where he's not trying to handle her if you're not there to supervise.

 

[HazelBird029]

Oh yes, I certainly agree! He's not allowed anywhere near her or my other babies, unless I'm right there with him. I would be freaking out if he was left around her unsupervised. I love my little bro, but he IS a five year old XD
I'll try having him sit down calmly and working with her around him. I just need her to not freak out every time he walks by. (I'll have to bring out the millet :3)
He knows his boundaries. He's not allowed in my room unless I say so, and he can't handle my birds unless I'm right there with him.
Thanks for the advice!

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Have you had her for long? If he is willing you could try having him sit in the same room with her, but not too close. He can talk softly to her or even play quietly while he is in the room. After a few times of that, and if she seems okay, you can move him a little closer to her cage. Eventually she might be okay with him being next to the cage and giving her treats.

 

[HazelBird029]

I've had her for about 5 months. She's very comfortable with everyone in my family except him ^^"
I like that idea though, I'll try it!!

 

[MyAussieFriends]

I got my first tiel when I was living at home, and my brother would of been 5 or 6. I always made sure I supervised any interactions, and told him that he had to be quiet and move slowly around him. Maybe if your tiel can see your brother from the safety of her cage while he does some quiet activities like colouring or watching a movie, she will become less fearful.

 

[blewin]

I like the in the cage idea, because then Hazel won't feel as though her space is being invaded. If she sees him doing quiet activities (coloring, board games, anything that involves paper), she'll start getting interested.

 

[HazelBird029]

Ok! I'll have him do a bit of coloring with me in my room, and we'll go from there!

 

[HazelBird029]

Whooo! Thanks guys! Thanks to your great advice, Hazel got used to him really quick!!!
They're cool with each other now