Development ?'s

[Alien J]

Hi! It's j and TD, again. I've noticed that TD is not able to hold a piece of food in his foot and reach it with his beak. He tries in vain, but, inevitably, just about falls off his perch (and sometimes does). Is he just not coordinated enough, or just not big enough? He is rather small, I think.

Also, TD has yellow bars on his tail feathers, but whistles constantly and seems to be trying to talk. Boy or girl?

Thanks!

 

[Cassandra.c87]

Cockatiels aren't as good as larger parrots when holding food with the foot. some get better with practice while others just give up lol Hopefully TD is one who gets the hang of it because it sure is cute!. As for gender all juvenile cockatiels look female with barring on the tail, once TD goes through his/her first molt you will be able to easily sex depending on if the face goes more yellow and if he looses the baring on the tail which would mean male. for now it sounds like TD might turn out to be a boy

 

[CeciliaZ]

male tiels are very vocal...mine started to whistle when they were about 3 months...sounds like you have a little boy. None of my tiels, now and in the past have used their feet to hold food or toys - there are tiels that do.

 

[Alien J]

Thanks, Cassandra and Cecilia! I just worry so about the little guy (or girl). I felt girl at first for no real reason. But with all the vocalization (gosh, some of it is so cute! ) I'm leaning towards boy.

 

[JLcribber]

Hi! It's j and TD, again. I've noticed that TD is not able to hold a piece of food in his foot and reach it with his beak. He tries in vain, but, inevitably, just about falls off his perch (and sometimes does). Is he just not coordinated enough, or just not big enough? He is rather small, I think.

Also, TD has yellow bars on his tail feathers, but whistles constantly and seems to be trying to talk. Boy or girl?

Thanks!

Cockatiels aren't foot eaters. It does happen but it is not a common thing.

 

[Alien J]

Ok, I did not know that. He sure wants to be a foot eater! Thanks! So much to learn!

 

[Tiel Feathers]

I love hearing about TD! Two of my tiels are foot eaters, and two aren't. My klutziest bird, Twilight, would do what your bird does when he was little. It was so cute to watch him try so hard to hold stuff in his foot, but not be able to quite get it to his mouth. I guess all of his persistence paid off, because he eventually got the hang of it!

 

[barry collins]

My birds have learned to hold down their food and toys on the perch with their foot and lean down and eat or play but never hold the foot up like a larger parrot. I don't think they do hold things up with their feet.