Usual behavior?

[AzaleaMist]

Unusual behavior?

I have never seen a tiel suddenly jerk its head to the side oddly then go back to what he was doing, or walk backwards or to the side at times in a odd way? I'm really not sure if the walking is odd but my other tiles do not do this. I have seen this tiel do this when it walks on the bottom on the cage. It also has feet that turn in towards each other when in a sitting / standing position.

The bird seems to be on the smallish size, it is pied, eats well, beak seems fine, could use a little more weight by feeling the keel but not a lot. He talks, hops, and plays etc. The only other abnormal thing I noticed was two of the tiny feathers on the Upper outer wings ( one on each side) had a twisted shaft so they curled instead of laid flat. All other feathering Normal, has down etc.

The bird is about 8 or 9 months old. Belongs to a young girl that is bored with it.
Does this seem concerning at all? Does it just sound like a quirky young bird with odd first feathers? A bird with poor diet? He isn't displaying any signs of sickness, droppings are normal. On a low quality seed only diet. Thoughts please?

 

[expressmailtome]

Bump.

 

[JLcribber]

Does this seem concerning at all? Does it just sound like a quirky young bird with odd first feathers? A bird with poor diet?

Sounds like a quirky young bird to me. Crappy diet but the bird is very young so the diet would not have had a chance to do any "chronic" damage "yet".

 

[AzaleaMist]

Thank you! I was a little nervous I was missing something in my searches for info here and and anything google would pull up and most pointed to nutrition for covet feathers in young birds if it doesn't affect other feathers or the down etc. He is very spunky and laying paper on the cage bottom has helped the backing up quite a bit. He seems to be doing it when searching for lost treasures. I want to give this guy a new home. Right place right time kinda thing. I was going to pass e en though I wanted him but my 15 year old went in half on his rehoming fee for a Christmas gift so he is in Q. I've observed his happy but odd mannerisms since he has arrived. The girl that owned him was sweet but was tired of him only after a few months of owning him and changed her interest to bearded dragons and cats and since losing interest she hasn't handled him or had him out of his cage. I've renamed him Pixel. I will share pics I just took as soon as I resize them. The two twisted feathers are gone now.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Congrats on getting Pixel. Post some photos and/or a video when you get a chance. Hopefully things will get better with a change in diet and a loving family.

 

[blewin]

Is the head-jerking thing stargazing? Bird Disease: Stargazing / Twirling / Torticollus
Stargazing can also be an indicator of seizures. This could be corrected by nutrition, or there could be something else going on. A trip to a good avian vet wouldn't be a bad idea, just so you know what is going on.

 

[AzaleaMist]

I added photos above. It isn't a constant thing, no. He will be playing normally and then twist or jerk his head in an odd way look up or sideways for a second or two then go back to what he was doing either playing, hoping, whistling, talking or chirping holding his head normal.

 

[iamwhoiam]

It's hard to say if it's normal behavior or not because I've seen my birds twist their heads to the side and look up. It's almost as if they've heard or seen something and they turn their head that way. You could try to take a video and post it or take your 'tiel in for a check up. Has your 'tiel ever been the vet?

 

[CeciliaZ]

Congrats! Do watch him - I had a tiel who experienced some jerky movements - the vet asked me to make a small video when this occurred - they were seizures. Happened occasionally and we never did find the cause.

 

[AzaleaMist]

No, no vet yet. He has only been here a week and everything is booked up for the holidays. I will see if I can take a video and also go watch Petey and see if he ever does anything similar. I really don't think I've ever seen him do that but but he and most of my birds have come to me second hand from less than perfect situations as adults. Cinna was my only baby Cockatiel and that was in 2012. I was wondering if they could be mini little seizures but they also could just be him pausing to look at his new surroundings.

We are spending a lot of time in the room he is in with it being the holidays so he is getting a lot of companionship and a lot of observation. I could be overreacting to a quirky young juvenile bird in a new home that is suddenly getting attention again, that is in a busier home and he can also hear but not see my other birds. He is currently beak grinding on his perch. Earlier he had his head tucked under his wing sleeping. He has been sitting and hopping in front of his door already asking to come out and fly and today he was running and hopping on the back on the couch we were sitting on and decided to climb down and sit on each of us once ( no hand action today although he will allow scritches once you have him). He seems to be learning to trust us a little more each day. I will most definitely keep him under a watchful eye for a while and take him in for a check up.

 

[blewin]

Doesn't sound like stargazing, then. Stargazing is very very obvious and a bit scary. You probably want to still get Pixel checked out, just because he wasn't in a very healthy environment, and you don't know his history before the kid had him (I am assuming).

 

[TWR]

Congratulations on Pixel. I hope the quirky movements prove to be of no concern. It's good he's going to he vet. A video of the movements it's a great idea - they never do the movements which concern us when at the AV clinic. If Pixel is anything like my birds, it will be hard to capture on video too, as my birds always stop doing anything cute as soon as I start videoing. I have to practice my stealth skills haha.

 

[AzaleaMist]

I'm not concerned about the movements anymore. He is doing super. Still in Q, eating pellets yay! And trying veggies and fruits I offer e en if he won't eat them. He is a fast learner! I have two vets here but I just learned the avian certified vet I've used in the past has been reported for some things. The specifics were not shared but my source is extremely trustworthy and another vet and said I could find the info online. I will be using a different one obviously.

 

[scoobdoo63]

Read you use paper in the bottom of your cage? I'm a person who stays away from news paper . I put it under the bars if I used it..now I use plastic colorful trays in the bottom of the cage. I have a ferret type. Makes cleaning so much easier. I don't have to clean the big tray of poop , just seeds that fell through. I just vacuum them. The small trays I can wash in the sink. I also use a tray on top of is cage to put a bowl of water, food and toys on.

 

[scoobdoo63]

Could he head bobbing / dancing???

 

[AzaleaMist]

Yes, I use newspaper under the grids normally and usually not anything on the grids but if needed for some reason I will use paper towel a handful of hay or newspaper. They are fresh papers my husband gets from work and ink is soy based. Pixel is well, out of Q and causing havoc in the bird room haha! He is after Petey's two mates and Pete is not impressed. I did find out more about the previous vet and we won't go back to him ever again!

 

[Jaguar]

Could he head bobbing / dancing???

This is kinda what I thought as well. Phoenix can do some REALLY weird motions when he's trying to get my attention.