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New tiel, need help

Birdie76

Walking the driveway
Joined
3/14/18
Messages
197
I would chose a room with a door. That way he wouldn't be flying all over the house. Make sure to leave the cage door open and have food and millet in the cage. He'll most likely go back when he is hungry. I had a canary once that zipped out of his cage unexpectedly. He flew all around...Finally I just put the cage nearby with the door open and he went in on his own in less than 20 min.

Whether you want to try it is completely up to you. Did you see the breeder handle your bird before you got him? If the bird stepped up then I don't think it is fear of hands. Rather it is that everything is new and strange to him. Personally I think it best to start with hanging out around the cage and get him used to your voice and presence a little each day. Then you can progress from there. If he is used to your voice and presence Niffy will probably be less freaked out when he does come out. Most likely he will stay on his cage and explore a bit. Then after he's had a lil time out, slowly offer your finger to step up on. Remember to make it an option not a demand. You will have a better relationship with your feathered friend if he gets to make his choices instead of being forced. I wouldn't do it if you don't have a room you can use with a door at this point. This way if he doesn't go back in the cage as soon as you had hoped you can close the door to keep him safe. Make sure to check the room for any possible hazards first and if you leave the room with him out...be very careful going back in as he could be right by the door or underfoot. I'd also pick a day you don't have any plans, it might be an all day affair.

Do you know how good of a flyer he is? At 4.5 months and being born in captivity chances are he isn't an expert flyer by any means and would be easier to get back in the cage if you have to resort to helping him back to his "safe place" However, if the breeder allows the babies to learn to fly and gave opportunities he may be a better flyer than most at this age.

If you don't think you can successfully get the bird back in the cage without using means that could traumatize him needlessly...like going after him with a towel...then don't do it. I'm willing to do it because I have experience with birds and a ton of patience in dealing with them. And I've personally never had much difficulty getting them back into their cages. Except Sephor...he'd rather hang out with Mama all day and night...I have to be clever putting him back cause he will grab a bar with his beak and end up on the cage and try to go for my shoulder...

All my birds (except my wild flock), have been very young babies just weaned. They've always been clipped before I got them as well. I'm personally against clipping wings; however, it does make it a bit easier in the beginning to handle them. As well as easier to put back into their cage. The wings do grow back. If someone has no experience with birds this might be a one time option to consider.

With my wild flock I'd hang out nearby almost daily, play guitar and sing. When they'd come near I'd talk to them and offer some treats. They liked the music and of course the treats were a plus. In no time they were eating out of my hand and perching all over me. I had videos at one point, not sure where they are now. I was covered head to toe in pigeons, and by their choice. They would even search me out in town and follow my car! They also can in my van regularly to visit, always with the door open so they could leave any time. Something so awesome about wild feathered friends!

Wishing you and Niffy all the best!!~!
 

JSeok

Meeting neighbors
Joined
9/29/18
Messages
33
Thank you SO much Birdie76!! I really appreciate all the info you’ve written. I am still going to wait a week or so for him to settle as much as he can. Then see if there’s any progress.
The breeder told me Niffy stepped up on her hand, ate from her hands, even let her scratch his little head! I still believe he’s not comfortable yet. I don’t know his flying abilities, but I know he is able to fly. I don’t want to let him fly around the room for now because he broke most of his tail feathers (being a clumsy little guy he is still), he wound probably just crash into a wall or something. I’ll take it slow for now. He seems more comfortable though. He even started chirping and answering my whistles. :)
And yeah, I really would hate to chase a bird down with a towel or something. That would make them even more scared.
Your relationship with birds seems so amazing! They love you very much it looks like! I absolutely love birds and had birds when I was younger, they fascinate me so much. I would go and feed some of the pigeons outside in a park, they got to know me and I was surrounded by the birds.. <3
Anyway, thank you so much for the info, I will update if anything changes or progresses. This forum and its people are so nice and helpful :)
 

Birdie76

Walking the driveway
Joined
3/14/18
Messages
197
Here is another great site for info on Cockatiels: Cockatiels, Taming and Biting, How to tame cockatiels, How to stop a cockatiel from biting, stopping cockatiels from biting, how
to tame a cockatiel, how to stop cockatiels from biting, stop a cockatiel or other parrot, bird from biting,
hand taming a cockatiel, how to hand tame a cockatiel,
stopping a cockatiel from biting, how to tame a cockatiel, how to tame a new, rescued, formerly neglected or abused cockatiel,
taming cockatiels, taming a cockatiel, taming a bird, how to tame a bird.
teaching cockatiels the step up command, teaching the step up
command to a cockatiel, teaching birds the step up command,
how to gain a cockatiel's trust, gaining the trust of a cockatiel or other bird,
how to gain the trust of a cockatiel, parrot or any bird, how to pet a cockatiel or other parrot.


Can find just about everything you need to know about 'Tiels! This section is about taming. I edited the link to a more appropriate page on that site. I do not know why the link is so darn loooong. The site is cockatielcottage, Great Info!

No problem, just a fellow bird lover! Thank you, I have a thing with animals in general. When I was in the 5th grade I went to a country school
and had 5 animals in a line following me home. We had to take them back and I had to wait for a ride....it was funny and so unexpected. My
Grandmother said that day: "I don't know what it is with you and animals girl...but we can't walk home without them following you!"

However, I have a special spot for birdies and they seem fond of me as well.

Ahhh, Pigeons...love them as much as I love 'Tiels, such lovey little cuddle buggers they are!!~! People around here hate pigeons so feeding
them is not generally allowed. *sigh*
 
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JSeok

Meeting neighbors
Joined
9/29/18
Messages
33
Update: After some time I attempted to let Niffy go out of his cage. He went out the first 10 minutes the cage door was open and he seemed pretty calm. He climbed on top of the cage and sat there for a while, exploring. He did fly around the room after being spooked by something, I’m not sure.
So everyday I’ve been letting him out to explore and all. And slowly I’ve started to bond with him. He has some perches outside the cage and while he did perch there I held my arm near the end of the perch for like.. 30 minutes or so. Because I wanted to stay still and not scare him my arm almost went numb and hurt like hell, but I love him and I’m trying hard to earn his trust. :) so I did that for 2 days and on the third day he approached me. But as soon as I moved he ran away from me. Then the other day I offered him millets and he shyly approached my hand and started to eat the millets!! 3 days ago I’ve tried bribing him with millets to step up on my hand I kept the millets in. So what I did was, I let him start eating from my hand and I started increasing the distance between him and my hand. And bingo! He stepped up because he wanted his millets :) so I kept doing that for a couple of days. We even started playing with some paper rings. They’re rings made from compressed paper, which were included in a toy he chewed up. So I hung up the rings on the end of the perch and he started to pick them up and throw them on the ground. I put them back on and he kept doing it. I think he likes it?? Because every time the rings fall he looks at it as it falls. I hanged one on my finger too and he took it off aswell! And today, I bribed him to fully step up on a hand/finger that doesn’t have millet. I had an empty hand and moved it closer to him and in the other hand I had the millets. So there was a distance. We had a deal. If he steps up, I’ll transport him to the other hand that has the millets. And it worked. We’re getting along quite nicely :)
Only thing I noticed that concerned me a little is that his feet seem colder than usual. Maybe it’s like that because I have some plastic perches around and it cools his feet down, or even because he climbs the cage and the bars are cold. His feet do warm up as soon as he steps up. So maybe I’m being paranoid. He eats like a pig and drinks a lot of water. He seems really healthy. Just the feet thing concerns me. I know that birds have quite warm bodies so the feet must feel warm at all times.
 

sunnysmom

Ripping up the road
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Sounds like you're doing great with him! :)
 

Tiel Feathers

Joyriding the Neighborhood
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Quincy,CA
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What a wonderful update! It sounds like you’re make great progress with him, and he’s really learning to trust you!:dance4:
 

jes83

Meeting neighbors
Joined
8/26/18
Messages
42
Location
British Columbia, Canada
I agree with covering the 3 walls and leaving front uncovered. Our tiel loves that. My son first got Soda and bonded with her. Now he been so busy with school we moved her up beside our conure. She does not like it when we put our hands in her cage at all, we just open cage door for her in the morning and say good morning and sometimes she will come out right away and cling to top of her cage and eat up there..she comes and goes as she pleases ..when she is ready for bed at night which is usually about 6pm she goes back into the cage on her own and we just shut the cage door..she usually hisses at us if we again put our hands in there to top up her food and water :) it has taken about almost 2 months for her to actually jump onto my shoulder the other day. It was a huge moment for us :)
 
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